The Tanzanian Change Mystery
 

I was recently visiting Tanzania and encountered a mystery for which I can
find no answer. It is about getting change for small purchases from street
vendors. It was especially noticable when buying food from vendors in
Zanzibar. Here is the typical scenario:

I am in line behind several people buying seafood barbeque at a very busy
waterfront market. This is the place where hundreds of tourists find
wonderful food in Stonetown, Zanzibar. The vendor is doing a very brisk
business. I order perhaps 1,500 shillings worth of something, get it, and
here is the mystery - he never has change. I know he has been stuffing money
hand over fist under the table cloth or into his pockets. He does not
usually even need to look in these places, but knows he does not have
change. I get my food and stand around waiting while the vendor disappears
off into the darkness and returns in a minute or two with change. I was
never cheated, so short or no change was not what was going on. I was never
able to figure out where the vendor went or who he met. This happened over
and over, not only on the waterfront, but at other vendors as well. In
Arusha I met a German expat whom I asked about this. He said he had been in
Tanzania for 3 years and had still not figured it out. Is it some kind of
underground banking going on? Is there a money holder off site for robbery
protection?

Can anyone explain this??????

The Tanzanian Change Mystery
 

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:29:20 -0700, "none" wrote:

I was recently visiting Tanzania and encountered a mystery for which I can
find no answer. It is about getting change for small purchases from street
vendors.
snip change mystery

Interesting observation! The only reason I can think of offhand is
that from my experience, *nobody* has change (ie coins or small
denomination notes) because most Zanzibaris have little money and
tourists almost always present large denomination notes for their
purchases. It's sometimes a clever marketing excercise, in that small
village shops conveniently have no change so you buy more from them to
avoid hanging around while the shopkeeper sends a boy running around
the village to look for it! This system works extremely well but
sometimes, inexplicably, they will tell you to pay later when you
yourself have smaller change, though again this places an obligation
on the customer to come back and perhaps buy something else!!
In truth I suspect that many Zanzibaris genuinely live from hand to
mouth and money is spent as soon as it is earned, perhaps the vendor
was paying off a debt to another stallholder?
Maybe there's an unspoken system of "have exact fare ready please" in
action which innocent tourists are unaware of?
And of course, in Africa, sometimes it's just better not to ask!
--

.--~~,__
:-....,-------`~~'._.'
`-,,, ,_ ;'~U'
_,-' ,'`-__; '--.
(_/'~~ ''''(;

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:29:20 -0700, "none" wrote:

I was recently visiting Tanzania and encountered a mystery for which I can
find no answer. It is about getting change for small purchases from street
vendors.
snip change mystery

Interesting observation! The only reason I can think of offhand is
that from my experience, *nobody* has change (ie coins or small
denomination notes) because most Zanzibaris have little money and
tourists almost always present large denomination notes for their
purchases. It's sometimes a clever marketing excercise, in that small
village shops conveniently have no change so you buy more from them to
avoid hanging around while the shopkeeper sends a boy running around
the village to look for it! This system works extremely well but
sometimes, inexplicably, they will tell you to pay later when you
yourself have smaller change, though again this places an obligation
on the customer to come back and perhaps buy something else!!
In truth I suspect that many Zanzibaris genuinely live from hand to
mouth and money is spent as soon as it is earned, perhaps the vendor
was paying off a debt to another stallholder?
Maybe there's an unspoken system of "have exact fare ready please" in
action which innocent tourists are unaware of?
And of course, in Africa, sometimes it's just better not to ask!
--

.--~~,__
:-....,-------`~~'._.'
`-,,, ,_ ;'~U'
_,-' ,'`-__; '--.
(_/'~~ ''''(;

Thanks for the clues, but I think there is more than meets the eye, too.
Some of these vendors are doing windfall business taking orders, and cash at
an amazing rate. It seems quite improbable that they are almost always short
cash on hand, even 200 or 500 shillings. All this off site change making
takes place in the dark. If there is some kind of underground banking going
on it is amazing how it all happens without any visible records.

"Eupe-mbwa (Wh1t3d0g)" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:29:20 -0700, "none" wrote:

I was recently visiting Tanzania and encountered a mystery for which I
can
find no answer. It is about getting change for small purchases from
street
vendors.
snip change mystery

Interesting observation! The only reason I can think of offhand is
that from my experience, *nobody* has change (ie coins or small
denomination notes) because most Zanzibaris have little money and
tourists almost always present large denomination notes for their
purchases. It's sometimes a clever marketing excercise, in that small
village shops conveniently have no change so you buy more from them to
avoid hanging around while the shopkeeper sends a boy running around
the village to look for it! This system works extremely well but
sometimes, inexplicably, they will tell you to pay later when you
yourself have smaller change, though again this places an obligation
on the customer to come back and perhaps buy something else!!
In truth I suspect that many Zanzibaris genuinely live from hand to
mouth and money is spent as soon as it is earned, perhaps the vendor
was paying off a debt to another stallholder?
Maybe there's an unspoken system of "have exact fare ready please" in
action which innocent tourists are unaware of?
And of course, in Africa, sometimes it's just better not to ask!
--

.--~~,__
:-....,-------`~~'._.'
`-,,, ,_ ;'~U'
_,-' ,'`-__; '--.
(_/'~~ ''''(;

Thanks for the clues, but I think there is more than meets the eye, too.
Some of these vendors are doing windfall business taking orders, and cash at
an amazing rate. It seems quite improbable that they are almost always short
cash on hand, even 200 or 500 shillings. All this off site change making
takes place in the dark. If there is some kind of underground banking going
on it is amazing how it all happens without any visible records.

"Eupe-mbwa (Wh1t3d0g)" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:29:20 -0700, "none" wrote:

I was recently visiting Tanzania and encountered a mystery for which I
can
find no answer. It is about getting change for small purchases from
street
vendors.
snip change mystery

Interesting observation! The only reason I can think of offhand is
that from my experience, *nobody* has change (ie coins or small
denomination notes) because most Zanzibaris have little money and
tourists almost always present large denomination notes for their
purchases. It's sometimes a clever marketing excercise, in that small
village shops conveniently have no change so you buy more from them to
avoid hanging around while the shopkeeper sends a boy running around
the village to look for it! This system works extremely well but
sometimes, inexplicably, they will tell you to pay later when you
yourself have smaller change, though again this places an obligation
on the customer to come back and perhaps buy something else!!
In truth I suspect that many Zanzibaris genuinely live from hand to
mouth and money is spent as soon as it is earned, perhaps the vendor
was paying off a debt to another stallholder?
Maybe there's an unspoken system of "have exact fare ready please" in
action which innocent tourists are unaware of?
And of course, in Africa, sometimes it's just better not to ask!
--

.--~~,__
:-....,-------`~~'._.'
`-,,, ,_ ;'~U'
_,-' ,'`-__; '--.
(_/'~~ ''''(;

On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 08:38:11 -0700, "None" wrote:

Thanks for the clues, but I think there is more than meets the eye, too.
Some of these vendors are doing windfall business taking orders, and cash at
an amazing rate. It seems quite improbable that they are almost always short
cash on hand, even 200 or 500 shillings. All this off site change making
takes place in the dark. If there is some kind of underground banking going
on it is amazing how it all happens without any visible records.

They hope you will not have the time to wait and either buy more
or leave them the change.

Apparently this behavior is widespread all over Africa.

You might as well ask, why do people never repay their debts? In
Africa, borrowed money is considered a gift.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 08:38:11 -0700, "None" wrote:

Thanks for the clues, but I think there is more than meets the eye, too.
Some of these vendors are doing windfall business taking orders, and cash at
an amazing rate. It seems quite improbable that they are almost always short
cash on hand, even 200 or 500 shillings. All this off site change making
takes place in the dark. If there is some kind of underground banking going
on it is amazing how it all happens without any visible records.

They hope you will not have the time to wait and either buy more
or leave them the change.

Apparently this behavior is widespread all over Africa.

You might as well ask, why do people never repay their debts? In
Africa, borrowed money is considered a gift.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

In message , Hans-Georg
Michna writes
On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 08:38:11 -0700, "None" wrote:

Thanks for the clues, but I think there is more than meets the eye, too.
Some of these vendors are doing windfall business taking orders, and cash at
an amazing rate. It seems quite improbable that they are almost always short
cash on hand, even 200 or 500 shillings. All this off site change making
takes place in the dark. If there is some kind of underground banking going
on it is amazing how it all happens without any visible records.

They hope you will not have the time to wait and either buy more
or leave them the change.

Apparently this behavior is widespread all over Africa.

You might as well ask, why do people never repay their debts? In
Africa, borrowed money is considered a gift.

Hans-Georg

I tend to agree with Hans Georg. I doubt an African customer would
receive or accept this practice! It is a way of life which is
unfamiliar to us as non Africans. In other words, all part of Africa and
the differences between us.
I can say Hans Georg that it also happened in Nigeria. An African
custom perhaps?
Pat
--
Pat Anderson

This does not "feel" true. I never felt like anyone was anything but being
honorable to me. Even if I left the vendor and sat down nearby they would
locate me and deliver the change.


"Hans-Georg Michna" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 08:38:11 -0700, "None" wrote:

Thanks for the clues, but I think there is more than meets the eye, too.
Some of these vendors are doing windfall business taking orders, and cash
at
an amazing rate. It seems quite improbable that they are almost always
short
cash on hand, even 200 or 500 shillings. All this off site change making
takes place in the dark. If there is some kind of underground banking
going
on it is amazing how it all happens without any visible records.

They hope you will not have the time to wait and either buy more
or leave them the change.

Apparently this behavior is widespread all over Africa.

You might as well ask, why do people never repay their debts? In
Africa, borrowed money is considered a gift.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

This does not "feel" true. I never felt like anyone was anything but being
honorable to me. Even if I left the vendor and sat down nearby they would
locate me and deliver the change.


"Hans-Georg Michna" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 08:38:11 -0700, "None" wrote:

Thanks for the clues, but I think there is more than meets the eye, too.
Some of these vendors are doing windfall business taking orders, and cash
at
an amazing rate. It seems quite improbable that they are almost always
short
cash on hand, even 200 or 500 shillings. All this off site change making
takes place in the dark. If there is some kind of underground banking
going
on it is amazing how it all happens without any visible records.

They hope you will not have the time to wait and either buy more
or leave them the change.

Apparently this behavior is widespread all over Africa.

You might as well ask, why do people never repay their debts? In
Africa, borrowed money is considered a gift.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.