By Sarah McGregor
More than 20 percent of the merchandise offered in Tanzania's major trading centres - including the cities of Arusha, Mwanza and Moshi, and the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar - is pirated, the study showed. That rises to 70 percent if you include below-standard goods.
The fakes business is booming in one of the world's poorest nations, where pricey authentic items are beyond the reach of most consumers. The east African nation ranks 159th out of 177 countries on the United Nations' Human Development Index, which measures a range of poverty and economic indicators. Per capita spending is 340 dollars a year.
‘‘I don't think we're doing a bad business because we're helping people to survive on the little money they have,’’ said salesperson Yahaya Khalini, who declined to give his real name in fear of police retribution. More than half the mobile phones and computer parts dangling from hooks in his tiny store in Kariakoo are knock-offs, which are illegal to sell.
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