By Urithi Wetu Research Team,
The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in collaboration with the University of St. Andrews (USTAN), has completed a 10-day training focused on digital heritage documentation in Zanzibar. Supported by the UK’s British Council Cultural Protection Fund (CPF), the training was conducted in the form of in-class and in-field workshops facilitated by academics and practitioners from UDSM and USTAN. Attendees of this workshop came from various Departments of different Ministries in the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar. These included museum curators, conservators, historic town planners, archivists, tourism officials, archaeologists, historians, educators based at the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), and officials from a few NGOs dealing heritage preservation.
Workshop participants in a group photo
Workshop participants during opening celemony
The workshop ran from 1st through 10th September 2025 and was officiated by Dr. Aboud Suleiman Jumbe, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. Other attendees at the opening ceremony included Dr Amina Issa—Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Dr Adullah Juma. The Director of Tourism, Director of Museums and Monuments and the Director of Planning attended as well. “This training is a long-waited event for it will equip our officials with relevant digital documentation skills which they need for their day-to-day duties. Everything in the world is become digital and the heritage sector cannot remain behind. It is my hope that the participants will champion the digitization of Zanzibar’s heritage for its inclusive and sustainable use, today and in the future” remarked by Dr. Abdulla Juma, the Director of Tourism.
UDSM’s Professor Elgidius Ichumbaki, one of the facilitators, introduced the participants to the full training scheme which included five days in class, sharing with one another on how to digitize artefacts, historic buildings, archaeological sites and cultural landscape using gadgets such as mobile phones, 3D cameras and simple camera to aerial mapping strategies such as the use of drones. He then went on to explain how the class would move on to consider selected key sites to ensure the theories were put into practice in the field.
Various images of trainees in the field
He further emphasized that the workshop was designed to align with policies and plans of both the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, both of whom promise to protect cultural heritage and utilize it for inclusive growth. Adding to the introduction by Ichumbaki, Professor Richard Bates, a lead facilitator from USTAN, also emphasized the importance of using “…multiple forms of digitization that range from drones up in the sky to mobile phones, capturing large to small details. These methods will permit the building of 3D models for everything from small artifacts to the entire landscape including their associated narratives and other forms of living heritage.”
In his opening speech, the guest of honor, Dr. Aboud Jumbe thanked UDSM and USTAN for thinking of Zanzibar in implementing their collaborative research projects. “It is a great honour for the Zanzibar’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism to work with these two great academic institutions to build staff capacity on heritage digital documentation. On behalf of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, I kindly request you to deliver the message to the British Council, your funders. This workshop aligns well with the daily duties of our Ministry: to protect heritage assets and through tourism, sustainably use them to benefit communities”, reiterated Dr. Jumbe. He added that “intergrading digital systems into the sector of cultural heritage will enhance preservation, boost tourism, and promote inclusive development.”
From theory to practical: Learning by doing
The facilitators from both UDSM and USTAN introduced participants to a range of tools and software that are key for capturing images and building 3D models of heritage sites and objects. Participants practiced these techniques at nearby museums and historical sites, gaining hands-on-experience on scanning museum objects as well as archival materials including books and manuscripts to quickly create 3D digital replicas.
“The training helped me to gain practical experience on creating digital contents of artefacts and sites that we protect and preserve for our generations. Using our mobile phones with simple and freely downloadable software to record historical sites and museum objects, was an exciting engagement” said Ms. Adafar Mashaka Kasala from the Department of Museum and Antiquities, Unguja.
Workshop participants in the field
On his side, Mr. Bakar Othman Juma from the Department of Museum and Antiquities remarked “…with the knowledge and skills acquired, we plan to develop a digital system similar to that of Tanzania mainland to ensure proper preservation of Zanzibar’s cultural heritage”
Mr Khalid Kombo, an educational officer, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism Pemba, said “Our heritage documentation has been conducted in the form of paperwork which makes it difficult for people to learn more about these sites, digitally. Now, with these new skills, we will have our heritage sites visible online. This will create new opportunities for tourism and increase visitors, and at the same time, our cultural heritage will be preserved properly.”
Dr. Abdallah Mwarabu Khalfan from the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) also gives his testimony on how significant the training had been. “Before this workshop I had no idea or skills about creating 3D models, a digital strategy to preserve our heritage, but now I have learned and gained skills. The 3D digitization is important because the future generations will be able to know how the Zanzibar heritage looked like and notice the changes overtime. Future generation will benefit from what we are doing today.”
“The skills I have gained through this workshop will be of immense help in our institutions as we plan to develop digital exhibitions. Therefore, we can capture our objects, such as books, and other documents we have, and use the metashape to convert them into 3D models, hence, be able to display them in our future digital exhibitions”, said Maliha Nofali Kasim from National Archives.
Digital documentation is seen as a tool for resilience against climate change impacts on cultural heritage, and particularly the physical degradation of heritage sites. “By creating digital records, we can safeguard what is being lost, promote our culture, and make Zanzibar’s heritage visible to the world”, said Prof. Ichumbaki. Dr. Bates added that digital records help to monitor how sites change over time, providing a “forever softcopy” for future generations.
The Zanzibar capacity building workshop marks a significant milestone in Zanzibar’s heritage management journey. It has empowered professionals with modern tools, inspired institutional collaboration, and demonstrated how innovation can safeguard cultural identity. The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to create a digital cultural heritage database for Zanzibar, ensuring long-term preservation and accessibility. With financial support from the British Council’s (CPF), USDM and USTAN, is taking stapes toward blending technology to ensure that Zanzibar’s past remain visible, accessible, and resilient in a rapidly changing world.