Dar es Salaam, March 26th, 2020

With its headquarters in Tanzania, Smart Codes is a digital transformation company that wants to solve African problems through the use of technology.

The agency was founded in 2010 by Edwin Bruno, a local entrepreneur with a background in engineering, and since then has worked for local and global clients.

We interviewed Bruno, who looked back at the start of the agency and the factors that differentiate it from others in Tanzania.

At the same time, he described the steps taken in Smart Codes to remain innovative and creative and his approach to develop new talent and incorporate it into the agency.

Smart Codes claims to be committed to solving African problems. What was the landscape back in 2010 that made you start your own company?

The inspiration behind Smart Codes roots from my desire to come up with technology-based solutions that are aligned to African nuances. I am a computer engineer by profession, so I interact with tech products. Back then, and to some extent even now, I would always find gaps that are meant to address Africa uniqueness, from basic things like language to user experience the African way.

This is what drove me to start Smart Codes initially as a technology focused company but along the way I also developed a desire for marketing. Today, Smart Codes is a company that drives digital transformation for companies, where we offer services in Digital Marketing, Web and Mobile Tech Solutions.

Most companies used traditional marketing to advertise their services. We were able to see an opportunity around digital platforms as a means to grow businesses. I took the initiative to approach a number of companies and introduce them to digital products and services that completely redefined how they reach out to their target audiences.

How do you believe Smart Codes stands out?

Today there are many companies that can claim to offer the same services we do, so clients are always keen to know what sets us apart. We have six values that we strive to inculcate in our team in everything we do: Freshness, Efficiency, Agility, Speed, and Premium Quality, all aiming to Make a Mark.

Our manifesto drives our teams to aim to make a mark in everything we do from the moment we approach prospective clients to the output we offer them.

We are proud of our youthful team who are in touch with the local trends and fast changing local consumer needs. They are able to use these insights to come up with unique solutions for our client’s business and communication objectives.

We also invest both in tools and the work-space. With that in mind, we are able to run unforgettable campaigns and develop outstanding products that automatically give us a competitive advantage.

How do you guarantee innovation on the projects developed?

Innovation and creativity are the core of our business and therefore we have created a suitable environment for ideas to grow through our Innovation and learning platform. This platform or hub is called Smartlab. It interlinks learning institutions and startups, with corporate partners. By doing so, we are able to support ideas with the necessary resources whilst identifying investment opportunities to engineer business establishments.

When developing talent, how do you manage different cultures to build teams that match businesses?

The modern-day workplace is faced with a lot of challenges and a big percentage of them are around employee happiness, which makes the human resource the most challenging department in any industry.

At Smart Codes we give opportunities to very different types of talents coming from different backgrounds and cultures. But what we first start with is someone’s attitude and work ethic; we measure the compatibility of any new employee with current staff and see if they can make a perfect fit or not.

We have no problem starting from ground zero and scale their untapped talent provided we see them as a perfect fit to our existing DNA. What this means is anyone that comes in compliments the existing team and this helps grow one common culture and family. Knowing that the majority of our time today is spent at the workplace, we always want our employees to feel they are not just making a livelihood, but they are part of something bigger.

What do you have in the pipeline for 2020?

This is a year for Smart Codes to scale up. With our team constantly growing so is the solidification of our partnerships with clients and stakeholders. With existing challenges limiting how organizations reach target audiences digitally, we are looking forward to introducing more innovative products and executing creative marketing campaigns. Moreover, we intend to magnify our reach to institutions through programs, mentorship, and acceleration of ideas. Smart Codes is taking aggressive measures that will not only redefine its brand’s position in East Africa alone but also in Africa and globally.

How has your life story shaped the person you are today?

Like many African countries, the introduction and advancement and massive usage of technological devices took quite some time. I fell in love with the sound of a typewriter, and despite my limited access to computing devices, I dedicated myself fully to learning all the necessary functionalities through local cafes and the secondary school’s computer lab.

My passion led me to pursue Computer and Science Engineering in college and it was during this time that I saw an opportunity which resulted in a business today. I was passionate about developing solutions using computers and due to limited computing knowledge at the time. Through the use of websites which I and my teammates developed along with the ability to understand social media, I was able to help companies stay ahead of the market through the adoption of digital advertising. My passion for computers and software led to what Smart Codes is today, a company dedicated to solving even bigger challenges that hinder the growth of organizations through digital marketing and advertising.

When thinking about role models or mentors. Who comes to your mind?

I admire Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO & President and Marc Benioff, Salesforce Chairman. The reason is their ability to have magnified visions and actually being able to not only work towards them but also successfully occupying several sectors while doing so. They keep proving to have unlimited mindsets, open to seeing the potential in different lines of work which I personally think is very essential in growing a successful business.

Each city in the world has its own character. What makes Dar es Salaam an attractive place to do business?

I considered location as an important factor in building a successful business. Dar es Salaam comes with suitable environments to do business due to the concentration of big companies and organizations, development partners, academic institutions, and a high population. The existence of companies offering direct services to customers makes businesses compete aggressively for notable recognition and this in return opens opportunities for companies like Smart Codes. As an agency, we work tirelessly to uncover issues challenging these companies and develop solutions around them.

Please share your vision on the digital industry in Dar es Salaam

The digital industry in Dar es Salaam and Tanzania, in general, is untapped and this comes with unlimited opportunities compared to other cities in Africa. Tanzania is faced with a number of community challenges that can translate into opportunities for digital disruptors to innovate around.

As a local digital and innovative brand, we are fortunate to be able to position ourselves in a way that projects our internal culture, mission, and vision. This has impacted the brand positively by keeping our target audience informed on why we do business.

What global issues are you most passionate about and why?

I am passionate about anything digital and mobile. We are in no doubt living in a digital age where things around us adopt digital improvements. Being an innovative entrepreneur with a vision to transform Africa digitally poses a challenge to be on the constant lookout for means to develop digital solutions.

On the other hand, I am enticed by the ability of Africa to not only adopt digital advancements but also its central focus around mobility. Africa is adapting to Omnichannel which in turn not only improves the way we do things but also opens a door for opportunities around the creative and innovative sector.

Things I wish I knew when I left school:

The knowledge acquired in school is not fully guaranteed to be applied at the workplace, therefore, it is important to be open-minded and agile to the environment after school as opportunities breed from various angles.

At the same time, It is important to network with experienced individuals whilst at school and learn about industry gaps and areas that need new ideas so you can focus on the potential areas. Schools in general give you ample room to incubate your future life plans. Time spent in school can be extensively used to learn more about one’s life aspirations. It is important to take school as an experience to grow dreams rather than only focusing on grades and exams.

Thanks Edwin!

Learn more about Smart Codes

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africaEdwin BrunofounderInnovationOmnichannelTanzaniaTechnology