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The Karimjee Jivanjee Foundation (KJF) is the primary vehicle for the family’s charitable work.
For seven generations, the family has established a strong legacy for philanthropy in Tanzania such as building schools and hospitals (Usagara Secondary School in Tanga (formerly Karimjee School), the Karimjee Clinic in Mnazi Moja, and the old Karimjee Hospital in Zanzibar), providing educational scholarships, supporting local communities, advocating science and technology, promoting wildlife conservation, working with Read International, supporting MSc in Paediatric Oncology and the donation of Karimjee Hall to the Nation.
The mission of the Foundation is to invest in Education as a means to enhance the economic development of Tanzania. Tanzania faces many short and long term socio-economic difficulties. The long-term solution to many of these challenges is education. Many young Tanzanians are being educated by our Foundation to enable them all to follow their dreams and aspirations.
In 2019 the Karimjee Jivanjee Group celebrates its 193rd anniversary, founded on values that remain relevant to this day: Honesty, integrity and trust, professionalism and entrepreneurship and humility, virtue and philanthropy.
The Karimjee Jivanjee family has a long and established history in East Africa stretching back to 1825 when the family arrived as traders from Cutch, in India, to the island of Zanzibar.
What was once a small trading business conducted painstakingly on annual dhow voyages plying between India and East Africa has blossomed into a highly respected group. Over the years the group has spanned wide business interests in trading (Multiple franchises), agriculture (Sisal, Coffee Tea), property, and automobiles (Historically: Nash-Kelvinator Corp, Rootes Group products such as Humber, Hillman, Sunbeam and Commer, Willys Jeep and Michelin and since 1965, Toyota).
Socialism and the weak Tanzanian economy between the 1960’s and 1990’s resulted in the loss of all but the automobile business, which has become the cornerstone of a new phase of growth and diversification.
Today the Group is committed to expanding and diversifying its portfolio, currently operating in 6 business sectors: Automotive (Toyota, Automark, SFL, Yamaha, Hino and Bajaj Intracity), Financial Services (Finance lease, Salute Insurance, Mortgage Banking: 1st Housing Finance), Real Estate, Technology, Hospitality and Commercial.