Vendor spotlight: Meet Mama Fatuma of Kisutu

Fatuma Hassan has been selling vegetables at Kisutu market since 2004. Her stall — third row, seventh from the left — is recognisable by the towering pyramid of tomatoes she rebuilds every morning at 5:30 AM.

'I started with TZS 20,000 and a borrowed table,' she told us, laughing. 'Now I have three tables and my daughter helps me on weekends.' Over two decades, Mama Fatuma has built something that goes beyond commerce: a community anchor where regulars stop not just to buy, but to talk.

Her secret to loyal customers is simple: consistency. She sources from the same three farms in Morogoro region that her mother introduced her to. 'When you know the farmer, you know the food,' she says. She visits in person twice a year to check soil and irrigation practices.

Joining Mercado in 2024 was a leap she describes as 'terrifying and wonderful.' Her first week of online orders doubled her usual daily sales. 'I had to call my cousin to help me pack.' Now digital orders account for 40% of her daily revenue, with the rest from walk-in market customers.

We asked what she'd tell a young person starting out in market trading today. She paused, then said: 'Know your product better than anyone. Be honest about quality. And be here every day — people trust what's always there.'

Mama Fatuma's stall is one of over 200 vendor partnerships on Mercado. When you order from Kisutu market on our platform, there's a good chance her hands packed your vegetables this morning.