zanzibar maritime authority

What zanzibar maritime authority does

The Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA) is a statutory government regulatory body established in 2009 under Act No.3 of the House of Representatives of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, tasked with monitoring, regulating, and coordinating all maritime industry activity within the Zanzibar jurisdiction and administering the Maritime Transport Act No.5 of 2006. It operates two parallel ship registries — the domestic Tanzania Zanzibar Register of Shipping (TZRS) and the Tanzania Zanzibar International Register of Shipping (TZIRS) — serving ship owners and operators globally, and provides statutory seafarer certification, survey and inspection, search-and-rescue coordination, and maritime safety, security, and environmental protection oversight.

ZMA's service delivery is anchored in a set of specialized web applications: the Vessels App for vessel registration and tracking, the Seafarer's App for seafarer documentation, agent services, and credential validation (including STCW-aligned certifications), and an internal Assets App for organizational resource management. Its regulatory framework incorporates international instruments including the IMO ISM Code, STCW guidelines, SOLAS, MARPOL, MLC 2006, COLREG, and IAMSAR manual amendments, and it partners with Recognized Organizations (classification societies) to conduct statutory surveys and issue certificates on its behalf. International partnerships with the IMO, ILO, and domestic sister agencies (Tasac, Zanzibar Ports Corporation, MOIC) anchor its position within the global maritime compliance ecosystem.

ZMA generates revenue through unit-priced regulatory fees rather than subsidies: domestic seafarer documentation in Tanzanian shillings (e.g., Seafarer's Book TZS 75,000; Identity Document TZS 25,000; licenses TZS 35,000), international seafarer documentation in US dollars (Seafarer's Book USD 100; Endorsements USD 150), vessel registration and survey fees, and maritime service provider licensing. Its go-to-market is direct and government-led — through the zma.go.tz portal, dedicated apps, and direct phone/email contact — targeting ship owners, seafarers, and maritime service providers operating in Zanzibar waters and internationally via the TZIRS flag. The authority operates with a reported headcount of 10 and a single headquarters in Malindi, Zanzibar.

Name

zanzibar maritime authority

Legal name

Zanzibar Maritime Authority

Website

https://zma.go.tz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Zanzibar Maritime Authority is a statutory government regulator established in 2009 under the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar to monitor, regulate and coordinate maritime industry activities, operating domestic (TZRS) and international (TZIRS) ship registries plus seafarer certification and maritime safety oversight services for ship owners, seafarers, and maritime service providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Regulatory Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Public Administration (92), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nautical Safety, Navigation Aids & Hydrographic Services (TLAHAFAE), ISPS Code Compliance & Port Facility Security Assessments (PFSA/PFSP) (TLAHANAA), Classification Society & Flag-State Liaison / Plan Approval Support (IMAJAGAN), Maritime Incident Investigation & Forensics (Accidents, Near-Misses, Security Events) (TLAHANAK)

Keywords

• Vessel registration services
• Seafarer certification
• Maritime regulatory oversight
• Ship survey inspection
• Maritime safety services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zanzibar

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Regulatory Fees and Charges: The authority generates revenue through various regulatory fees including vessel registration fees, seafarer document fees (Seafarer's Book, Identity Documents, Licenses), port and shipping charges, and maritime services provider licensing fees. Operates under the Maritime Transport Act No.5, 2006 and Zanzibar Maritime Authority Act No.3, 2009.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA) is a statutory government regulatory body that monitors, regulates and coordinates maritime industry activities in Zanzibar. It provides vessel registration under both the local Tanzania Zanzibar Register of Shipping (TZRS) and the international Tanzania Zanzibar International Register of Shipping (TZIRS), seafarer certification and welfare services, statutory ship survey and inspection, search and rescue coordination, and maritime safety, security and environmental protection oversight. The Authority operates under the Maritime Transport Act No.5 of 2006 and the Zanzibar Maritime Authority Act No.3 of 2009.

Product overview

Zanzibar Maritime Authority operates as a unified regulatory platform with interconnected modules for maritime governance. The core platform (zma.go.tz) provides vessel registration, survey and inspection, seafarer's welfare, and search and rescue services under the Maritime Transport Act No.5 of 2006 and Zanzibar Maritime Authority Act No.3 of 2009. Supporting this core are specialized web applications: the Vessels App for vessel registration and management under TZIRS (Tanzania Zanzibar International Register of Shipping) and TZRS (Tanzania Zanzibar Register of Ships), the Seafarer's App for seafarer documentation and validation, and the Assets App for organizational asset management. The organization also maintains comprehensive regulatory frameworks including The ISM Code, STCW Guidelines, SOLAS, MARPOL, MLC 2006, and COLREG conventions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Ship Registration (TZIRS) International ship registration service under the Tanzania Zanzibar International Register of Shipping (TZIRS), enabling ship owners globally to flag vessels in Zanzibar and obtain statutory certificates through Recognised Organizations.
• Local Ship Registration (TZRS) Domestic vessel registration service under the Tanzania Zanzibar Register of Shipping (TZRS) for vessels operating in Zanzibar waters, with associated application forms and surveyor listings.
• Seafarer Certification and Documentation Certification, documentation and welfare services for seafarers including Seafarer's Book, Identity Documents, Boat Master and Boat Engineer Licenses, Crew Identity Documents, Boarding Officer Badges, Medical Fitness Documents, STCW compliance certifications and endorsements, delivered through the Seafarer's App.
• Ship Survey and Inspection Statutory survey and inspection services for vessels registered under TZIRS and TZRS, conducted by ZMA surveyors and inspectors and authorized Recognised Organizations to ensure compliance with maritime safety and environmental standards.
• Maritime Safety, Security and Search & Rescue Coordination Coordination of maritime safety, security, marine environmental protection and search and rescue operations in Zanzibar waters, aligned with IMO instruments including the IAMSAR manual and ISM Code.
• Maritime Services Provider Licensing Licensing and regulatory oversight of maritime service providers (shipping agents, port services and maritime logistics operators) operating in Zanzibar waters, including tariff regulation for port and shipping services.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• IMO (International Maritime Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Maritime Organization is referenced as a quick link partner. ZMA implements IMO instrument strategies and follows IMO guidelines including IAMSAR manual amendments, ISM Code regulations, and international maritime safety standards.
• ILO (International Labour Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Labour Organization is referenced as a quick link partner. ZMA adheres to ILO conventions regarding seafarer welfare, employment standards, and maritime labor regulations including STCW guidelines.
• MOIC (Ministry of Infrastructure Communication and Transportation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent ministry overseeing ZMA's activities. The Minister of Ministry of Infrastructure Communication and Transportation appoints Members of Board of Directors.
• Tasac (Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as a quick link partner organization. Tasac is a government agency related to shipping services in Tanzania.
• ShipcominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferenced as a quick link partner. Shipco appears to be a shipping-related service provider linked with ZMA.
• Zpc (Zanzibar Ports Corporation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as a quick link partner. Zpc is the ports corporation responsible for port operations in Zanzibar, working with ZMA on maritime regulatory matters.
• Recognised Organizations (ROs)coreTechnology or IntegrationZMA works with Recognised Organizations for ship survey, inspection, and certification services under TZIRS. ROs are authorized to conduct statutory surveys and issue certificates on behalf of ZMA. List includes classification societies and maritime survey organizations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Panama Maritime Authority (Autoridad Marítima de Panamá): Operates the world's largest ship registry under a similar statutory authority model; competes with TZIRS for international tonnage seeking an open flag with separate fee schedules for national and international clients.
• Liberian Registry (LISCR): One of the largest open international ship registries, administered under a statutory mandate from the Liberian government. Directly comparable open-registry competitor with global tonnage.
• Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator: Another leading open international registry; operates under statutory authority analogous to ZMA's TZIRS, targeting international shipowners with USD-denominated fee schedules.
• Bahamas Maritime Authority: Public authority administering the Bahamas ship registry and seafarer certification; similar dual mandate of vessel registration, seafarer welfare, and maritime safety oversight.
• Malta Maritime Authority (Transport Malta): National maritime regulator combining ship registration, seafarer certification, and port-state control functions under a statutory authority, closely aligned with ZMA's mandate.

Regional players

• Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (Tasac): Tanzania's mainland counterpart agency for shipping services; operates in the same country under MOIC oversight and is referenced as a quick-link partner, providing domestic regulatory adjacency.
• Comoros Maritime Authority: Indian Ocean neighbor running a smaller national ship registry and seafarer services; comparable in scale and geography, though focused on its own domestic jurisdiction.

Others

• International Maritime Organization (IMO): United Nations specialized agency that sets the regulatory standards (SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW, ISM) ZMA implements; ecosystem participant governing ZMA's compliance framework.
• Lloyd's Register: Classification society acting as a Recognized Organization authorized by ZMA to perform surveys and issue certificates on behalf of TZIRS; comparable enabling/infrastructure role in the value chain.
• Zanzibar Ports Corporation (ZPC): Local port operator under MOIC that ZMA regulates; ecosystem participant interfacing with ZMA on maritime safety, security, and shipping services oversight.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/zma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zanzibar-maritime-authority

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about zanzibar maritime authority