What is a Residency?
Zanzalu residencies are small-cohort, two-week tracks that run inside our three-week pop-up city in Fumba Town, Zanzibar, July 25 – August 8, 2026.
Each residency gathers people around a shared theme, then gives them a structure to do things together, whether that be competing in a hackathon or focused learning of a shared interest. They can be as simple as a daily lunch circle or come with a full calendar and real deliverables. Some residencies offer support like travel or accommodation scholarships.
Got an idea for a residency? Members and partners are encouraged to launch their own. Email info@zanzalu.org and tell us what you want to run.
Active Residencies
Vanguard Residency
For builders serious about Africa’s long-term future
Vanguard brings together a small, high-caliber cohort of early-career professionals who want to think rigorously, challenge assumptions, and build meaningful relationships with others who take ideas and execution seriously.
Inside Zanzalu, residents join peer-led discussions, shared meals, mentor sessions, and focused collaboration designed to sharpen thinking and accelerate direction.
Swahili Futurism Residency
For artists imagining the future through the Swahili coast
Swahili Futurism is a two-week artist residency exploring how culture, history, and imagination can shape future aesthetics rooted in East Africa.
Residents balance studio time with shared practice, cultural immersion, and collaborative exchange, culminating in work that reflects both place and possibility.
Artists from Zanzibar and across Africa are especially encouraged to apply.
