How to recognise Tanzania in a street photo

Dropzone #7 · 2 November 2026

Coastal Zone

23

How to tell

1. Left-hand traffic: Cars keep left with the median on the right, pointing to former British East Africa.
2. Yellowish rear number plate: Yellow rear plates on left-driving roads suggest Tanzania, Kenya or Uganda.
3. Lush lowland greenery, mid-rise towers: Humid green verges and new concrete apartment blocks fit coastal Dar es Salaam sprawl.

The first thing to clock is the traffic on the left and the median on the right, which narrows things to former British territories. In Africa that plus a yellowish rear plate on the pickup points squarely at East Africa: Tanzania, Kenya or Uganda. The very green, flat land under heavy rain clouds suggests humid lowland rather than highland Nairobi or Kampala, and the clusters of new mid-rise concrete apartment towers rising out of low red-roofed housing are typical of Dar es Salaam's spreading suburbs. A habit worth carrying: Tanzanian roads use plain white markings with simple concrete kerbs, while Kenya frequently adds yellow edge lines, so check road paint before committing.

Easily confused with

• Kenya: Kenyan roads often have yellow edge lines; Tanzania sticks to white.
• Mozambique: Mozambique's rear plates are white, not yellow.

Remember: Left driving plus yellow rear plates means East Africa; humid green means coast.