The popularity of the Toyota IST [in Tanzania]

Image from Wikiwand

You might have noted a few of them on the road around Dar. Actually, make that "lots" of them. I have counted. About three in every ten cars is a Toyota IST. And that's just in town center. They have become so popular that a prominent politician recently criticized men driving the particular model to stop doing so because it looks like they have been bribed (not good for the "ego").

The popularity of the Toyota IST in Tanzania has seen a steep climb in the recent year and a bit compared to a few years back. This can be attributed to several factors including the economical nature of the vehicle, both in maintenance and fuel consumption. These two factors has made the model a favorite for drivers for ride sharing services like Uber. I think we can all agree that the current economical environment makes sense to drive more economically. That said, if you can generate revenue while driving makes even more sense.

The sheer number of these cars driving around makes spareparts dealers smile. Especially suspension parts dealers. Why them? Look around, the roads (yes, most are being laid with tarmac) coupled with overloading will kill your suspension in an instant. If you live in areas where you drive 10 kilometers on "barabara ya vumbi" everyday, you should expect to have a suspension change every six months or so. Otherwise, avoid giving free rides to your neighbors.

Do you remember how popular the Peugeot 504, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Land Cruiser hardtop were? So! It's a good thing to have a particular car model in numbers as it makes finding spareparts for it much easier. However, it also makes it easier for the car to "disapear" into the crowd when stolen. The used spareparts market makes it a huge risk to own a popular car model. Just something to think about.