Our Mission
Zanzalu is a three-week living lab where builders, technologists, and innovators from Africa and beyond come together to shape an abundant future. We aim to create a high-trust, participatory environment that helps ambitious people develop new ideas, form lasting relationships, and test bold projects in the real world. Our mission is to cultivate a pro-growth, pro-technology culture and seed a network of high-agency leaders who will shape the next generation of firms, cities, and governance systems across Africa and beyond.
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Possibility over scarcity
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Experimentation over perfection
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Community over hierarchy
Our Story
Zanzalu is a work in progress in the best way. Every summer, we test new tracks, invite new collaborators, and build what works. Here’s how it’s unfolded so far.
2023 – Zuzalu
March 25 – May 25, 2023
Zuzalu was a two-month “pop-up city” experiment in co-living and coworking, hosted on Montenegro’s coast. It was initiated by Vitalik Buterin to test how online communities with shared values can “materialize” into a real place long enough to prototype new ways of living together.
2024 – Our First Pop-Up
May 15 – June 21, 2024
Zanzalu began as an experiment within the broader ‘temporary city’ movement kick-started by Zuzalu. For five weeks, participants ran workshops, hosted talks on urban development, experimental governance, Web3 technologies, and cultural change.
2025 – Zanzalu 2.0
July 19 – August 1, 2025
Zanzalu returned to the same site with a tighter program and a larger audience. We were honored to host a Road to Parallel Society event with Logos, part of an international cultural series exploring new forms of community in the lead-up to the Parallel Society Festival.
2026 – Zanzalu 3.0
July 25 – August 14, 2026
The 2026 edition expands Zanzalu into a multi-track program. In addition to General Admission, there will also be two residency tracks (Vanguard and Swahili Futurism) and a two-day Zanzalu Summit. The third edition will also coincide with FuTopia, a festival celebrating East African artists.
2027 - & Beyond
Zanzalu is designed as an experiment that compounds. Each edition informs the next, with the long-term ambition of establishing a permanent hub in Fumba Town that supports residencies, applied experimentation, and community events year-round.
Zanzalu by the Numbers
Zanzalu has brought together hundreds of builders and thinkers across East Africa. The momentum keeps growing, and the work keeps getting better.
Meet The Team
Powered by caffeine, big hearts, nerdy brains, and color-coded spreadsheets
David Jidy
Head of Ops
Eva Klaus
Founder and Head of Community
Mark Lutter
Yoda
Michelle Madekufamba
VP of Propaganda
Gemma Adelman
Marketing & Communications Manager
Ochi Odhiambo
Local Partnerships Lead
Want to get involved?
Have a slightly unhinged idea? We’re listening.Founding Partners
Tech Partners
Local Partners
Ecosystem Partners
Testimonials
Don’t Take Our Word for It. Hear from the people who attended Zanzalu.
Zanzalu 2 was a unique and inspiring experience. I met people from many backgrounds, saw projects come together in days using Bitcoin and AI, learned by observing coders at work, and enjoyed relaxed evenings playing board games. Despite living in Zanzibar for years, the strong connections and cosy yet proactive “let’s do it” spirit made it stand out.
Zanzalu didn’t just inspire me; it enabled me to take action. Through hands-on guidance, my team was able to develop and move forward with our startup, Zenjitaste, a culture- and inclusivity-driven food and tourism platform. The early support and funding gave us confidence, and the connections I made at Zanzalu are now helping us build something real.
Attending the Zanzalu crypto residency was a genuinely valuable experience. The opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with other serious Web3 builders, participate in well-structured workshop sessions, and be immersed in a strong, mission-driven community made the residency highly impactful. One of the highlights for me was learning about network states from the LOGOS team, which offered a fresh and practical perspective on how decentralized technologies can shape real-world governance and coordination. I would strongly recommend the Zanzalu residency to anyone building or exploring the Web3 space and looking for both depth and meaningful connections.
Zanzalu is a 3-week co-living event that brings together builders, thinkers, artists, and founders to live, work, and experiment with new ideas in governance, culture, and technology.