Oyster Bay (also spelled Oysterbay), also known as Cocoa Beach and Coco Beach, is an affluent neighbourhood in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It is popularly known for its attractive beach. Oyster Bay is located north west of Dar es Salaam's central business district along the Indian Ocean. Europeans have resided here since colonial times."Chapter One: The Emerging Metropolis: A history of Dar es Salaam, circa 1862-2000" (SOAS: eprints (pdf)) from Brennan, James, Burton, Andrew and Lawi, Yusuf, (eds.), Dar es Salaam: Histories from an emerging African metropolis. Dar es Salaam/Nairobi: Mkuki na Nyota (British Institute in Eastern Africa), p. 31. Since independence, Europeans working for development aid organizations, and senior government officials, including ministers, permanent secretaries, directors and commissioners, reside here and the area is noted for its affluence and social exclusivity.Researchgate.net: Jan Blommaerts (Tilburg University, later Ghent University), 2008: Writing locality in globalized Swahili: Semiotizing space in a Tanzanian novel
The area is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the east, Mawenzi Road on the North, Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road to the south, and Ali bin Said Road to the West. Some local institutions are named Oysterbay, including a police station, a hospital and a school.
Food Oyster Bay is popular for the food sold there, such as Muhogo (cassava), Mishkaki (Grilled meat skewers) and Madafu (Coconut water) sold by traders. Some new restaurants have also been constructed including M Burger.
Expansion and Renovation In 2015, it was reported that there are plans of developing Coco Beach, which will continue to remain a free open space for public. The main reasons for this plan is to keep it clean, to boost tourism and employment, and to further improve security in the area. Cocoa Beach is being renovated at the cost of TSh 11.6 billion. As of September 2019, transformation of the beach has been started. As of January 2022, renovation is going at a good pace, with many food stalls being constructed to give the beach a beautiful look.
Economics Retail Oysterbay Shopping Centre is located in the centre of the neighbourhood, along with several other businesses.
Art galleries The founder of the popular Tingatinga painting style, Edward Tingatinga, began his artistic career while in Oyster Bay. The Tanzanian Tingatinga Art Gallery is located here.
Embassies hosted in Oyster Bay The following 11 embassies are hosted in and near the Oyster Bay area; The Embassy of the People's Republic of China The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey The Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil The Embassy of IrelandEmbassy of Ireland The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The Embassy of the Republic of Namibia The Embassy of the Republic of AngolaEmbassy of Angola The Embassy of the Republic of RwandaEmbassy of Rwanda The Embassy of the Republic of KenyaEmbassy of Kenya The Embassy of the French Republic The Embassy of the Russian Federation
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