On a visit to Dodoma in 2002, the capital city of Tanzania, and in some of the outlying villages, an observation was made of consumerism and design. At the time, only 10% of homes had electricity and paraffin lamps were used for light in the evenings. There was an absence of branding in the shops and with such widespread poverty the notion of a “throw-away culture” was not only unheard of, but to the locals quite difficult to believe.