A fascinating glimpse into 1960 life in Zanzibar when it was still a British Protectorate. If you lived in Zanzibar in 1960 you can find out details like age, qualifications, even salary, for anyone you knew who was a senior member of the Civil Service. I am not sure as to whether this booklet was considered "Confidential" or not. I certainly recall viewing either this edition or a similar one at home when I was a kid. The first thing I checked was of course my father's salary! If your Dad or Mum or Uncle or Auntie worked in the Zanzibar Civil Service at the time, you will probably be able to find his or her name in here, together with his or her salary that they kept secret from us kids. Just as guidance for the younger crowd, a Pound Sterling was 20 Shillings. The salaries are quoted as annual salaries. I remember vaguely that at the time, beef sold for around 1.50 Shillings a pound (or, say, 3.30 Shillings a kilo) and a chicken would sell for a couple of Shillings. Filet mignon would go for around 5.50 Shillings a kilo. To search for a particular name just click on the pages marked "Index". I suspect that the cut-off for inclusion in this list was a salary of around 500 Pounds p.a. or 833 Shillings a month (or roughly 400 chickens a month, as a yardstick against today's prices).

I am indebted to Abdulla Mbamba for allowing me to scan his copy of this valuable and delightful historical document.

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