Africa is projected to have the fastest urban growth rate in the world. This study is a case study of the rapidly expanding urbanisation of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Petty trading and marketplaces are essential parts of the development and important parts of the city’s modernisation and service provision. The study aims to investigate the use of artificial light at marketplaces in Dar es Salaam and if it has an impact on the feeling and perception of safety. To answer this qualitative methods are used, including field interviews, in-depth interviews, and assessment of the lighting conditions through observations carried out during daytime and night-time. The interviews and observations were carried out in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from December 2019 to January 2020. The results are analysed to find out whether there is a connection between the use of artificial lighting, perception of security, and how the marketplace is used during different times of day and night.. The results show that the knowledge about lighting design and the planning of lighting is very limited. The interviewees often stated they had no issues with darker areas, which could be explained by people being accustomed to low light levels or a complete lack of artificial lighting. The results also showed that the interviewees point out more pressing issues than lighting, such as infrastructure, health care, education, cleanliness, or flooding. The general opinion seems to be that these issues need to be prioritised over poor lighting. Recommendations for further research are both for urban planners in Dar es Salaam and the Swedish lighting industry. As for Dar es Salaam, we recommend considering lighting when planning marketplaces. Even if it is not a priority for many people it is a good marketing tool and can increase safety, for both staff and customers. As for the Swedish lighting industry, the recommendation is to make sure that there is enough pre-knowledge before building and planning in a foreign country, as there is no guarantee in profitability without this knowledge. There is a large number of opportunities for further research focused on other aspects of actual security, such as road safety, theft, sexual assault, and violence in the streets. These are current issues that may be relevant for today’s society and the future of Dar es Salaam.