All About Tanzania
Tanzania , officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania in Swahili), is a country on the east coast of Africa. It is bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south. To the east it borders the Indian Ocean. The country is named after Tanganyika, its mainland part, and the Zanzibar islands off its east coast. The country has been a member of the Commonwealth since reaching independence (1961). In 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar, forming the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, later renamed to the United Republic of Tanzania. In 1996, Tanzania’s capital was officially moved from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, although many government offices still remain in the old capital.History
A German colony from the 1880s until 1919, the area subsequently became a British trust territory from 1919 to 1961. It served as a military outpost during WWII and provided financial help as well as munitions. Julius Nyerere became Minister of British-administered Tanganyika in 1960, and continued as Prime Minister when Tanganyika became independent in 1961. Tanganyika and the neighbouring Zanzibar — which had become independent in 1963 — merged to form the nation of Tanzania on 26 April 1964. Nyerere introduced African socialism, or Ujamaa, which emphasized justice and equality, but proved economically disastrous, leading to food shortages as collective farms failed.
Tanzania’s president and National Assembly members are elected concurrently by direct popular vote for 5-year terms. The president appoints a prime minister who serves as the government’s leader in the National Assembly. The president selects his cabinet from among National Assembly members. The Constitution also empowers him to nominate 10 non-elected members of Parliament, who also are eligible to become cabinet members. Elections for president and all National Assembly seats were held in October 2005.
The unicameral National Assembly elected in 2000 has 295 members. These 295 members include the Attorney General, five members elected from the Zanzibar House of Representatives to participate in the Parliament, the special women’s seats which are made up of 20% of the seats a particular party has in the House, 181 constituents seats of members of Parliament from the mainland, and 50 seats from Zanzibar. Also in the list are 48 appointed for women and the seats for the 10 nominated members of Parliament. At present, the ruling CCM holds about 93% of the seats in the Assembly. Laws passed by the National Assembly are valid for Zanzibar only in specifically designated union matters.
Zanzibar’s House of Representatives has jurisdiction over all non-union matters. There are currently 76 members in the House of Representatives in Zanzibar, including 50 elected by the people, 10 appointed by the president of Zanzibar, 5 ex officio members, and an attorney general appointed by the president. In May 2002, the government increased the number of special seats allocated to women from 10 to 15, which will increase the number of House of Representatives members to 81. Ostensibly, Zanzibar’s House of Representatives can make laws for Zanzibar without the approval of the union government as long as it does not involve union-designated matters. The terms of office for Zanzibar’s president and House of Representatives also are 5 years. The semiautonomous relationship between Zanzibar and the union is a relatively unique system of government.
Tanzania has a five-level judiciary combining the jurisdictions of tribal, Islamic, and British common law. Appeal is from the primary courts through the district courts, resident magistrate courts, to the high courts, and Court of Appeals. Judges are appointed by the Chief Justice, except those for the Court of Appeals and the High Court who are appointed by the president. The Zanzibari court system parallels the legal system of the union, and all cases tried in Zanzibari courts, except for those involving constitutional issues and Islamic law, can be appealed to the Court of Appeals of the union. A commercial court was established in September 1999 as a division of the High Court.
For administrative purposes, Tanzania is divided into 26 regions – 21 on the mainland, 3 on Unguja, and 2 on Pemba (Unguja and Pemba make Zanzibar). Ninety-nine district councils have been created to further increase local authority. These districts are also now referred to as local government authorities. Currently there are 114 councils operating in 99 districts, 22 are urban and 92 are rural. The 22 urban units are classified further as city (Dar es Salaam and Mwanza), municipal (Arusha, Dodoma, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Morogoro, Shinyanga, Tabora, and Tanga), and town councils (the remaining 11 communities).
Tanzania is mountainous in the north-east, where Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, is situated. To the north and west are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa’s largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika. Central Tanzania comprises a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the island of Zanzibar lying just offshore.
Tanzania contains many large and ecologically significant wildlife parks, including the famous Serengeti National Park in the north.
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to only 4% of the land area. Industry is mainly limited to processing agricultural products and light consumer goods. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania’s deteriorated economic infrastructure. Tanzania has vast amount of natural resources like gold deposits and beautiful national parks that remain underdeveloped. Growth from 1991 to 1999 featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Natural gas exploration in the Rufiji Delta looks promising and production has already started. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private sector growth and investment. Short-term economic progress also depends on curbing corruption and cutting on unnecessary public spending.
Prolonged drought during the early years of the 21st Century has severely reduced electricity generation capacity (some 60% of Tanzania’s electricity supplies are generated by hydro electric schemes Plans to increase gas and coal fuelled generation capacity are likely to take some years to implement. In the meantime, economic growth forecasts are being reduced.
Population distribution in Tanzania is extremely uneven. Density varies from 1 person per square kilometer (3/mi²) in arid regions to 51 per square kilometer (133/mi²) in the mainland’s well-watered highlands to 134 per square kilometer (347/mi²) on Zanzibar. More than 80% of the population is rural. Dar es Salaam is the capital and largest city; Dodoma, located in the center of Tanzania, has been designated the new capital and the Parliament sits there, although action to move the capital has stalled.
The African population consists of more than 120 ethnic groups, of which the Sukuma, Haya, Nyakyusa, Nyamwezi, and Chaga have more than 1 million members. Other tribes include the Pare, Sambaa or Shambala and Ngoni. The majority of Tanzanians, including such large tribes as the Sukuma and the Nyamwezi, are of Bantu stock. Groups of Nilotic or related origin include the nomadic Masai and the Luo, both of which are found in greater numbers in neighboring Kenya. Two small groups speak languages of the Khoisan family peculiar to the Bushman and Hottentot peoples. Cushitic-speaking peoples, originally from the Ethiopian highlands, reside in a few areas of Tanzania.
Although much of Zanzibar’s African population came from the mainland, one group known as Shirazis claims its origins to be the supposed island’s early Persian settlers. Non-Africans residing on the mainland and Zanzibar account for 1% of the total population. The Asian community, including Hindus, Sikhs, Shi’a and Sunni Muslims, and Goans, has declined by 50% in the past decade to 50,000 on the mainland and 4,000 on Zanzibar. An estimated 70,000 Arabs and 10,000 Europeans reside in Tanzania.
Each ethnic group has its own language, but the national language is Swahili, a language belonging to the family of the Bantu languages
Tanzania is divided into 26 regions: Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kagera, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Kaskazini Pemba, Kusini Pemba, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar Urban/West
Taarab Music is a fusion of Swahili tunes sung in rhythmic poetic style spiced with Arabic or, at times, Indian melodies. It is an extremely lively art form springing from a classical culture, still immensely popular with women, drawing all the time from old and new sources. Taarab forms a major part of the social life of the Swahili people along the coastal areas; especially Zanzibar, Tanga and even further in Mombasa and Malindi along the Kenya coast. Wherever the Swahili speaking people travelled, Tarabu culture moved with them. It has penetrated to as far as Uganda. Rwanda and Burundi in the interior of East Africa, where taarab groups compete in popularity with other western-music inspired groups.
These days a taarab revolution  is taking place and much heated debate continues about the music which has been changed drastically by the East African Melody phenomenon. Melody, as they are affectionately known by their mostly women fans, play modern taarab, which, for the first time, is ‘taarab to dance to’ and features direct lyrics, by- passing the unwritten laws of lyrical subtlety of the older groups such as Egyptian Musical Club and Al-Wattan Musical Club where meaning to their songs where only alluded to and never directly inferred. Today taarab songs are explicit sometimes even graphic in sexual connotation. Much of the music, today, of groups like Melody and Muungano is composed and played on keyboards, increasing portability, hence the group is much smaller in number than ‘real taarab’ orchestras and therefore more readily available to tour and play shows throughout the region and beyond.
Tanzanian music has lost much of its identity since the heydays of the likes of Mbaraka Minshehe (who, perhaps, was the most popular and original musician of his time), this is partly attributed to the influx of musicians from the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), who were entering the country as refugees and made residence in the country. But in recent years, mainly from the mid-nineties, a new breed of young Tanzanian musicians has emerged and are coming up with popular tunes which are Tanzanian in composition. Bands like Twanga Pepeta have managed to curve a new tune distinct from imported Zairean tunes and are competing with Zairean bands in popularity and audience acceptance.
The Tanzanian artistes have devised a new style going by the name of “Bongo Flava”, which is blend of all sorts of melodies, beats, rhythms and sounds. The trend among the Tanzanian music consumers has started changing towards favouring products from their local artists who sing in Swahili, the national language.
The mushrooming of FM music stations and cheap production studios has been a major boost to the music industry in the country. Contemporary artists like Juma Nature, Lady Jaydee, Mr. Nice, Mr. II, Cool James and many others command a huge audience of followers in the country and neighbouring countries.
More information about Tanzanian music and events can be found on the various portals that have sprung up recently. Tanzania has an enormously high growth-rate for internet technologies, estimated at up to 500% per year. Because costs for computers are still quite high many users share connections at internet cafes or at work. naomba.com business directory, Movie and Sports information, Arusha locality information all are part of an increasing number of websites dedicated to the region.
Tourism – General Information
Tanzania is among the few countries in the world endowed with such a vast range of tourist attractions. Tanzania has 13 national parks, 29 game reserves, 40 controlled conservation areas and marine parks that are located in the Northern and Southern parts of the country. More than 25% of Tanzania’s land area of about one million square kilometers is covered with magnificent game reserves and national parks. Tanzania is also a home to Mt. Kilimanjaro, commonly referred to as the Roof of Africa. Kilimanjaro rises 5963 metres (about 19563 feet) above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. The breathtaking natural beauty of Mt. Kilimanjaro inspired the legendary author Ernest Hemingway to camp at its slopes and wrote one of his famous novels “Snows of Mt. Kilimanjaro.” The miles long silver sand beaches and the rich historical site of the spicy islands of Zanzibar are yet another attraction that Tanzania is blessed with.
THE NORTHERN CIRCUIT
The NGORONGORO among the national parks is the world’s largest crater. Ngorongoro crater is also a renowned world heritage site and a natural wonder that earned the title of the Eighth Wonder of the World. Ngorongoro crater is 2,286 meters above sea level, surrounded by steep walls rising 610 meters from the crater floor sprawls over 250 square kilometers. The crater is home to thousands of animals. The Ngorongoro crater has some of the world famous attractions that include Olduvai and Laetoli Gorges. These are archeological and pale ontological sites famous for the discovery made by Dr. Louis Leakey of the remains of Homohabilis or “handyman” and trails of footprints left by the three hominids 3.8 million years ago. Other discoveries include those of prehistoric elephants, giant horned sheep and enormous ostriches.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK is the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. It is also famously known for its great migration of animals, thus making it the only place on the earth where there is a spectacle of 1.5 to 2 million animals on the march. Toward the end of May or early June, huge herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra begin their spectacular migration. Following the migration closely are the predators, the ions, cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas and vultures circling overhead. Serengeti is also home to 35 species of plains animals including the “big give” – elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo.
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK also located in the Northern circuit is another park famous for its dense wildlife population, which is most spectacular between June and September. During this period thousands of animals including wildebeest, zebra, eland, elephants, buffalo and Oryx, migrate from the Masai steppe to the Tarangire River in search of water.
LAKE MANYARA PARK is home to millions of flamingos, tree climbing lions and pythons. This is yet another unique attraction, which Tanzania is blessed with.
THE SOUTHERN CIRCUIT
The Southern Circuit boost of National Parks and Africa’s greatest protected game reserve the “Selous.”
SELOUS GAME RESERVE covering an area of 55,000 square kilometers, the Selous has Tanzania’s largest population of elephants, buffalos, hippos and wild dogs. Other commonly seen species are lions, bush boars, impalas, giraffes, greater kudus, zebras and baboons. Selous contains some of the finest virgin bush life in Africa.
RUAHA NATIONAL PARK is Tanzania’s third largest park and the largest elephant sanctuary. The park derives its name from the great Ruaha River, which flows along its entire eastern border creating spectacular gorges and scenery. Flowing in to the Rufiji River, the Great Ruaha is home to hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks, reedbucks and buffalos. Bird life is profolic, over 370 species have been recorded some of which are not found in northern Tanzania. Eurasian migrants flock to Ruaha twice a year, March to November, joining the resident kingfishers, hornbills, sunbirds, egrets and plovers.
GOMBE STREAM NATIONAL PARK is among the few areas in Africa, which harbor some of the rarest species of animals – chimpanzees, such as yellow baboon, sykes monkeys, red tailed, and savannah colobus monkey. Gombe Park is famous for its chimpanzees. The famous British researcher Ms. Jane Goodall and her foundation continue to spend a great deal of time to study Gombe chimpanzees’ communities.
SPICY ISLANDS OF ZANZIBAR A visit to Tanzania cannot be complete without a visit to the Spicy islands of Zanzibar – a paradise where Arabia meets Africa. The islands of Unguja and Pemba that constitute the Spicy islands of Zanzibar have a long history that dates back to the time when Zanzibar was the Eastern gateway to the Middle East and Far East. It was therefore not by accident that explorers Livingstone and Burton established their homes there. Zanzibar was the center of the infamous slave trade. It was also famous for ivory trade. In the 19th century, cloves were introduced to Zanzibar. To date Zanzibar is still the world’s largest clove producer. Its fame and beauty mesmerized and attracted the Sultan of Oman who designated Zanzibar his capital. “Beit-el Ajaib” (House of Wonders), which was the Sultan’s Palace is worth seeing.
One of the most spectacular sites in Zanzibar is the Stone Town, which is its cultural heart. It has not changed in the last 200 years. The Stone Town is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses whose extravagance is reflected in their famous brass-studded and carved wooden doors. In addition to its rich history and attractive sites that Zanzibar offers, enthusiasts and relaxation seekers alike can enjoy walking miles of silver sand beaches or participate in water skiing, wind skirting, diving, swimming in warm waters. The Island of Pemba, which is rich in spices and beauty, is an excellent diving destination surrounded by fringing reefs, coral reefs, and coral islets, which support coral down to 64 meters, and has approximately 50% of the coral reefs in Tanzania. Pemba is also famous for its deep see fishing.
THE HISTORIC AND CULTURAL SITES
Besides the natural attractions mentioned above Tanzania has historical and cultural sites. The Coastal towns of Kilwa and Bagamoyo for example have long a long history and rich cultural traditions that date back to the 13th century. Kilwa was the center of gold trade and Bagamoyo was already well-established natural harbor, which bears the reminders of the infamous slaves’ trade and ivory trade. This port was widely used by Arabs, Persians, Chinese and Portuguese traders.
BAGAMOYO In addition to its history, Bagamoyo also offers water sports, big game fishing and scuba diving. Its magnificent resort hotels are fully equipped for those sports activities. About two miles south of Bagamoyo one can find the ruins of a once prosperous Arab town Kaole, which was forced to decline by the Portuguese in the 15th century. The Kaole ruins date back to the 12th century includes two mosques and one well, which never dry. All these buildings were built using carved coral stone blocks. A safari to historical sites will also take you to another coastal world’s heritage town of Kilwa.
KILWA is home to the most spectacular 13th century a ruin on the East African Coast. It was during the 13th century that Kilwa established itself as a center for gold trade. Signs of its prosperity can still be seen through the ruins.
DAR ES SALAAM, which means “Heaven of Peace”, in Arabic, is the commercial city of Tanzania. Dar es Salaam is one of the finest natural harbors in the world. Over the years, it has become a bustling port bust has retained its charm. The city is also a melting pot for both local and international cultures. The city has a rich history seen through its architectural delights that depict Asian, Arabic, British and German-Bavarian influence. The Asian influence is strong.
The State House, St. Joseph Cathedral, the Lutheran Azania Front Church, Dar es salaam botanical garden and the City Council office (old Boma) just to mention a few are the legacies of the German era. They are worth seeing. Dar es Salaam has a lot to offer in terms of cultural and art tourism including panoramic tour of the newly built fish market, water sports at its silver beaches, hi-life and so on. Local tour operator can put up the most exciting tour to suit all needs and desires at short notice. Dar es salaam offers a wide choice of hotels accommodation to suit every pocket ranging from five star hotels to Guest hoses in the center of the ”Heaven of Peace.”
Southeast of Dar es Salaam lies a world-class paradise island for of divers, fisherman and water sport lovers. This is no other island than Mafia, an island at the far reaches of the ever-busy world. While on this island, time seems to come to a stop. Its warm waters are incredibly transparent with its rich variety of the coral permitting unimaginable quantity of fishes.
In addition to the fantastic wildlife, glorious beaches and stunning scenery there are plenty of other things to see in Tanzania. These include:
AMBONI CAVES located in Tanga Region are limestone caves formed during the Jurassic Age some 150 million years ago and are the most extensive cave system in East Africa.
ISIMILA STONE AGE SITE is located in south of Iringa where in 1951 the richest finds of Stone Age were discovered together with many fossilized bones believed to be those of mammals related to the modern giraffes, but having much shorter necks and hippopotamus with unusual periscope-like projections.
KONDOA IRANGI ROCK PAINTINGS in central Tanzania are some of the finest examples of rock paintings in the world. These paintings depict the animals and customs of the people at the time.
KALAMBO FALLS are found near the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika Kalambo falls, drops to 215 meters. Making it one of the highest water falls in the world after Tugela Falls in South Africa.
LAKE VICTORIA is the world’s second largest fresh water lake after Lake Superior found in North America. It is here that the first European Burton Speke saw the source of the River Nile. The Lake is also famous for its large population of Tilapia and the Nile Perch. It serves as a bridge for the three East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Lake also provides water for domestic, industry and irrigation purposes.
LAKE TANGANYKA is the world’s second deepest fresh water lake. Famous for its large population of sardines and more than 250 different species of fish the lake also links Tanzania with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Zambia.
LAKE NYASA is well known for its unique species of aquarium fish. The Lake also links Tanzania with Malawi.
TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION
Several Airlines including British Airways / American Airlines, KLM / Northwest, Swiss International Airline, South African Airlines / Delta, Air India, Emirates, Ethiopian Airline among others operate scheduled flights at competitive pries to all three major airports in Tanzania namely Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar International Airports.
There are also weekly charter flights from Europe that fly directly to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar International Airports. For further details on schedule and charter flights, kindly contact the respective airline or your travel agent.
Once in the country, you can travel to all tourist destinations by air, coach, sea ferries or by renting a car. Some of the airlines that operate schedule and charter flights within Tanzania are Air Tanzania, Precision Air, ZanAir, Costal Aviation and TanzanAir. Coaches include Scandinavia Bus Services, Comfort, Dar Express, Royal Coach and many others. Most coaches start departing from 05.30 in the morning. Major car rental companies in Tanzania are Hertz, Avis, Rent-a-Car Tanzania, National, Evergreen, and HIMA to mention a few. Sea ferries to and from Zanzibar are Sea Express, Azam Marine, Sea Star Services and Mega Speed liner that has services between the Spicy Islands and Mombasa.
Affordable accommodation in convenient locations is available in major cities, towns, beaches and in national parks. Visitors have a wide choice of accommodation to choose from. Ranging from renowned five star hotels, serviced apartments to comfortable guesthouses. Some of these hotels are Legacy Royal Palm, Golden Tulips, Holiday Inn, Dar Es Salaam Courtyard, Impala, Serena, The Palms, Protea and many others are known for their hospitality and quality services and mouth watering international and local cuisines. Luxurious Lodges at the National Parks include Sopa, Serena, Tarangire Sanctuary, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara among others offer beautiful panoramic views and relaxing romantic atmosphere. Protea Blue Beach resorts, Beachcomber, Zanzibar beach resort, Mafia Lodge are some of the comfortable beach resorts that one can stay at while in Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar or Mafia.
Nature lovers and camping enthusiasts can stay at luxurious camp lodges or camp at camping sites located in the vicinity of most of the national parks, beaches, Arusha and Kilimanjaro towns. Local tour operators in Tanzania will be glad to assist with all travel, accommodation, safari or other needs.
Investment and Trades
The Tanzania economy offers unlimited opportunities which cut across sectors. These opportunities are available to both local and foreign investors. This section presents highlights about some of these opportunities. The purpose is to inform and encourage potential investors to take their capital to Tanzania where they can make good profit. These opportunities fall into the following major categories:
Those based on Tanzania’s endowment with abundant natural resources
Those based on Privatization of public enterprises
Those arising from investments in the above two areas.
Tanzania’s endowment with a wide range of natural resources provides immense potential business opportunities.
Abundant arable land – Tanzania has nearly 90 million hectares of arable land which is suitable for all agricultural purposes. Only 17 per cent of this is utilized. The remaining 83 per cent is available for new investment in direct crop production, livestock production, poultry production, etc. There are also numerous related opportunities such as supply of agricultural inputs, provision of extension services, marketing/export of agricultural produce and agro-based -industrial activities.
Abundant mineral resources – Gold, Diamond, gemstones such as Tanzanite and Ruby, Coal and Natural gas provide unlimited mining and related opportunities such as supply of mining equipment, provision of exploration services, processing and export of mineral products. The development of mining centers would naturally attract other essential services such as medical care, education, water supply, supermarkets, transport services, etc, all of which constitute important business opportunities.
World famous tourist attractions – Kilimanjaro Mountain, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Manyara Game Reserve, Selous Game Reserve, Mikumi and Katai National Parks and the beautiful beaches on the Indian Ocean coast of Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar provide an array of tourism related business and investment opportunities such as Hotel and restaurant services, Air charter and land transportation services and tourist guides services, and so on.
Large Water masses which include the Indian Ocean, Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Nyasa, and several large rivers provide numerous business opportunities related to fishing, sea and lake transport, water supply for both domestic and commercial purposes, irrigation and electricity generation.
Tanzania’s strategic geographical location on the shores of the Indian Ocean makes it an outlet for several neighboring countries – Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi and Zambia. This strategic location provides numerous business opportunities related to sea, lake, road and rail transport, clearing and forwarding and insurance services.
Existence of large tracts of natural vegetation provides business opportunities related to lumbering, bee keeping and hunting activities.
Privatization of Public Enterprises – Since the early 1990s, Tanzania has been implementing an extensive programme to privatize over 400 public enterprises across all sectors of the Tanzania economy. This programme provides a range of business and investment opportunities, including outright purchase of public firms (100% share ownership), joint ownership with government as a minority or majority shareholder, or management contracting. By end of 2002, 324 public enterprises had been privatized. Over 70 firms were still available for privatization. Some of the major parastatals currently on privatization include Air Tanzania Corporation, Tanzania Railways Corporation, Tanzania Harbors Authority and Dar es Salaam Water Supply Authority. There are also several ranches which are on sale, covering a total of 634,597 hectares.
Details regarding the privatization requirements for each of these enterprises as well as the entire privatization programme in Tanzania can be obtained from the Presidential Parastatal Sector Reform Commission (PSRC) at www.psrctz.com
Investment in the above sectors creates investment opportunities in the following sectors:
Social Services – including Education, health, Water Supply in order to develop a quality labor force needed to work in the various sectors of the economy. Related to these services are opportunities in the supply of educational materials, medical supplies, water purification chemicals, and water drilling and exploration equipments. Given the growing Tanzania population, the demands for these services along with the related activities continue to grow as well.
Transport – The ever growing demand for road, water, rail and air transport services provide lucrative opportunities. Opportunities include those related to infrastructural development such as construction and operation of a road or railway line and actual provision of transport services such as bus service, boat/cruise services, air/charter services etc.
In the mid 1990s, the Government launched a concession system that encourages private investors, both local and foreign to invest in infrastructural development projects under the Build, Operate and Transfer scheme (BOT). To assist investors identify feasible projects, the Government has earmarked the following road stretches for Private Sector Investment; at least for a start.
Dodoma – Tabora – Nzega: 487 km or 304.25 miles
Tabora – Kigoma: 690 km or 421.25 miles
Bagamoyo – Saadani: 40 km or 25 miles
Kigamboni Bridge Project to connect Kigamboni Peninsula with the rest of Dar es Salaam city.
Many more specific projects can be identified on site.
Communication – Increased activities in various sectors of the Tanzania economy has created increased demand for more and efficient communication services in order to facilitate communication between Tanzania and the rest of the world. This presents enormous investment opportunities related to the provision of essential communication services such as telephones, Fax, internet, postal and courier service, radio, TV, newspapers etc.
Financial Services – Corresponding to the expansion of the Tanzanian economy is increased demand for financial services, including banking, insurance and Bureau de Change, etc. which present attractive investment opportunities. Already there are several Banks operating in Tanzania. The major ones include the CRDB 1997 Ltd., Barclays Bank Tanzania Ltd., Diamond Trust Bank Ltd., Citibank Tanzania Ltd., NBC 1997 Ltd., Kenya Commercial Bank Tanzania Ltd., Akiba Commercial Bank Ltd., Standard Chartered Ltd., National Microfinance Bank Ltd. and the International Bank of Malaysia (T) Ltd. Others are Exim Bank Tanzania Ltd., Eurafrican Bank Ltd., Habib African Bank Tanzania Ltd., Kilimanjaro Cooperative Bank Ltd., and the People’s Bank of Zanzibar Ltd.
Manufacturing – provides a wide range of opportunities, including textiles, food processing, brewing, etc.
Trading in a variety of goods and services, both for the domestic and export markets.
Hospitality: Hotel and Restaurant services.
Construction – Opportunities exist in various sectors e.g. construction of roads, airports, ports, railways, buildings/houses, Dam/wells etc.
Consultancy in various sectors.
Housing to cater for the housing needs of people in different social categories.
AGOA – Tanzania is among AGOA-eligible sub Saharan African countries which have already qualified for full benefits provided under the African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2000 (AGOA). This provides opportunities for Tanzania exporters to export into the USA market quota and duty free. Tanzania is also among African countries whose exports to the European market enjoy preferential treatment under the EU “All products but Arms Scheme”. In addition, investing or doing business in Tanzania provides With such a perfect Location, perched on the edge of the African continent, and facing the Indian Ocean, Tanzania’s weather and climate leaves nothing to be desired. Warm and sunny days are followed by cool and balmy nights, and whether you’re on safari on the Serengeti plains or enjoying the tropical beaches of Zanzibar, the temperatures are always welcoming and gentle. Consult Weather and Climate to find out when the best times to visit are, and learn more about the monsoon winds and seasonal rains.
But sun-filled and beautiful days are not all that Tanzania has to offer. On the contrary, the country’s borders hold a vast number of people and tribes whose varied cultures and traditions make up the rich tapestry that is Tanzanian culture. Read on to learn more about the Masaai culture and the customs of the Swahili Coast.
Although Tanzania is a country rich in culture and traditions, it’s history is also one of treasured heritage and pride. From the early days of mankind’s history, man has called the land of Tanzania home – its verdant mountains, its scrubland plains. Find out more about our country’s rich history, from the arrival of merchants and traders on the Swahili Coast to the peaceful political climate that exists today.
Tanzanians enjoy a climate of freedom and peace in our daily lives, and value community and togetherness very highly. Religion is an expression of community and culture, and one that binds us all as citizens to our country and to the people around us. Tanzanians practice Christianity, Islam, and traditional African religions in tolerance and understanding.
Religion defines our community and our sense of identity, but culturally, we are all Tanzanians. Our culture and our traditions can be seen in the everything we surround ourselves with and the handicrafts that are the specialties of our country. Visitors to Tanzania will find the section on Shopping immensely useful in helping them decide what to bring back for their friends and loved ones from our amazing country.preferential access to the East African and SADC markets to which Tanzania is a founding member.