Author: Padili Mikomangwa

• New investment in Tanzania’s railways sector is expected to directly benefit nearly 900,000 people and indirectly impact an estimated 3.5 million.
• Tanzania operates two railway systems, totaling 3,682 km in length.

Tanzania railway sector is poised for immense growth as the World Bank poured significant funding by approving $200 million in financing from the International Development Association (IDA) which is a part of the bank.

According to available information from the World Bank statement made on Friday, the bank said the financing for the second phase of the Tanzania Intermodal and Rail Development Project (TIRP-2) will improve safety, climate resilience, and operational efficiency along this railway segment.

Read also: AfDB approves $696.4M financing for Tanzania-Burundi-DRC railway project

Tanzania railway plan anchored on Dar- Morogoro SGR

The funding comes a few weeks after Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) began its inaugural trial journey of the electric Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train …

• In 2022, investments in Tanzania rose by $3.16 billion between July and November.
• Currently, Tanzania has stable economic diplomatic relations with global economic giants, China and US.
• Tanzania’s economy is expected to expand by 5.5 percent in 2024.

“Kazi Iendelee” Swahili term for “Let’s Proceed with Work” has become a national rallying call for progress in Tanzania under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is popularly referred by Mama Samia – a Swahili term of endearment and respect.

Even from foreign capitals, President Samia’s work is catching the eye of fellow leaders. When US Vice President Kamala Harris came visiting, she …

• BRICS’ owned New Development Bank (NDB) was set up in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• The multilateral lender is planning to disburse about $5 billion in loans this year.
• The bank has an initial verified capital of $100 billion and a subscribed capital of $50 billion.

Emerging economies could give the superpowers a run in the lending sector with the the BRICS alliance planning to disburse about $5 billion in loans this year. This was announced by the bloc’s New Development Bank (NDB) Vice President Zhou Qiangwu on Tuesday, March 26.

As China, one of Africa’s closest trade …

• Nala Money has Payment Service Provider licenses in several countries, including its founder’s home, Tanzania.
• In 2020, Africa’s e-payments industry, across domestic and cross-border payments, generated approximately $24 billion in revenues, of which about $15 billion was domestic electronic payments.
• Africa’s domestic e-payments market is expected to see revenues grow by approximately 20 per cent per year, reaching around $40 billion by 2025

“Little did I know that if a European-based client of mine could have subscribed to Nala Money, I would have received $100 more to my fee.  Unlike Nala, the money order service I use has a low exchange rate and is somehow unconventional.”

This testament is not a promotion or a boost for the latter but an admission of facts and experiences Tanzanians who might receive remittance often or once could face.

Nala, started by Tanzanian youth Benjamin Fernandes in 2017, aimed to increase economic opportunities for …

• Tanzania’s agriculture sector holds one-third of the country’s GDP and employs 75 per cent of the population.
• The government target is to raise crop exports by 48 per cent to $3.5 billion by 2025 as food shipments rise to overtake the value that Tanzania earns from its traditional export crops.
• Tanzania earned over $1.2 billion with the export of agricultural commodities in 2020.

An outlook into Tanzania’s agriculture sector

Numbers show that farmers are Tanzania’s most essential workforce. Tanzania’s agriculture sector holds one-third of the country’s GDP and employs 75 per cent of the population.

Available data shows that approximately 80 per cent of Tanzania’s exports are agricultural products such as coffee, cotton, sisal, tea, cashew nuts and tobacco, to mention a few.

From 2014 to 2020, the above crops benefitted the nation’s export baskets. Tanzania earned over $1.2 billion with the export of agricultural commodities in 2020, according to …

• Months after the Military takeover in Niger, the African Development Bank (AfDB) forecasts the country’s GDP to jump by 11.2 per cent in 2024, following growth of 4.3 per cent in 2023.
• Niger has removed its military support agreements with the French and the US, respectively.
• Niger becomes the third country, following Mali and Burkina Faso, to experience a military takeover.

Growth projections after the Military takeover in Niger

“Imperialist France”, “Down with France”, and “Chani (name of the Niger coup leader)” are a few energetic words chanted by the thousands of supporters and demonstrators who demanded the French troops leave Niger.

The latter reflects what is now referred to by the military regime as a people-led democracy. The question that then arises is; Could Africa be experiencing a withdrawal period from the grim historical chains of its colonial era, particularly the Francophone nations, Niger to be exact?

“I have …

• The Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) is currently implementing almost ten hours of power rationing across the country.
• Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has instructed the Tanesco chief to resolve the power rationing issue within six months.
• The country’s electricity grid is facing a shortage of 400 megawatts due to low water flow and maintenance issues.

Dear customer, please find today’s schedule for power rationing. This message has become all too familiar to millions of Tanzanians every morning, depressing news that now servs as a wake-up alarm from utility Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco).

Currently, power cuts in Tanzania, specifically in the commercial pulse, Dar es Salaam, range from 6 to 12 hours throughout the week, across various districts, including uprise sections.

The message comes as a shock not only to me but also to many Tanzanians as power cuts take a new toll in the nation with abundant alternative …

• Sports industry in Africa is expected to grow by 8 percent in 3 to 5 years according to advisory giant PwC
• Currently, milions of Africans, including businesses based in the continent that have pumped millions into the tournament, are following the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2023 finals in Ivory Coast.
• In 2021, Cameroon invested over $800 million in preparations for that year’s AFCON finals.

The 2021 African football continental showpiece—Cup of Nations (AFCON)—saw Cameroon attract millions of spectators both physically and virtually, a scenario that is music to the ears of sponsors. This further fortifies the fact that sports in Africa have the potential to generate billions of dollars.

Fast forward to 2030, Morocco is poised to become the second African country to ever stage a World Cup after South Africa in 2010, marking a historic step in African football and the business value chain that comes with the sport.

In …

• Indonesia has agreed to support Tanzania in developing its agriculture industry through funding and training at the Farmers Agriculture and Rural Training Centre in Morogoro.
• Additionally, Indonesia, which also has a thriving pharmaceutical industry, will invest in Tanzania through its pharmaceutical companies.
• As part of this expanding collaboration, the Diplomatic Schools of Tanzania and Indonesia have agreed to exchange students and professors.

A mutually beneficial trade and investment partnership is blossoming between Tanzania and Indonesia. At the centre of this strengthening alliance, the two nations are building bridges and targeting investments in key sectors such as agriculture, minerals, marine resources, the economy, education, diplomatic relations, technology, and trade.

Last week, President Samia Suluhu Hassan made a state visit to the Oceania nation, a move aimed at enhancing bilateral relations and forging new economic partnerships between Tanzania and Indonesia.

President Suluhu’s visit, which took place from January 24 to 26, forged …

• The 2024 Henley Passport Index has revealed that African passports still pull teeth in global mobility powerplay, failing to reach the top ten or at least the top fifteen of the annual index.
• In contrast, oil-rich UAE has added 106 destinations to its visa-free score over the past decade.
• Overall, the average number of destinations travelers can access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024.

The 2024 Henley Passport Index has been released, and the passport power ranking has exposed several interesting issues, including the ascent of unprecedented nations to the top.

Despite massive investments in the aviation and inter-regional ground transport infrastructure sector by African governments such as Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, African countries still struggle to make it into the top ten or at least the top fifteen of the annual index.

On the other side of the aisle, the United Arab …