Bagamoyo set for industrial boom, jobs rise

BAGAMOYO: THE government’s efforts to position Bagamoyo Eco-maritime City (BEMC) as nation’s manufacturing hub are gaining momentum, with 25 projects worth about 3 billion US dollars (about 8tri/-) at various stages of implementation and expected to create up to 100,000 jobs.

The projects form part of the government’s strategy to establish integrated value chains by moving beyond the export of raw materials to production of finished and semifinished goods for domestic and international markets.

The planned industries cover textiles and clothing, steel, packaging, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, construction materials, agro-processing and vehicle assembly, while the wider city will include port, tourism, financial, residential and technology facilities.

Speaking during a working tour of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Coast Region, Minister of State in the President’s Office (Planning and Investment), Professor Kitila Mkumbo, said BEMC was central to implementation of the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan under Dira 2050.

“Our ambition is to make Bagamoyo a major manufacturing hub that drives value addition, creates jobs and connects Tanzania to global markets,” Prof Mkumbo said.

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He said BEMC was among seven flagship programmes designated to drive economic growth under Dira 2050, adding that about 9,800 hectares had been allocated for its development, including 887 hectares for the planned port. Prof Mkumbo said the industrial zone would host factories processing leather, cotton, forest products and other raw materials, as well as pharmaceutical, cosmetic, construction-material and vehicle-assembly plants.

“We are not building Bagamoyo simply to bring factories together. We are building a complete industrial ecosystem capable of transforming Tanzania’s manufacturing base,” he said.

During the tour, Prof Mkumbo inspected six projects, including Sinovest Industry Limited, Aasel Steel Mill and Hongwang Tanzania. The six projects have a combined investment value of about 1.567 billion US dollars (over 4tri/-) and are expected to create 15,675 jobs.

Sinovest is investing more than 100bn/- in a textile factory expected to create up to 10,000 jobs by 2028, with 80 per cent of production targeted for export. Hongwang Tanzania plans to invest about 1.5 billion US dollars (over 3tri/-) on 500 hectares, with the development expected to include an industrial cluster of up to 150 factories.

Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) Director General, Mr Gilead Teri, attributed the growing investment activity at Bagamoyo SEZ to Government efforts to create an attractive business environment.

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