DAR ES SALAAM: DISCUSSIONS about Tanzania’s economic future typically emphasise industrialisation, foreign investment, technology, infrastructure and largescale manufacturing. These are certainly important drivers of growth. Yet, one of the country’s most valuable economic assets, its artisans, still goes unnoticed.
In Tanzania today, throughout towns, cities and villages, artisans in almost every sector play a vital role in sustaining local economies by building homes, repairing vehicles, crafting furniture, making garments, fabricating metal goods, styling hair, creating crafts and offering various services.
Artisans, by definition, encompass many trades, such as carpenters, welders, masons, tailors, mechanics, leatherworkers, beauticians and gardeners, whose daily work affects the lives of Tanzanians in various ways. Although artisans contribute significantly, they are typically categorised within the informal sector, a classification that doesn’t accurately represent their roles.
They are seldom prominent in national economic debates and are often seen as insignificant informal workers or vocational trainees rather than vital drivers of economic change. This perception needs to shift if the agenda is truly to build an economy in which every Tanzanian citizen plays a part.
For many young people, especially those who do not pursue a university education, apprenticeships and artisanal work, in all economic activities, provide the most accessible pathway into employment.
Throughout Tanzania, thousands of skilled artisans annually train apprentices, turning practical skills into pathways for self-employment and income. In numerous communities, artisans are among the main sources of economic activity and livelihoods. Unlike large corporations that are often concentrated in urban centres, artisans work in nearly every district across the country.
Their presence fosters local production, generates jobs and aids in circulating income within communities. Despite their significance, many artisans still face challenging working conditions. Limited access to finance persists and modern tools and equipment are often out of reach financially.
Market opportunities are hard to access, and many lack the business support necessary to expand beyond subsistence levels. As a result, highly skilled individuals who could, in a single day, grow their business networks often remain trapped in low-income activities with limited prospects for expansion. For decades, initiatives to assist artisans have mainly concentrated on enhancing skills.
Although technical abilities are vital, today’s economic landscape requires a broader approach. A skilled carpenter lacking business management skills might find it difficult to expand. Likewise, a talented tailor unable to access larger markets may not maximise their potential.
Similarly, a gifted welder who struggles to secure financing for modern equipment could be limited in productivity.
The challenge is not just about training more skilled artisans but about enabling artisans to succeed as entrepreneurs and business owners. Today’s artisans require access to financial literacy, business planning, digital tools, quality standards, marketing knowledge and market linkages.
They need support not just to learn a trade but also to develop enterprises that can create jobs and build wealth. Why do artisans matter for economic growth, especially on the journey to the envisaged 1-trillion-dollar economy by 2050?
As Tanzania works on addressing youth unemployment and driving economic change, the artisan sector should receive much more focus. A robust artisan industry directly supports job creation, as every successful workshop, tailoring shop, fabrication business, or craft producer can potentially employ apprentices, technicians, support staff and suppliers. The sector can further support local manufacturing and reduce imports.
Many products currently brought into Tanzania could be made domestically if artisans had access to the appropriate tools, technologies and business assistance. Artisans go beyond just employment and manufacturing to safeguard cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.
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In Tanzania, the creative identity is embodied in the work of craftsmen and women whose skills have been passed down through generations. Supporting artisans thus creates both economic benefits and social value at the family level. A national opportunity is worth considering. What Tanzania currently lacks is a coordinated and deliberate strategy for artisan development across their respective cycles and levels.
Various institutions support technical and vocational education, entrepreneurship, and small business development. While these initiatives are important, they are often fragmented and limited in scope. A more comprehensive strategy is required.
This should prioritise skill development, enhance access to finance, support business growth, promote technology adoption, strengthen market links and assist artisans in formalising and expanding their enterprises. Most importantly, artisans ought to be acknowledged not just as recipients of development initiatives but as active contributors to the country’s progress.
Tanzania’s development goals won’t be reached solely by big investments. Instead, they will also depend on tapping into the potential of millions of hardworking people who support the economy daily with their skills, creativity and entrepreneurship. Artisans are among the country’s most undervalued economic assets.
They generate employment, support local industries, bolster communities and offer opportunities for numerous young people. If Tanzania aims to create an inclusive and resilient economy, artisans must be central to our development agenda.
The country’s economic future depends not just on attracting industries but also on nurturing talents, supporting enterprises and enhancing internal productive capacity. Our artisans have historically played a key role in Tanzania’s development.
Now is the moment to invest in their potential and acknowledge their importance as a driving force for the nation’s growth, provided they receive the right support. The key message of Tanzania’s Forgotten Economic Engine: Why artisans deserve a place in our development agenda is that artisans should be recognised as vital contributors to the economy.
They can drive industrialisation, generate jobs, promote import substitution and support inclusive economic growth, rather than being viewed solely as part of the informal economy or as recipients of vocational training. Thoughts presented here argue that governments ought to implement an all-encompassing policy for artisan development that includes affordable financing, cuttingedge manufacturing technology, business development services, digitisation, quality certification, market access and formalisation, in addition to skill training.
Countries may boost local value chains, lessen reliance on imports, increase domestic manufacturing, provide sustainable jobs, particularly for young people and develop a more robust and competitive economy by investing in craftsmen as entrepreneurs and small manufacturers. The programme shifts the focus of development from training artisans to building artisan-led enterprises, a crucial component of the country’s economic transition.