KILIMANJARO: MICRO enterprises account for the vast majority of Tanzania’s 25,650 mapped industries, new data reveal, highlighting structural challenges in the country’s industrialisation push.
Figures released by the Industrial Research and Development Organisation (TIRDO) under the National Industrial Information Management System (NIIMS) show that 15,563 of the mapped industries are micro enterprises, 8,980 are small, 625 are medium-sized and only 482 qualify as largescale operations.
The findings provide one of the clearest snapshots yet of the country’s industrial structure, underscoring the dominance of low-capital, small-scale production units in Tanzania’s manufacturing landscape.
The data were compiled from Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Tanga, Manyara, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Kilimanjaro and the Coast Region, with the programme piloted in the Coast.
Speaking during a training session for trade and information technology officers in Kilimanjaro, TIRDO’s NIIMS Training Coordinator, Mr Burhan Daud, said the digital platform was designed to collect sectorspecific information to guide investment decisions and policymaking.
“This system equips local government officers with the knowledge to identify industries in their respective areas and develop targeted objectives to expand employment opportunities through industrialisation,” he said.
Kilimanjaro Region alone accounts for 1,966 industries, of which 1,197 are micro enterprises, 664 small, 67 medium and 38 large industries, a distribution that mirrors the national pattern.
Analysts say the predominance of micro and small enterprises highlights both opportunity and challenge: While the segment absorbs significant labour and supports livelihoods, scaling such enterprises into competitive medium and large industries remains critical for boosting productivity, value addition and export capacity.
Kilimanjaro Regional Administrative Secretary, Mr Kiseo Nzowa, described the mapping initiative as a strategic tool for strengthening industrial competitiveness and improving investment coordination. His remarks were delivered on his behalf by the Regional Trade Officer, Mr James Bwanali.
“Industrial mapping enables authorities to identify key stakeholders and plan investment more effectively within the sector,” he said.
TIRDO Engineer Enea John noted that the initiative offers insights into the current state of industrial development and could facilitate integration of local firms into regional and global value chains through improved data visibility.
At the municipal level, Moshi Municipal Council Trade Officer Ms Privia Jasson said the database would help authorities identify viable investment locations and design context-specific industrial strategies to attract investors.
By consolidating industrial data into a single digital platform, the NIIMS programme is expected to enhance planning efficiency, strengthen policy coordination and support Tanzania’s broader industrial transformation agenda