Tanzania – Country Guide for Expats

Capital City- Dodoma: Dodoma, being located in the centre of the country, is the capital of Tanzania. The population is primarily agricultural and is engaged in small-scale farming. Dodoma is a market centre for peanuts (groundnuts), castor beans, sunflower seeds, gum, corn (maize), rice, wheat, coffee, tea, tobacco, and sorghum. Coffee and sisal are cultivated in the northern part of the region, and cattle raising is important throughout the region. 

Largest City – Dar es Salaam: Dar es Salaamis the largest city in East Africa & industrial center of Tanzania being situated in the coastal region. It is the second busiest port in East Africa. It is the former capital of Tanzania. It is among one of the fastest growing cities in the world. 

Cultural and Social Environment: The overall security in Tanzania has improved evidently and the crime rate is much lesser than the other African Countries. Politeness, respect and modesty are virtues that highly valued by Tanzanians. One can easily find Indian Supermarket, Indian Restaurants in Dar es Salaam. Indian expats can avail benefits of watching Indian channels by subscribing DTSV (cable service provider)

Educational Facilities: There are a number of international schools in Tanzania. Private primary schools are very few, and they are English medium and expensive. Also the quality of education of International and private schools is only good enough till primary.

Medical Facilities: The risk of catching a serious infectious disease is quite high so it is necessary to take proper medical precautions. Malaria-carrying mosquitoes is a major problem in Tanzania. The quality of local medical facilities in Tanzania is often well below the standard of those in Western countries. Most expats visit an expat health clinic in their city of residence when they are in need of medical care.

Major Industries: Tanzania’s economy is the 12th largest in Africa and the 2nd largest in East African community. The major industries in the country include agriculture, mining, and manufacturing among others. Agricultural activities in Tanzania involve coffee, sisal, cashew nuts and cotton as major export products. Mining is one of the country’s main industries. Some of the exports are gold, tanzanite, diamonds

Political Environment: Tanzania has undergone impressive political and economic developments and improvements in social welfare in recent years. However, the country continues to face challenges, such as economic distribution, population growth and corruption. Growth rates have been remarkably stable over the last decade.

Job Opportunities for Expats: Tanzania is still a relatively poor country and a significant number of the population still live in poverty. Manufacturing, IT and tourism are some strong sectors in which expats can lookfor work. Apart from Tanzania’s economic centre Dar es Salaam, there are other cities preferred by expats. Arusha — also known as Tanzania’s diplomatic hub — is one of them. Also, there are opportunities in Tanzania in field of agriculture, manufacturing, mining.