SHINYANGA: SMALL-SCALE industries supported by the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO) have created 67,777 jobs in three years, highlighting their growing role in employment creation and Tanzania’s industrial development.
Industry and Trade Minister Judith Kapinga announced the figures yesterday when launching the fifth National SIDO Exhibition 2026 in Kahama Municipality, Shinyanga Region.
She said SIDO had facilitated the establishment of 1,760 industries between July 2023 and July 2026, helping expand production and create jobs for Tanzanians.
“SIDO had facilitated the establishment of 1,760 industries between July 2023 and July 2026, strengthening production capacity and creating employment opportunities for Tanzanians,” she said.
Ms Kapinga urged Tanzanians to buy locally made products, saying support for domestic entrepreneurs would stimulate economic growth and strengthen the country’s industrial base.
She said the government was committed to creating a favourable business environment, but entrepreneurs also needed access to affordable financing and machinery to expand their businesses.
The minister revealed that 14.5bn/- had been provided to support entrepreneurs, with women accounting for 52 per cent of the beneficiaries.
She called on financial institutions to continue supporting small businesses and ease collateral requirements to enable more entrepreneurs to access loans and grow their operations.
Ms Kapinga also urged SIDO to strengthen its competitiveness and help local businesses reach both domestic and international markets.
She said Tanzania needed to make better use of its locally available resources, particularly forest and livestock products, by processing them into higher-value goods instead of selling them in raw form.
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“The government wants to see locally available resources, particularly forest and livestock products, processed to add value rather than being sold in their raw form,” she said.
Acting SIDO Director General, Mr Abdallah Kitala, said the exhibition offered entrepreneurs an opportunity to learn new business skills, showcase their products and attract new customers.
He said cooperation between entrepreneurs and the government was helping improve the value of locally manufactured goods.
Ushetu MP Emmanuel Cherehani, representing the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industries, Trade, Agriculture and Livestock, Deo Manyika, urged Tanzanians to appreciate and support locally made products.
He said small-scale industries played an important role in creating employment, particularly for young people, and called for greater recognition of their contribution to national development.