Zanzibar experienced a significant surge in tourism, with international arrivals for October 2025 reaching over 86,700 visitors. This figure represents a 24 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year. Europe served as the primary source market, accounting for over 67 percent of all visitors, with Italy, Germany, and France being the top contributing countries.
The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism reported that the vast majority of tourists, 99.3 percent, visited for leisure purposes. Officials noted that the sector's strong performance is boosting employment and national revenue. An economist from the State University of Zanzibar suggested that innovative environmental conservation could attract even more visitors...
The Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency has granted a 100-day extension to the contractor for the TACTICS road project in Geita Town. This new deadline, set for February 8, 2026, follows significant implementation delays. Project Consultant Engineer Rechnold Manyanga reported that the work, executed by Sichuan Road and Bridge Corporation Ltd, is only 61 percent complete despite a previous 250-day extension.
Geita Regional Commissioner Martin Shigela expressed skepticism that the additional time would be sufficient, noting the contractor's failure to meet targets over two years. He directed the town council to enhance supervision and insisted that the contractor increase daily work hours from ten to fourteen. Challenges cited for the...
Residents of Shanake Shehia in Micheweni District, Pemba, have requested that the government establish a fisheries training college in their area. They explained that fishing is their primary economic activity but current traditional methods limit their income and promote unsustainable practices. The community believes formal education would provide crucial skills in modern fishing, swimming, and recognizing dangerous marine life, thereby helping to eliminate illegal fishing.
A senior officer from the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, Dr. Salim Mohamed Hamza, confirmed government plans to construct such a college at Shumba Mjini, where land has been secured. He noted that a contractor would soon assess the site and urged...
The Kibaha Municipal Council Executive Director, Dr. Rodgers Shemwelekwa, has urged residents to support government-led development projects for their own benefit. He made this appeal following an inspection tour of eight projects in Picha ya Ndege Ward valued at 1.6 billion shillings.
The inspected initiatives included road maintenance, business center construction, and classroom completions at Lulanzi and Mkuza Primary Schools. The tour also covered the ongoing construction of a district hospital and the procurement of its medical equipment, a project jointly financed by the government and the municipal council.
Residents of the ward expressed their gratitude for the efforts to address their challenges, pledging continued support...
A national meeting in Dodoma has charted a course for Tanzania's agricultural modernization, focusing on mechanization as a key driver. Stakeholders reviewed a study indicating strong demand for machinery and significant opportunities for youth and women as operators and service providers. Participants identified limited capital and high equipment costs as major barriers for young entrepreneurs, proposing improved lease-to-own financing as a solution.
The government announced a major support package, pledging 500 tractors and 800 threshers for youth and women in agriculture. Ministry representative Eng. Anna Mwangamilo stated that mechanization is central to achieving national goals of increased agricultural growth and exports. She...
The Personal Data Protection Commission has instructed the National Health Insurance Fund to establish a strategic partnership for safeguarding member information. During a meeting in Dodoma, the Commission's CEO, Dr. Emmanuel Mkiria, emphasized the legal obligation of the NHIF to protect personal data, a constitutional right heightened by advancing information technology.
NHIF Director General Dr. Irene Isaka affirmed the Fund's commitment to data security, noting all employees undergo vetting and sign confidentiality oaths, with doctors adhering to additional professional council standards. She acknowledged the PDPC's role in enhancing their capacity, especially given the severe penalties for violating data protection laws.
Both...
Erasto Sima, the Bukoba District Commissioner, has called for a collaborative effort between parents and teachers to address significant issues of student truancy and dropouts. He identified parental involvement as essential for improving academic results and student retention. Sima stressed that a lack of food in schools severely hinders pupils' concentration and learning capabilities, leading to poor performance.
He urged parents across the nation to contribute staples like maize and sugar to support school meal programs, noting that parental reluctance to participate creates a damaging vacuum. The commissioner also cited other challenges, including parents who neglect their children's academic progress and students facing long...
The Tanzania Revenue Authority Commissioner General, Yusuph Mwenda, has pledged collaboration with the private sector to support business growth and resolve ongoing challenges. During a visit to Dar es Salaam's Kariakoo International Market, he expressed sympathy for recent difficulties faced by traders and observed that commercial activity was returning to normal.
Mwenda assured traders that the TRA would work with them to implement proposals from a forthcoming presidential report on tax reform. He described business owners as essential partners, noting that their success benefits the public through services and taxes.
Severine Mushi, Chairman of the Kariakoo Traders Association, acknowledged the commissioner's apology for recent...
President Hussein Mwinyi of Zanzibar has announced a new cabinet, expanding the number of ministries from eighteen to twenty. He explained that this restructuring was intended to enhance government efficiency and address new national priorities. The creation of two new ministries, one for Communication, Information Technology and Innovation and another for Youth, Employment and Empowerment, was central to this reorganization.
The President emphasized a strict focus on performance and accountability for his new administration. He stated that he would closely monitor ministers for tangible results, expecting them to engage directly with communities. Mwinyi also revealed that four ministerial positions remained vacant, reserved for the...
