By The Respondent Reporter
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has underscored the significant contribution of the culture and creative arts sector to Tanzania’s economic growth, job creation, and the promotion of national values. He noted that the sector not only uplifts individual artists but also supports the country’s broader development agenda.
Speaking on Saturday, May 17, 2025, while representing President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan at the Second National Stakeholders’ Meeting on Culture and Arts held at the Millennium Tower in Dar es Salaam, Majaliwa called on artists to reinvest their earnings into the creative value chain.
Doing so, he said, would generate more employment opportunities, particularly for youth, and increase the sector's contribution to national income.
“The culture and arts sector offers inclusive employment across all demographics including youth, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and children regardless of gender or background,” he said.
Majaliwa further noted that the sector encourages entrepreneurship and supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“We’ve seen artists launching businesses, formalizing them, and integrating into recognized financial systems allowing them to use their ventures as collateral to access capital for further development,” he said.
The Prime Minister urged all artists to focus on producing high-quality content and to formalize their creative activities through relevant government and private institutions.
“Every artist should be officially recognized and positioned to benefit from the wide range of opportunities available in the sector,” he emphasized.
Citing global data, Majaliwa highlighted the growing importance of the creative economy. He referenced the 2022 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which found that culture and creative industries contributed 3.1 percent to global GDP and accounted for 6.2 percent of global employment equivalent to 50 million jobs worldwide.
Recognizing this potential, Majaliwa said the Tanzanian government has taken deliberate steps to support the sector.
“We’ve strengthened policy frameworks and increased financial investment to stimulate growth in the creative industry,” he said.
He added that the government has also enacted legislation and regulations to transform the sector from being perceived purely as a source of entertainment into a formal economic driver.
“This shift aligns with the 2020–2025 CCM Election Manifesto, particularly Article 241, which directs the government to commercialize the arts industry and expand job opportunities for all groups in society,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Professor Palamagamba Kabudi, said the meeting is part of a series of national forums organized by the Tanzania Culture and Arts Fund.
These forums aim to bring stakeholders together to share experiences, assess progress, address challenges, and develop joint strategies for growth.
Addressing the need for financial support in the sector, Professor Kabudi revealed that demand for loans among artists is higher than the available capital.
Stakeholders, he said, have called for the current loan ceiling of TZS 100 million to be doubled to match the actual investment needs in the sector.
“To date, we have provided affordable loans to more than 580 artist-led projects, reflecting the government’s commitment to promoting arts and culture as engines of social and economic development,” said Kabudi.
“We’ve achieved a 96 percent loan repayment rate, which reflects the accountability and seriousness of the beneficiaries.”he added
He also expressed gratitude to President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her dedication to the sector, noting that the annual budget for the Culture and Arts Fund has steadily increased from TZS 1.6 billion in the 2023/2024 financial year to TZS 4 billion in 2025/2026.
He said the ministry continues to explore additional sustainable sources of funding to support the growing sector.