Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has underscored the vital role of the culture and arts sector in strengthening the national economy, creating employment opportunities, and preserving social values.
Speaking on May 17, 2025, while representing President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan at the Second National Stakeholders' Conference on Culture and Arts at the Millennium Tower in Dar es Salaam, Majaliwa called on artists to reinvest their earnings into the arts value chain.
He emphasized that such reinvestment could create more jobs for youth and significantly contribute to national income.
“The arts sector is inclusive it employs people of all ages, genders, and social groups, including youth, people with disabilities, the elderly, and children,” he said.
“Beyond job creation, it nurtures entrepreneurship and supports small and medium-sized enterprises.”he added
Majaliwa praised the growing trend of artists formalizing their businesses and using them as collateral to access financing.
He urged more artists to produce high-quality work and to register their ventures through relevant government and private bodies to benefit from available opportunities.
Highlighting the global significance of the sector, the Prime Minister cited a 2022 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which found that cultural and creative industries contribute 3.1% to global GDP and account for 6.2% of global employment—equivalent to 50 million jobs.
To support the sector’s development, Majaliwa outlined the government’s policy and legal reforms, which aim to shift the perception of the arts from informal entertainment to recognized economic activities.
These initiatives are aligned with the ruling party CCM’s 2020–2025 Election Manifesto, specifically Article 241, which calls for the enhancement of the creative industry to expand employment.
Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Professor Palamagamba Kabudi, also addressed the conference.
He highlighted the ongoing efforts of the Tanzania Culture and Arts Fund to foster collaboration among stakeholders, assess achievements, and address challenges through collective strategies.
Kabudi noted that demand for funding in the sector far exceeds the available capital. Stakeholders are advocating for the current maximum loan cap of TZS 100 million to be doubled to meet the real investment needs of the industry.
“We’ve extended affordable loans to over 580 artist-led projects, achieving a 96% repayment rate clear evidence of both responsibility and the sector’s potential,” Kabudi said.
He thanked President Samia for her commitment to increasing budget allocations for the Culture Fund. The Fund’s budget has grown from TZS 1.6 billion in 2023/2024 to TZS 4 billion for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, reflecting the government’s dedication to positioning culture and arts as engines of socio-economic development.