The Government has stepped up efforts to ensure Tanzanians benefit more from the country’s mineral wealth, after submitting 1,082 local content plans in the mining sector between July 2025 and March 2026.
Presenting the Ministry of Minerals’ budget estimates for the 2026/2027 financial year in Parliament, Minister for Minerals, Anthony Mavunde, said the plans are aimed at increasing participation of local companies and workers across the mining value chain.
Out of the 1,082 plans submitted, 1,081 were approved, while one was rejected for failing to meet legal requirements.
The approved plans cut across different licence categories, including large-scale, medium-scale and small-scale mining, as well as exploration activities and service provision.
A significant portion of the plans 1,012 came from service providers, highlighting growing opportunities for Tanzanian businesses to supply goods and services to mining companies.
The minister said the government continues to enforce local content regulations, which require certain goods and services to be sourced locally. So far, 20 categories have been reserved for Tanzanians or Tanzanian-owned firms.
These efforts have translated into job creation, with a total of 20,421 jobs generated in the mining sector during the period under review.
Tanzanians accounted for 19,695 of these jobs, while 726 positions were held by foreign workers.
In addition to employment, the sector has also boosted local business growth. Mining companies and their contractors purchased goods and services worth TZS 4.9 trillion from Tanzanian suppliers, representing more than 90 percent of total procurement.
“This shows that Tanzanians are increasingly taking part in and benefiting from the mining sector,” Mavunde told Parliament.
Beyond economic gains, mining companies are also contributing to community development through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Projects worth TZS 16.52 billion have been implemented in regions such as Kahama, Mara, Geita, Songwe, Singida, Dar es Salaam, Lindi, Mwanza and Shinyanga.
The projects focus on key sectors including health, education, agriculture, sports, environmental conservation and road infrastructure, helping improve livelihoods in mining communities.
However, the government has also identified areas that need improvement. During inspections conducted between July 2025 and March 2026, the Mining Commission reviewed operations in six large-scale mines, 31 medium-scale mines and 9,080 small-scale mines across 30 regions.
The inspections uncovered several compliance challenges, including outdated mine closure plans, gaps in adherence to explosives regulations, poor waste management designs, lack of formally appointed mine managers and inadequate safety measures in some sites.
The minister said the government will continue to strengthen oversight to ensure the sector operates safely, responsibly and in line with national laws.
The latest figures signal a growing shift towards a more inclusive mining sector, where Tanzanians are not only employed but also actively engaged as suppliers and key stakeholders in the country’s resource-driven economy.
