Tanzania is stepping up efforts to localise the production of mining equipment after a Chinese manufacturer unveiled plans to establish a steel grinding ball factory in the country, a move expected to reduce reliance on imports and strengthen the domestic mining value chain.
The proposed investment by Oriental Casting and Forging Ltd will see the company build a manufacturing plant at the Buzwagi Special Economic Zone in Kahama District, Shinyanga Region, to produce steel grinding balls—an essential consumable used in mineral processing.
The investment proposal was discussed on Monday during a meeting in Dar es Salaam between the Minister for Minerals, Anthony Mavunde, and the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hou Songcun.
Mr Mavunde said the project reflects the government's broader strategy to attract investment in downstream mining industries and position Tanzania as a regional manufacturing hub for mining supplies.
He invited the Chinese investor to establish the factory at the government-designated Buzwagi Special Economic Zone, which has been earmarked for industries producing mining inputs and equipment.
The minister said the initiative is in line with the industrialisation agenda championed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, aimed at increasing local value addition while reducing the country's dependence on imported mining consumables.
"Our goal is to ensure that both large-scale and small-scale miners can access quality mining products manufactured locally instead of relying on imports," Mr Mavunde said.
He added that expanding domestic manufacturing capacity would not only lower production costs for mining companies but also enable Tanzania to emerge as a key supplier of mining products to African markets.
For his part, Mr Hou said Tanzania's favourable investment climate and the rapid expansion of its mining industry made the country an attractive destination for the company's next phase of growth.
He said the planned factory would improve the availability of mining consumables, shorten supply chains and support the sustainable growth of Tanzania's mining sector.
The investment is expected to create employment opportunities, facilitate technology transfer and strengthen local industrial capacity, while supporting the government's ambition to develop a competitive mining supply industry capable of serving both domestic and regional markets.
