Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states have been urged to accelerate investments in industrialisation and infrastructure to create more employment opportunities for women and young people, positioning them as key drivers of the region's economic transformation.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing SADC Industrialisation Week in Durban, Tanzania Investment Bank (TIB) Research and Business Manager Dr Hilderbrand Shayo said expanding value-addition industries would generate jobs, strengthen regional value chains and increase the competitiveness of SADC economies.
He said industrialisation remains essential to unlocking economic opportunities for women and youth while boosting exports and foreign exchange earnings through higher-value products.
"Investment in value-addition industries will economically empower women and young people, expand markets for Tanzanian products and increase export revenues," Dr Shayo said.
He noted that Tanzania's participation in the forum reflects the country's long-term development priorities, particularly in mining, agriculture, health products, infrastructure and innovation—sectors identified as critical to achieving the National Development Vision 2050.
"The SADC Industrialisation Week focuses on strengthening value chains in mining, agriculture and health products while promoting infrastructure development and innovation. These are strategic sectors in Tanzania's transition towards an industrial economy and sustainable development," he said.
Dr Shayo said the forum had also generated fresh investment interest in Tanzania, with regional and international investors citing the country's improving business environment and strategic location as a gateway to regional trade through the Port of Dar es Salaam.
He added that Tanzania's participation has provided an opportunity to market the country's investment potential while expanding partnerships with development institutions, private investors and businesses across the SADC region.
Dr Shayo also called on development finance institutions attending the event including TIB, Exim Bank, BADEA, Nedbank and other financial institutions to strengthen collaboration in mobilising capital for strategic investment and infrastructure projects.
"Greater cooperation among development finance institutions is essential to unlocking financing for projects that will accelerate Tanzania's industrial and economic growth," he said.
On the mining sector, Dr Shayo said Tanzania's vast reserves of strategic minerals present a significant opportunity to support industrial development, particularly amid growing global demand driven by technological advancement and the energy transition.
He argued that processing minerals locally instead of exporting raw materials would increase value addition, create skilled employment, expand foreign exchange earnings and stimulate the growth of downstream industries.
The annual SADC Industrialisation Week has become one of the region's key platforms for promoting industrial development, regional trade and investment.
For Tanzania, the forum offers an opportunity to attract investment, strengthen regional partnerships and advance its industrialisation agenda as the country works towards achieving the goals of its National Development Vision 2050.
