Industries producing goods that can adequately meet local demand should be given priority in the domestic market, Industry and Trade Minister Judith Kapinga has said, urging businesses to build confidence in locally manufactured products.
Ms Kapinga said the government’s efforts to promote domestic manufacturing would have limited impact if businesses continued relying on imported products while locally produced alternatives were available and met required standards.
She made the remarks on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in Kigamboni, Dar es Salaam, when she inaugurated Simama Metal Crown, a locally owned factory producing metal bottle caps for the beverage industry.
The factory, which is 100 percent Tanzanian-owned, represents an investment of TZS14 billion, according to its management.
Ms Kapinga called on private-sector organisations, including the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI), Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) and Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), to help promote sustainable industrial development by reminding manufacturers and businesses of the commitments they have made towards supporting local production.
“Local businesses must have confidence in products made by fellow Tanzanians,” she said, stressing the need for stronger linkages between domestic manufacturers and companies that use locally produced inputs.
She said the TZS14 billion investment demonstrated the growing role of domestic investors in expanding Tanzania’s manufacturing capacity and reducing dependence on imported goods.
The minister said the government would continue creating a conducive environment for local investors while promoting industrial development as part of efforts to expand production and strengthen the domestic economy.
Simama Tanzania Executive Director Norbert Simama said the new factory has the capacity to produce up to 130 million bottle caps a month for beverage manufacturers.
He said the products were designed to meet international quality standards, enabling the factory to compete in both domestic and international markets.
Mr Simama urged beverage manufacturers to source their bottle caps from the plant, saying stronger cooperation between local manufacturers and large domestic companies would help create a more integrated industrial value chain.
He said locally manufactured products must meet the quality and technical requirements demanded by the market if Tanzania is to reduce imports and strengthen the competitiveness of its industries.
“Local production must go hand in hand with quality. Consumers and industries will support locally made products when they meet the standards required by the market,” he said.
Mr Simama also called for greater cooperation between the government and private sector, saying industrial development would require sustained investment and an enabling business environment.
He said achieving Tanzania’s long-term ambition of building a $1 trillion economy would depend significantly on expanding industrial production, investment and value addition within the country.
The opening of the Kigamboni plant comes as Tanzania seeks to increase domestic manufacturing, strengthen local supply chains and reduce reliance on imported industrial inputs.