Minister for Industry and Trade Judith Kapinga has urged manufacturers producing enough goods for the domestic market to prioritise local consumers while calling on Tanzanians to have confidence in products made by fellow citizens.
Ms Kapinga said stronger support for locally manufactured goods would help protect the domestic market, reduce reliance on imports and encourage more Tanzanians to invest in manufacturing.
She made the remarks on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in Kigamboni, Dar es Salaam, when she inaugurated a locally owned factory producing metal crown bottle caps for the beverage industry.
The Simama Metal Crown factory, owned 100 percent by Tanzanian investor Simama Tanzania, represents an investment of TZS14 billion, according to the company.
Ms Kapinga said the investment was part of efforts to expand domestic production and strengthen Tanzania's industrial base.
She also called on private-sector institutions, including the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI), Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) and Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), to ensure manufacturers remain focused on the principles of sustainable industrial development.
She urged the institutions to regularly remind factory owners of the need to maintain production, quality and competitiveness rather than allowing local industries to lose their share of the domestic market.
“Local investors must have confidence in products manufactured by their fellow Tanzanians,” Ms Kapinga said, emphasising the importance of creating a market for locally produced goods.
She said the government would continue promoting domestic investment and creating a business environment that enables Tanzanian entrepreneurs to establish and expand manufacturing enterprises.
The minister said the TZS14 billion investment in the Kigamboni factory demonstrated the role of local capital in expanding production and reducing dependence on imported industrial inputs.
Simama Tanzania Executive Director Norbert Simama said the factory had the capacity to produce about 130 million bottle caps a month for use by beverage manufacturers.
He said the products were being manufactured to meet international quality standards, enabling the factory to compete beyond the domestic market.
Mr Simama called on beverage manufacturers to work with the local factory and use locally produced bottle caps, saying stronger links between manufacturers would help deepen Tanzania's industrial value chains.
He said locally manufactured goods had to meet the required quality standards if they were to win the confidence of consumers and compete effectively with imported products.
“The success of industrial development requires strong participation from the private sector,” Mr Simama said.
He added that the government's role in creating an enabling investment environment remained important, but private investors also had to take the lead in expanding productive capacity.
Mr Simama said Tanzania's ambition of building a $1 trillion economy would depend heavily on investment in manufacturing and other productive sectors, making greater participation by local investors increasingly important.