Tanzanians could benefit from more jobs, business opportunities and industrial growth as the government steps up efforts to increase local production of mining supplies and ensure domestic companies capture a greater share of the sector’s value chain.
The move gained momentum on October 17, 2026, when Minister for Minerals Anthony Mavunde launched a wire mesh manufacturing plant owned by Geofields Tanzania Limited in Kerege, Bagamoyo District, Coast Region.
The factory, operating under Geofields Underground Support (GUS), is expected to supply materials used in mining operations, strengthen local manufacturing and create opportunities for Tanzanian businesses to participate in an industry that generates significant demand for goods and services.
Speaking during the launch, Mr Mavunde said producing mining supplies locally was essential to increasing the economic benefits Tanzanians derive from their country’s mineral resources.
“The government will continue creating an enabling environment for local investors to increase the capacity of Tanzanian companies to manufacture products and provide services that meet the needs of mines in the country, as well as regional and international markets,” he said.
He said the government’s ambition was to make Tanzania a leading African centre for manufacturing mining equipment and supplies, allowing local industries to serve domestic demand while expanding into regional and international markets.
For Tanzanians, increased local production could mean more employment opportunities, greater demand for locally supplied goods and services, and improved prospects for entrepreneurs seeking to enter the mining supply chain.
Mr Mavunde commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan for reforms and policy direction aimed at strengthening the mining sector and increasing its contribution to the national economy.
He cited the directive to allocate 10 per cent of mining sector revenue towards detailed mineral exploration using domestic funds as part of efforts to strengthen the sector’s long-term development.
However, the minister stressed that Tanzanians needed to participate beyond mineral extraction and gain a stronger foothold in manufacturing, procurement and other businesses supporting mining operations.
Tanzania’s mining legislation provides for the procurement of goods and services from local companies, while allowing partnerships between domestic and foreign firms where specialised local capacity is not yet sufficiently developed.
To strengthen compliance, Mr Mavunde directed the Mining Commission to work with the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) to inspect companies operating through joint ventures to supply services to mines.
The inspection, he said, should establish whether the companies were conducting the activities for which they were registered and meeting the relevant legal requirements.
The directive highlights the government’s efforts to ensure that partnerships intended to build local capacity deliver meaningful benefits to Tanzanian businesses rather than merely meeting formal requirements.
Mr Mavunde said approximately Sh5.1 trillion in the mining sector’s procurement value chain was associated with no more than six companies, urging Tanzanian entrepreneurs to organise themselves to compete for a larger share of the available business.
He called on local investors to pool capital, build stronger partnerships and overcome business fragmentation that can limit their ability to secure large contracts.
He also directed the Mining Commission to examine ways of bringing Tanzanian companies together to strengthen their financial capacity and competitiveness.
The minister pointed to the Credit Guarantee Scheme Corporation, established by the Bank of Tanzania, as one of the mechanisms that could help local businesses access financing and participate more effectively in the mining value chain.
Access to finance remains an important consideration for domestic firms seeking to invest in equipment, recruit skilled workers and meet the supply requirements of large mining companies.
At the factory launch, Geofields Tanzania Limited founder and director Denis Dillip said the plant had the capacity to produce 100,000 pieces of wire mesh annually, which he said could meet the needs of mines in the country.
He said the company was also seeking to expand into the East African market and had already established a branch in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mr Dillip added that the factory was designed to produce materials that meet international standards and had employed professionals who received training in China and Australia.
The investment offers an example of how domestic manufacturing can support mining operations while creating opportunities for skilled workers and other businesses involved in production and distribution.
Coast Regional Commissioner Stanislaus Nyongo said the region had 1,768 large and small industries, including the Geofields factory, adding that the investment reinforced Coast’s position as an important industrial centre.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals, Subira Mgalu, said Parliament continued to emphasise the importance of ensuring Tanzanians benefit from the country’s mineral resources.
She urged Geofields to prioritise residents of Kerege when filling employment positions created by the investment.
Her appeal underlines the importance of connecting industrial investment with communities hosting such projects, particularly through jobs, skills development and opportunities for local suppliers.
Mining Commission chairperson Janeth Reuben Lekashingo said the performance of the mining sector should not be measured only by the amount of minerals extracted, but also by the growth of Tanzanian companies, jobs created and industries established.
She said meaningful local participation required stronger domestic businesses, technology and skills transfer, and increased industrial production.
These priorities are central to efforts to ensure that mineral wealth generates wider economic benefits instead of being measured mainly through extraction volumes and export earnings.
The opening of the Geofields factory marks a step towards expanding Tanzania’s capacity to manufacture products required by its mining industry. Its broader impact, however, will depend on the extent to which local workers are employed, Tanzanian suppliers secure business and domestic companies develop the capacity to compete for contracts.
For the government, the challenge is to turn local procurement policies into tangible opportunities for citizens and businesses. For entrepreneurs, the opportunity lies in investing in quality production, building partnerships and developing the financial and technical capacity needed to serve the mining industry.
If these efforts are sustained, local manufacturing could help create jobs, strengthen domestic industries and ensure a greater share of the economic value generated by Tanzania’s mineral resources benefits Tanzanians.