Sida's work in Tanzania
In Tanzania, Sida is working to empower people and raise the country's education level, strengthen democracy, increase respect for human rights and reduce poverty. After years of authoritarian rule and political repression, the country has started to open up to political dialogue and a freer economy.
Important thematic areas in Tanzania
Why do Sida work in Tanzania?
Widespread poverty
Poverty is widespread in Tanzania. Around half of the population of over 63 million live on less than the equivalent of US$2.15 per day. Rapid population growth is contributing to an increase in the number of people living in poverty.
The judiciary is not independent
There are significant shortcomings in the judiciary and the rule of law. The president has almost unlimited power. People are not treated equally before the law. A flawed legal system and complex, rapidly changing laws and regulations create uncertainty and discourage businesses, especially international ones, from investing.
Many children do not finish school
Many students do not complete their education and the quality of primary education is low. There is a shortage of teachers and classrooms. Sexual violence against girls and women is severe and widespread.
Examples of what Sida has contributed
Increased commitment to human rights
Sida has long worked actively to strengthen respect for human rights in Tanzania. Through advocacy work, Sida, together with other organisations, has contributed to the Tanzanian government establishing new guidelines that make it possible for young girls who have dropped out of school when they become pregnant to return to school within two years.2
Strengthening the media sector and improving journalists’ conditions
Sida supports projects that strengthen media ethics, journalists’ rights, safety and working conditions, and improve the quality of journalism. Sida also supports the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), the only media sector organisation in Tanzania allowed to report to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights on violations against the media and journalists.
Climate-smart farming practices that increase incomes
Almost two-thirds of employment in Tanzania is in agriculture. The support has helped thousands of small-scale farmers improve their economies and livelihoods through climate-smart farming practices and linking their crops to local, regional and international markets.
Access to renewable electricity improves people’s lives
By supporting the development of the energy sector, Sida has contributed to economic development, strengthened human security and improved the working and living conditions of the most vulnerable people. Among other things, maternity wards have received lighting, cold storage of medicines and better conditions for recruiting teachers for schools. Private actors have invested in the energy sector, which has mobilised capital for development with about three times the aid funds.
Sida's development cooperation in Tanzania
The development cooperation in the country aims to strengthen human rights, increase gender equality and contribute to economic development for all.
Sida contributes to the development of democracy, human rights, gender equality and a legal system that treats people equally before the law. The aid supports research, education, an economy that benefits all inhabitants, climate adaptation and increased access to renewable energy.
There are significant shortcomings in the independence of the judiciary and democracy. The president has almost total power. However, there are signs that things are improving. Civil society can operate more freely. Openness to political dialogue and interaction with the outside world has increased; the political dialogue between the EU and the Tanzanian government, has for instance, been resumed.
Sidas work aims to strengthen democracy and respect for human rights, increase gender equality and contribute to equal treatment before the law. Here are some examples of programmes and projects that Sida supports:
Violations of human rights are common. Sida supports, among other things, the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), which offers legal aid to people who cannot afford to pay for it themselves. LHRC also pursues cases against the state when laws do not comply with the constitution. Sida is also supporting the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), which protects human rights defenders. THRDC conducts regular human rights training with government officials and maintains a regular dialogue with the government.
Freedom of the press in Tanzania has greatly deteriorated. Sida supports the Union of Tanzania Press Clubs (UTPC) which brings together local journalists throughout the country through press clubs in 28 regions. The aim is to strengthen media ethics, journalists’ rights, safety and working conditions, and to improve the quality of journalism. Sida also supports the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT). MCT is the only organisation from the media sector in Tanzania that is allowed to report to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights on violations against the media and journalists.
More women are needed in the political arena in Tanzania. Sida supports projects run by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, UN Women. The projects empower women in political positions and in parliamentary groups. UN Women and the Tanzania Gender Network Programme (TGNP) have been training the majority of women who now hold key political and other leadership positions.
Primary education is now free of charge in Tanzania. This means that the vast majority of girls and boys start school. However, the rapid increase in enrolment is putting pressure on the education system. There are severe shortages of teachers, teaching materials and classrooms. The budget for education is too small, which reduces the quality of teaching. Many schools do not have toilets or running water, which prevents girls from attending school when they are menstruating.
Sida is strengthening primary schools and helping to ensure that more girls can get an education. Here are some examples of projects that Sida supports:
Sida supports the Education Programme for Results, which strengthens the country’s primary schools. This is done, for example, by ensuring that school fees reach the schools on time and that the available teachers are evenly distributed between schools. The programme also produces statistics on education issues. The programme is innovative and performance-based; support is paid retrospectively after a certain number of objectives have been met.
Sida also supports the education sector in Zanzibar to strengthen basic education systems, for a more equal distribution of resources and for reaching more out-of-school children.
About the Education Programme for Results on the Cambridge Education website
Sida collaborates with Karibu Tanzania Organisation (KTO), which provides education to young women who have dropped out of the formal school system. The programme is implemented at 54 Tanzanian community colleges. The support from Sida also contributes to developing the organisation’s future ability to drive and influence the development of popular and adult education.
About the folk high school project at Openaid
Private companies provide almost one in four formal jobs in Tanzania. But the private sector and the government have little trust in each other. Laws and regulations governing how businesses can operate need to be improved and simplified. Around 30 per cent of Tanzania’s gross domestic product and around 65 per cent of employment comes from the agricultural sector.
Tanzania’s economy was hit hard by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has recovered better than neighbouring countries but rapidly rising energy and food prices are a concern.
Sida supports organisations both within civil society and through the UN to create sustainable economic development that benefits all people – including those living in poverty. Here are some examples of programmes and projects that Sida supports:
Micro, small and medium-sized agricultural entrepreneurs often have difficulty obtaining loans. Sida supports the Private Agricultural Sector Support Trust (PASS) which provides support to agricultural enterprises through guaranteed loans from private banks. Sida bears part of the risk of the lending. In 2021, around 4,000 companies received loans worth almost SEK 600 million. This has created jobs for around one million people, half of whom are women.
Tanzania’s municipalities need to become more efficient and improve services to citizens. Sida supports the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), which supports municipalities in increasing their revenues and improving their services. In 2021, the programme contributed to the creation and rehabilitation of markets and bus stations used by 1.7 million inhabitants. 17,000 jobs were created and around 13,600 small-scale farmers were supported, more than half of whom are women.
Sida supports several projects that improve farmers’ ability to earn money. One example is the Agricultural Markets Development Trust (AMDT), run with support from Sweden and Denmark. Thanks to the project, around 190 000 farmers have gained access to agricultural services and inputs. This has increased their harvests and income from sunflowers. Sida also cooperates with the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) and in 2021, 13,000 farms producing flowers, fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs and garden seeds gained access to new markets thanks to the support.
Malnutrition in the first year of life affects child development. Sida supports the Productive Social Safety Network (PSSN). More than one million households are offered cash assistance or temporary jobs through the project. This increases access to food, improves health and enables more children to attend school. The role of women is strengthened as the cash grant and wages are paid to a woman in the household.
The population of Tanzania is growing rapidly, putting pressure on the country’s natural resources. Unsustainable resource management affects both people and the environment. Six out of ten households use firewood and almost three out of ten use charcoal as their main source of energy for cooking. This leads to the destruction of ecosystems, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and negative impacts, especially on women’s health.
Interest in the environment and climate has increased among the country’s political leadership. A new climate plan has been developed and the president is participating in global climate meetings. Renewable energy from water, wind and sun is increasingly discussed at the highest political level, as is clean energy for cooking.
Sida supports civil society and UN organisations that help improve climate and environmental laws, improve access to renewable energy and adapt agriculture to better withstand climate crises. Here are some examples of programmes and projects supported by Sida:
Sida finances a project to develop environmental laws and regulations in Tanzania. This is a collaboration between the Vice President’s Office (VPO), the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, which is developing the equivalent of Sweden’s Environmental Act with ordinances and regulations. Strengthening the work with environmental impact assessments is also included.
About the environmental project at Openaid
Sida is collaborating with the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) and the Nordic Green Bank (Nefco) to work with the private sector in Tanzania to develop more efficient stoves with clean fuel. This reduces deforestation and prevents the destruction of ecosystems. It also reduces the negative impact on women’s health in particular.
Lack of electricity is one of the biggest obstacles to economic development. Sida supports efforts to increase access to electricity in rural areas by building new electricity grids, reinforcing existing grids and supporting electricity production. The focus is on renewable energy. The support increases access to electricity in regions such as Njombe and Ruvuma.
The Openaid rural electrification project
Agriculture is crucial to Tanzania’s economy and people’s livelihoods. About two-thirds of the country’s jobs are in agriculture, with around 80-90 per cent of agricultural land owned by small-scale farmers and a large number of women work in agriculture. Climate change is hitting smallholders hard and risks hampering the country’s sustainable development.
Sida is working with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture to develop a project that the Green Funds have previewed and shown interest in. It is hoped that this will create the conditions for green practices that enable new types of funding for agricultural development.
Swedish research collaboration with Tanzania began in 1977. The aim is to develop the research capacity of the universities so that local researchers are better able to find solutions to the problems and challenges facing Tanzania.
Twelve Swedish universities cooperate with three universities in Tanzania: University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) and Ardhi University (ARU). Research students alternate their time between their home university and Swedish universities. Their research areas include food security, biomedicine, community planning, rural development and business administration with a focus on agriculture and tourism.
There is also support for libraries, laboratories, IT and research councils to create functioning research environments. The aim is that Tanzania will eventually be able to train researchers and conduct high-quality research without external support. The programmes train more than 120 doctoral students and 55 master’s students. Around 20 people have already completed their doctorate and are on a post-doctoral programme.
The Swedish government’s strategy for development cooperation in Tanzania is extended until 31 October 2025, or until the government decides on a new strategy.
Updated: October 17, 2023