Tanzanian Economic Development 2014-2024 (2)

WATER

Water is life as they say and without it you cannot live. Surrounded as the area is by Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and second largest globally, one wouldn't be conscious that water is a problem. However, despite the abundance of lake water, unless you live on the lake shore, the surrounding areas are dependant on rainfall and water collection for survival.

On various visits to Musoma I have flown into Mwanza Airport and spoken to other foreigners, many of whom are working on water projects around Lake Victoria to establish pumping stations for towns and villages. Musoma does have water, however most residents cannot afford to connect so still walk to the lake to collect water. In the villages, women and girls carry water in buckets sometimes for kilomtres home. Lucky ones may have a bicycle or a cart in which multiple containers can be pulled carrying sufficient water for a few days.

Stormwater drainage 2024

2017  students during school collecting water from
a nearby watercourse.

The women do all the 
heavy lifting

Tax

A noticeable change to infrastructure was noticed after the election of President Magaful in 2015. He ran a campaign based on anti corruption and within a year Tanzania was collecting taxes like never before. The Revenue Authority ensured all businesses issued receipts using electronic machines life EFT terminals. Notices publicly displayed required people to request a receipt. Receipts showed details of the vendor's tax ID and business details and showed the amount spent and the taxation component. Ghost public servants disappeared (as though they ever existed) and suddenly raods and other government services had funds with which to do nation building. Corruption by police was reduced and it seems the country started developing infrastructure very quickly.

Petrol receipt

Household Goods

In Musoma on this 2024 trip I noted a new store selling electrical goods including rice cookers, pressure cookers, electric jugs etc. In the last ten years cooking has evolved from charcoal fires to households with some income purchaing Chinese gas cooktops burners with two plates.  While charcoal remains the dominant fuel for cooking even in town, many better off households have gas cookers and increasingly are purchaisng jugs and other appliances to cook with. Beans which may take 2-3 hours on charcoal can be cooked in a rice cooker in the same amount of time but it is less work and much cleaner.

Electronic household appliances

Infrastructure

As noted in the last blog, roads are the most noticeable infrastructure developments. However the internet is rolling out at speed, even in rural areas to provide telephone services to rural people. The banking system here is predominantly by telephone. All mobile providers use a system where money can be deposited and withdrawn via phone I have only learned on this trip how to use it and it does save money. Using an ATM to withdraw funds from my bank account is $10 for any amount up to $250 equivalent which is the maximum. Using the phone system I can deposit funds from my Australian account directly for $2 and there is no limit. I can then ay suppliers direct to their phone number or go to the Vodacom mobile money shop and draw cash out as cash is still king here.

Electricity is being supplied across large areas so even rural villages will have poles and wires visible. However very few have need of it or the means to connect. When connected, supply is prepaid. We are living in luxury in the west paying in arrears. More than once where I am staying has been blacked out as the person responsible for paying the account had forgotten to keep it in credit.

Ten years ago there were no ATM facilities in Musoma. There are now at least two and while expensive to withdraw cash as a foreigner other options as outlined above are available.

New hotels abound as the region gears up for increased tourism to the Serengeti. Musoma is the closest city to the national park. Last year I was taken through a hotel which has Chinese fingerprints all over it. It looked like it had over fifty rooms plus two grand ballrooms with Lake views. It's five kms out of town and looked out of place. An international airport has been started at Musoma so there is some anticipation of increased visitors to the region.

In 2014, it would have been unthinkable to eat out as a foreigner. Now there are a number of venues which serve African food but have reasonable dining rooms. One even accepts credit cards - a rarity here.

So development is visible literally. I grew up on a street with a dirt road in western Sydney and in my childhood saw it sealed, guttered and sewerage installed so the outhouse was redundant. Regional Tanzania is developing and my two days in the capital made me aware that there is a lot of infrastructure happening there too. The other big difference in Dar Es Salaam is that English is spoken everywhere and clothing is western. Few women wear traditional clothes as they do in Musoma and the villages.