Tanzania eyes a smart urban future with lessons from Shenzhen in China

Dar es Salaam. What if Tanzania’s bustling commercial capital could become Africa’s most advanced, inclusive and sustainable smart city?

This was the central question at a high-level session during Innovation Week Tanzania and the Future Ready Summit 2025, where urban planners, architects, academics and policymakers gathered to explore how cities in Tanzania could adopt smart, people-centred urban development models—drawing inspiration from China’s remarkable transformation of Shenzhen.

Once a modest fishing village, Shenzhen is now a global innovation hub. Its rapid rise to prominence demonstrates how technology, strategic planning and visionary leadership can reshape the destiny of a city—and indeed a nation.

As Tanzania’s urban population grows at one of the fastest rates on the continent, organisers of Innovation Week and the Future Ready Summit sought to shine a spotlight on how Tanzanian cities can harness digital tools and sustainable thinking to build a smarter, more inclusive urban future.

Shenzhen’s evolution was guided by a clear vision: to build a “Smarter City, Better Life” through digital innovation, environmental sustainability and strategic urban planning. From artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled traffic management to citizen-focused services and green infrastructure, Shenzhen has seamlessly woven technology into the fabric of everyday life—earning it the title of “Smart City of 2024”.

Among its successes are advanced digital governance systems, environmentally sustainable solutions to tackle congestion and pollution, and a strong emphasis on public service delivery and citizen well-being. The result is more than a modern metropolis; it is a blueprint for urban excellence that Tanzania can adapt to its own context.

Tanzania is on the cusp of dramatic urban expansion. Projections show the country’s urban population is expected to grow from 35.5 million by 2030 to 76.5 million by 2050. Dar es Salaam alone is set to become a megacity, with more than 10 million inhabitants by 2030.

However, unlike Shenzhen, Tanzania’s urban growth is not driven by industrialisation but by high birth rates and rural-to-urban migration. This presents distinct challenges, including housing shortages, overstretched infrastructure, traffic congestion and inadequate access to basic services. The question, therefore, is how to urbanise smarter—and more equitably.

During the session, experts stressed the need for locally grounded, community-focused urban planning.

“To truly optimise human capital, we must integrate smart city design into planning processes, using Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and data-driven infrastructure,” said lecturer and head of technology transfer at Ardhi University, Ms Eunice Likotiko.

“But these solutions must reflect our context. Community engagement is essential to ensure they meet real needs,” she added.

Smart mobility was also a major talking point. Participants explored cleaner, climate-smart transport alternatives such as electric vehicles (EVs) and compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered vehicles. With transport being a major contributor to urban pollution, the shift towards low-emission, sustainable mobility is seen as vital to creating resilient, future-ready cities.

The human-centred nature of innovation was another key theme. In a separate session, Mr Philip Besiimire, Managing Director of Vodacom Tanzania, said: “Technology that isn’t human-centred and doesn’t solve real problems is simply not practical. We must ask: are the solutions we are building usable by the average Tanzanian? Innovation must be inclusive, accessible and transformative.”

Global urban transport expert Mr Chris Kost echoed this sentiment, noting that many Tanzanian streets are not designed for universal access. “Raised curbs may seem minor, but they are real barriers for people with disabilities. We need a shift in street design thinking—one that includes all users.”

From a design perspective, Shenzhen-based architect and interior designer Mr Haris Memic said, “Technology should serve people, not alienate them. A smart city must focus on how citizens interact with infrastructure. Innovation without empathy is pointless. It’s not about gadgets; it’s about better lives.”

While Shenzhen provides a compelling example, participants agreed that Tanzania must localise its approach. This includes investing in digital government infrastructure, adopting green technologies, ensuring accessibility in urban planning, and using data to inform policy.

Crucially, public-private partnerships (PPPs) will play a central role in making this vision a reality. Dr Suleiman Peter Kiula, head of project appraisal schedule at the PPP Centre, noted: “A major hurdle to the financial sustainability of PPPs is the limited awareness of their potential to drive inclusive national development. The private sector has also been hesitant to fully embrace the model. But make no mistake—PPPs are not a luxury. They are a strategic necessity for sustainable, broad-based growth.”