Tanzania targets regional mining hub status with Sh35 billion Kigamboni equipment plant
Minerals Commission Commissioner and chairperson of the Local Content Committee, Dr Theresia Numbi (centre-left), speaks with directors of Mining Engineering Services Tanzania Limited (MES), a member company of the VINMART Group, during her visit to the company’s factory in Dar es Salaam. PHOTO | COURTESY
Dar es Salaam. The government has urged mining equipment manufacturers and engineering firms to design investments that directly support small and medium-scale miners, emphasizing that local manufacturing will significantly curb reliance on imports.
The call was made on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, as Mining Engineering Services Tanzania Limited (MES), a subsidiary of the Vinmart Group of Companies, continues construction of a Sh35 billion plant in Kigamboni, Dar es Salaam.
The facility will produce specialised equipment for underground mining operations, aimed at import substitution and deepening local participation across the mining value chain.
Mining Commission Commissioner and Chairperson of the Tanzanian Local Content Committee in the Mining Sector, Dr Theresia Numbi, stressed that manufactured products must address the practical needs of small and medium miners nationwide.
“Investment in the mining sector should not end at extraction activities alone, but should build a broader business chain that involves local manufacturers, particularly small and medium miners,” stated Dr Numbi.
She reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting investments that spur sectoral growth and drive broader economic development.
MES managing director, Mr Pulin Manek, noted that the investment focuses on domestic production of equipment currently sourced from overseas, alongside strategic export plans targeting regional markets.
“The reason for establishing this factory is to help Tanzania reduce dependence on frequently consumed items used in underground mining that are imported from abroad,” explained Mr Manek.
He stated that the plant’s design capacity deliberately exceeds current domestic demand to cater to future operational expansion in Tanzanian underground mining.
“We are producing more than the country’s current demand because we are looking at Tanzania’s future requirements in underground mining as well as opportunities in the wider region,” he added.
Addressing supply chain efficiencies, Mr Manek observed that imported equipment typically takes eight to 16 weeks to arrive, whereas domestic manufacturing will reduce delivery lead times to a few days.
The facility will also generate employment and advance local technical skills in manufacturing, welding, and engineering, while positioning Tanzania as a regional supply hub for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
“Tanzania is well positioned to become a manufacturing and distribution hub for these goods due to the presence of the Port of Dar es Salaam,” stressed Mr Manek.
