Tanzania eyes East Africa’s pharmaceutical hub crown {Business Africa}

Tanzania has launched an ambitious program to develop its local pharmaceutical industry, with the goal of reducing dependence on imported medicines and positioning itself as a manufacturing hub for East Africa.

At present, more than 80 percent of medicines and medical equipment used in the country are imported, costing Tanzania around one billion dollars every year.

Our correspondent Isaac Lukando reports on how the government plans to change that.

To unpack the opportunities and challenges behind this initiative, we spoke with Dr. Francis Mallya, a Medical Practitioner and Medical Supply Chain Specialist.

He addressed three key questions:

The major hurdles Tanzania must overcome to make local drug manufacturing viable;

Whether the Investment Acceleration Taskforce can translate policy into real, bankable projects, and what investors should watch for;

And how local pharmaceutical production could reshape prices and supply chains across East Africa.

How the Private Sector Is Reducing Harvest Losses

Sub-Saharan Africa loses up to 37 percent of its agricultural harvest every year — not because food is not produced, but because it fails to reach markets on time.

From Nigeria to Kenya, poor transport infrastructure, limited storage, and weak cold-chain systems are draining billions of dollars from the agricultural economy.

As governments struggle to close these gaps, private sector players are stepping in, investing in logistics, warehousing, and digital solutions to reduce losses and improve food security.

Banana Fibres vs Plastic Waste in the Central African Republic

In the Central African Republic, innovators are turning banana tree trunks into biodegradable bags, offering a local and environmentally friendly alternative to plastic packaging.

However, despite a plastic bag ban introduced in 2020, plastic products continue to dominate the market, undercutting demand for sustainable alternatives and slowing the growth of this green initiative.

The challenge now lies in enforcement, affordability, and scaling up eco-friendly production.