-Democracy should bring the opportunity to work as well as the right to vote.
By Ben Kazora*
Tanzania’s 2025 general election will be remembered not only for its turbulence but also for what it revealed beneath the surface — a restless young population demanding dignity and an opportunity for international partnership.
What began as a peaceful vote soon descended into unrest across Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha and other cities. Curfews followed, the internet went dark, and doubts emerged about whether democratic institutions could withstand the pressure. Beneath the headlines, however, lies a deeper and more enduring challenge: youth unemployment.
More than 60% of Tanzanians are under the age of 35 — educated, connected and ambitious, yet economically stranded. The mismatch between their skills and available opportunities has created what economists call “the frustration gap,” where aspiration meets stagnation. When democracy fails to deliver livelihoods, its legitimacy erodes. The unrest that followed the election was not only political — it was an economic cry from a generation feeling locked out of progress.
Recovery from unrest
In her Nov. 14 address to the legislature, President Samia Suluhu Hassan confronted this reality directly. She framed employment as a national security imperative, urging youth — the heirs of the nation — to reject incitement and protect the country they will one day lead. Warning them not to cut the branch of the tree upon which they are sitting, she stressed that the future depends on youth choosing construction over destruction.
Samia adopted a tone of reconciliation. She instructed justice institutions to review cases with compassion, granting clemency and rehabilitation to those who had been swept into violence without deliberate intent, and invoking Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” That posture of accountability anchored in mercy has set the stage for national healing.
Simultaneously, the government is advancing structural reforms to strengthen democracy and inclusion. Constitutional reforms will proceed through dialogue and consensus, guided by an independent Inquiry Commission.
New instruments of youth empowerment — a dedicated Ministry for Youth Affairs, specialized presidential advisers, an $82 million capital fund for youth and women, and private-sector investment windows — signal a more deliberate, opportunity-driven approach to governance.
Young talent
The African Development Bank estimates that while 10 million to 12 million young Africans enter the labor market annually, only about 3 million formal jobs emerge. Tanzania’s challenge is not a shortage of talent; it is a shortage of opportunity.
With strategic investment in digital infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, urban innovation, tourism, STEM education and renewable energy, Tanzania’s youth boom can become a driver of national transformation.
U.S.–Tanzania economic cooperation represents a major opportunity. American companies, universities and investors can benefit from Tanzania’s youthful workforce, growing urban centers and natural resources, while helping to build capacity in STEM, industrial technology, agriculture and digital services. Thoughtful engagement can modernize key sectors and deliver shared prosperity.
Natural assets
Tanzania is East Africa’s largest democracy, the region’s highest-rated economy, according to Moody’s and Fitch, and, per IMF projections, is on track to become East Africa’s leading economy by the end of the decade. Its economic resilience is emphasized by a stronger GDP-to-debt ratio than peers such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda.
Geopolitically, Tanzania carries the weight of supporting eight neighboring countries — six of them landlocked — through its ports, trade corridors and transport networks.
Its natural resource endowment is equally significant: With nearly 890,000 metric tons of rare earth reserves, Tanzania holds the largest such deposit on the African continent.
But partnership must evolve beyond traditional aid models. It must be anchored in shared investment, shared ambition and shared prosperity.
National goals
Dar es Salaam — Dallas’ formal Sister City — is projected to reach 10 million residents by 2030 and already accounts for more than 70% of national GDP. Samia’s long-term vision to position the city as the premier logistics hub for East and Central Africa is already underway. The government will expand the Dar es Salaam Port with 10 new berths, link it directly to the standard gauge railway and enhance operations to increase efficiency and revenue.
Parallel development of the ports of Tanga, Mtwara, Bagamoyo and key lake ports will strengthen intermodal connectivity and support regional trade at scale.
These efforts are paired with broader economic reforms: reducing the cost of doing business, expanding industrial output, welcoming 8 million tourists by 2030, and advancing STEM education through the Samia Scholarship Fund.
A bright future
The 2025 election tested Tanzania’s democracy under extraordinary strain — polling stations burned, misinformation spread and lives were lost. Yet institutions held, order was restored and the nation chose renewal over division. The test of a nation is not whether the dust stays undisturbed when the ground shakes, but whether the foundation endures — and in Tanzania, that foundation remains strong.
The election tested Tanzania’s democracy; the coming decade will test its economy. If leaders, citizens and global partners work together to convert this into inclusive prosperity, Tanzania will not only weather the storm — it will emerge from it more dynamic, more equitable and more ambitious than ever.
*Ben Kazora is president and CEO of the Tanzanian American Chamber of Commerce.This article was originally published by the Dallas Morning News
