Tanzania's housing shortfall and local-materials push in focus at Makazi 2050 forum
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A Dar es Salaam forum examined Tanzania's estimated 3.8 million-unit housing shortage, with officials and financiers calling for locally manufactured building materials, infrastructure-led planning and predictable taxation.
Tanzania's estimated housing shortage of 3.8 million units framed the Makazi 2050 Forum held in Dar es Salaam on 27 October 2026, convened by Innovation for Development with government officials, development agencies and private sector representatives.
The country's current housing deficit is put at 3 million units, with annual demand rising by 200,000 units against an annual shortfall of 390,981 houses. Tanzania's population, 62.7 million at the 2022 census, is now estimated at around 70 million and growing 3.2% a year, and is projected to reach about 123.4 million by 2044; the forum heard the country will need 26.84 million housing units by 2050.
Dr Grace Lubaale, head of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in Tanzania, cited TZS 466 billion for the national Samia Housing Scheme and a further TZS 607 billion in pipeline joint-venture commercial and residential projects. "Housing cannot be seen merely as a social welfare issue; it is a productive economic asset. Strategic public investment must unlock private capital," she said.
Lulu Mkude, director of business management at the Tanzania Trade Development Authority, tied housing demand to domestic manufacturing, noting that Tanzania imported US$34.5 million of furniture and US$7.1 million of doors and windows despite local capacity. She cited annual cement output of 7.7 million tonnes and US$31.7 million in cement export revenue, steel capacity of 1.2 million tonnes against domestic demand of 600,000 tonnes, roofing-sheet capacity at twice domestic consumption, and the Sapphire Float Glass plant in Lindi producing more than 700 tonnes of flat glass a day with 60% of output exported.
Murtaza Brazille, managing partner at Grant Thornton Tanzania, said investors do not seek only subsidies but require a predictable tax environment and administrative stability to earn a fair return on long-term capital. Dr Nkundwe Mwasaga, director general of the ICT Commission, called for research into affordable accommodation and described housing as a platform for internet-of-things applications and remote working.
Participants called for roads, electricity, water networks and transport corridors to be planned before residential settlement, for municipal zoning rules to accommodate higher-density and high-rise development, and for stricter enforcement of building codes. Proposals included reserving at least 20% of developed land for open green spaces and parks.