Building TZ beyond concrete and steel

DAR ES SALAAM: FROM the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) more than five decades ago to modern bridges, ports, hotels, airports and irrigation schemes, China Railway Construction Engineering (East Africa) Limited (CRJE) has established a long development journey with Tanzania.

The company says that journey is entering a new chapter as the country implements its ambitious National Development Vision 2050, popularly known as Dira 2050.

The commitment was highlighted at the Phoenix Global Development Forum for Enterprises–Tanzania held in Dar es Salaam on October 3, bringing together about 100 representatives from government, business and academia to discuss new opportunities for cooperation and development.

The forum, co-organised by Phoenix TV and the Chinese Enterprises Association in Tanzania (CEAT), was attended by Minister of State in the President’s Office–Planning and Investment, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Tanzania Shigeki Komatsubara and Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian.

For CRJE, whose parent company played a role in the construction of TAZARA, the forum provided an opportunity to reflect on its long association with Tanzania and outline its aspirations for the future.

The company’s Tanzania story dates back to 1969, when China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG) dispatched 1,114 employees to participate in the construction of TAZARA.

The Chinese team undertook about 506,400 square metres of building works along the railway line, including 93 stations, locomotive and rolling stock repair plants, a technical training school, depots, yards, hospitals, reception stations, canteens, offices and accommodation.

After TAZARA became operational, CRCEG retained a small team to undertake maintenance work along the railway.

The company formally registered its Tanzania branch in Dar es Salaam in 2000 and was renamed CRJE (E.A) LTD in 2013 as its business expanded. Interestingly, its formal registration coincided with Tanzania’s launch of Vision 2025, creating what the company describes as a parallel journey of growth.

“The past 25 years have been 25 years of rapid development for Tanzania and for CRJE as well,” the company says.

That journey has now entered another important phase following the launch of Dira 2050 by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan in July 2025.

The vision seeks to build Tanzania into “a prosperous, just, inclusive and self-reliant nation” by 2050, with priorities covering economic and social development, talent and human wellbeing, environmental protection and sustainable development, as well as digitaldriven development.

CRJE says its experience and areas of operation position it to contribute to these ambitions.

“We will continue to leverage our strengths and work hand in hand with partners from all sectors in Tanzania to support the realisation of DIRA 2050,” says Jiang Yuntao, Chairman of CRJE (E.A) LTD and Chinese Enterprise Association (Tanzania).

Its contribution is visible across several sectors, particularly infrastructure.

CRJE’s portfolio covers housing and buildings, roads, airports, power, water, irrigation, ports and investment.

Among its high-profile projects are the Nyerere Bridge and approach road, which transformed connectivity between Kurasini and Kigamboni and the Mtwara Port project, which has supported port efficiency and trade in agricultural products and other goods from southern Tanzania.

The company also points to the Iringa Irrigation Project, which has supported agricultural development and the Geita medium- and low-voltage electricity transmission line, which has extended electricity access to thousands of rural households.

In the aviation sector, the Terminal 1 VIP building was completed in 75 days, while the company’s hospitality portfolio includes Kilimanjaro Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Gran Meliá in Arusha and Park Hyatt in Zanzibar.

CRJE also invested in and constructed Johari Rotana Hotel, the venue for the recent development forum.

The company says other developments, including Victoria Nobel Centre and Peninsula Noble Centre, have contributed to economic activity, while the Arusha Stadium, currently under construction ahead of next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, is expected to provide another platform for sporting development.

Yet CRJE’s contribution, according to the company, goes beyond physical infrastructure. Local employment is central to its operations, with Tanzanian workers accounting for more than 90 per cent of its workforce on projects.

The company also runs mentor-apprentice training programmes, using construction sites as practical learning environments where young people can combine classroom knowledge with practical experience.

Last month, it launched the Chinese Workmanship for Tanzania Future Talent Development Programme, reinforcing its focus on skills development.

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The company says it also seeks to strengthen relationships with employees by supporting them during important personal moments and organising activities around Chinese and Tanzanian traditional festivals. Environmental sustainability is another area of focus.

At the Kinondoni Composting Plant, which CRJE built, up to 50 tonnes of waste can be processed daily, helping improve the urban environment.

Mr Yuntao says it also applies green construction practices in projects involving sensitive ecosystems, including oceans and grasslands, with emphasis on protecting biodiversity.

As Tanzania accelerates its digital transformation, CRJE says it is equally ready to introduce digital technologies, smart construction and digital solutions into its operations.

In May, the company participated in the China High-Tech exhibition with TBM technology, showcasing possibilities for the country’s construction sector.

The company’s future outlook is also closely linked to the renewed TAZARA partnership.

In September 2025, Tanzania, Zambia and China formally signed the TAZARA revitalisation project, followed in November by a joint statement on building the TAZARA Prosperity Belt.

For CRJE, the developments represent more than the revival of an historic railway.

They offer a new opportunity to connect infrastructure, trade and regional economic development while strengthening cooperation between Tanzania, Zambia and China.

“Times change, our business sectors change and projects change but CRJE’s original aspiration of developing hand in hand with Tanzania has never changed,” the company says.

As Tanzania pursues Dira 2050, CRJE believes its decades-long experience, infrastructure expertise, local workforce and growing focus on technology and sustainability can help it remain part of the country’s transformation.

“We will continue to work hard and contribute all our strength to supporting the realisation of DIRA 2050,” concludes Mr Yuntao.

The message is clear: from the railway that helped bind Tanzania and Zambia together to the infrastructure shaping the country’s next development chapter, CRJE sees its future as closely intertwined with Tanzania’s own journey towards 2050.