Culture, Arts Fund hits 4bn/-

DODOMA: TANZANIA’S 2025/26 national budget signals a clear and ambitious boost to the creative economy, with the government allocating a record 4bn/- to the Culture and Arts Fund—up from 3bn/- last year and more than double the 1.6bn/- allocated two years ago.

This sharp increase reflects a growing recognition of the cultural sector’s potential to drive economic growth, job creation and national identity. Of this amount, 3.6bn/- will be channelled through partner financial institutions to provide soft loans totalling 5.4bn/-.

These funds are expected to directly support 500 artists and creative entrepreneurs across all regions, averaging 19 projects per region.

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Economically, the ministry estimates that these investments will create over 75,000 jobs and benefit nearly one million Tanzanians through improved incomes, job opportunities and cultural engagement.

This dramatic increase in funding for the Culture and Arts Fund is part of a broader expansion in the budget of the Arts Sector Development, which now stands at 8bn/-, up sharply from 2.1bn/- in 2024/2025.

Additionally, the budget for the National Kiswahili Council (BAKITA), has surged from 500m/- to 3.4bn/-, highlighting the government’s intensified efforts to promote Kiswahili as both a regional and global language.

The African Liberation Heritage Programme continues to receive consistent support, with 2bn/- allocated for 2025/2026.

This funding level remains consistent with the previous year and is significantly higher than the 450m/- it received in 2022/2023, underscoring the government’s commitment to preserving and elevating Africa’s liberation history as a key component of national memory and continental identity.

Overall, the allocations over the past three financial years clearly illustrate rapid and sustained growth in the government’s cultural investment.

The combined funding for the departments of culture and arts increased from 3.2bn/- in 2022/2023 to over 13bn/- in 2025/2026, reflecting a more than fourfold increase in funding for the sector.