RUKWA and Katavi regions, in the southern highlands of the country, have invited serious foreign and domestic investors to explore the untapped potentials and underutilised investment opportunities in the area.
The huge untapped investment opportunities are in agriculture, tourism and hospitality, mining, livestock, forestry, education and factories.
On top of that, plans are underway to turn the two regions into national bread baskets which can feed the entire nation and neighbouring countries, though no serious investor has come forward. The regions sit on arable land.
Speaking to the ‘Daily News’ recently in separate interviews the two regional commissioners said that small, medium and large-scale investors could invest in manufacturing and agro-industries in their areas.
The Katavi RC, Ms Mwanamvua Mrindoko, said on the agricultural sector they had set aside 112,425 acres of arable land suitable for food and industrial crop production.
“The arable land is suitable for food and industrial crop production which is paramount for the region to promote its potential investment prospects,” she said.
The two regions are strategically positioned between Lakes Tanganyika and Lake Rukwa plus its rift valley basin which are also endowed with unexploited arable land.
Additionally, Katavi, according to Ms Mrindoko, has set aside an area special for an industrial park while major roads are under construction.
On top of that the Katavi soils allow crops like cotton, cashew, palm and sunflower to grow easily and are raw materials for agro-industries.
“There is also potential to invest in the sectors that produce livestock products like milk, skin and hides as well as animal feed,” Ms Mrindoko said.
Besides the local market, the region shares borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the eastern part and Burundi across Lake Tanganyika which are potential export destinations.
Speaking on potential investment prospects Rukwa, the RC Ms Queen Sendiga said that like Katavi the region shares borders with the DRC on the eastern part and Burundi plus Zambia across Lake Tanganyika.
“There is also potential to invest in the sectors that produce livestock products as well as animal feeds,” Ms Sendiga said.
Additionally, Rukwa sits between Lake Tanganyika and small lakes and rivers with reliable fish production including Nile perch, sardines, mudfish, English fish, luciolates, strapessil ‘mikebuka’ and various ornamental species of fish.
She further explained that the existence of lakes and rivers in the region provides opportunities for investment in aquaculture.
Rukwa too had set aside an area special for an industrial park while for tourism attractions there are Old Bismark Fort along the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika at Kasanga ward; Kalambo waterfalls, hot springs at Kizombwe village, Lake Rukwa scenery from Ufipa escarpment, lake beaches, red Columbus at Mbezi forest reserve, Uwanda and Lwafi game reserves, Lake Kwela and Tembwa waterfalls.
