Data & Research · Tanzania
Tanzania’s Dira 2050 debate turns to long-term funding for housing and infrastructure
A new capital-markets commentary argues that Tanzania’s development ambitions require more than bank lending, with bonds, equity and institutional savings playing a larger role in financing viable projects.
By Africa Property Review ·
Tanzania’s ambition to build a larger and more productive economy under Dira 2050 is renewing attention on the way housing, infrastructure and businesses obtain long-term finance. In a commentary published by Daily News on 13 October 2026, Gerase Kamugisha argued that capital markets need to become a more substantial complement to public budgets, banks and development finance.
The distinction matters for projects whose costs arise well before their revenues. Transport links, power facilities, water systems and income-generating property require financing structures that can accommodate long investment periods. The commentary identifies infrastructure bonds, corporate securities and public-private partnerships as possible channels, while stressing the importance of viable projects and proper risk assessment.
Kamugisha cited Capital Markets and Securities Authority figures putting investments in the industry at TSh72.24 trillion as at 31 March 2026, 44.5 per cent above the corresponding period a year earlier. Those are historical figures referenced in a newly published argument, not an October market valuation or a measurement made by Africa Property Review.
His central caution is that a higher value of investments does not necessarily mean an equivalent amount of fresh funding has reached companies. Increases in securities prices can lift market values without financing new assets. For development ambitions, the relevant question is how effectively issuers can raise new money, alongside whether investors can trade their holdings when needed.
The commentary also highlights Tanzania’s 2025 regulations for corporate and subnational sustainability bonds. It presents the framework as an opportunity for qualifying climate-resilient and other development investments, rather than identifying a newly completed housing bond. Transparent reporting, careful selection of projects and appropriate oversight remain necessary if new instruments are to attract investors responsibly.
For enterprises, the argument extends beyond borrowing. Equity can provide finance without the fixed repayment obligations of a conventional loan, while corporate bonds may suit businesses able to meet investor requirements. Kamugisha calls for stronger governance, audited records and better preparation of companies before they approach public markets, including support through the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange’s enterprise-development programme.
Domestic savings are another part of the proposed financing base. Pension funds, insurers, investment funds and individual savers can contribute, but their participation must remain consistent with investor protection and prudential duties. The report also cites 126,704 new central depository accounts in 2025, while noting that registrations alone do not demonstrate active investment or new funding for issuers.
Source timing: the underlying commentary was published on 13 October 2026 and is also dated explicitly in its AllAfrica republication. Its proposals are attributed arguments, not announcements that particular property or infrastructure projects have secured finance.
Source: Daily News, commentary by Gerase Kamugisha