Paper short abstract:

This paper shows how South-South investment in infrastructure linking regions with global production/trade networks can profoundly transform territory. I focus on a Chinese and Omani funded port project in Bagamoyo, Tanzania.

Paper long abstract:

Scholars have focused on investment from North to South in the context of the 'new international division of labour,' but capital for infrastructure projects in Southern cities and regions increasingly originates from elsewhere in the global South. This paper shows how South-South investment in infrastructure linking regions with global production/trade networks can profoundly transform territory. I focus on a Chinese and Omani funded port project in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. This project will (re)orient the region into East Asia-centric production networks, and it includes the comprehensive development of residential, port and production facilities. I argue that this represents an emergent development strategy because unlike many SEZs which are constructed as a means of attracting investment, the initial capital for infrastructure development is provided by foreign investors. Rather than invest in infrastructure that may make the region an appealing to foreign investors, Tanzanian policy makers are leveraging Chinese investment for the construction of infrastructure and the region's role in the global economy is clearly defined. I refer to this as genomic development because it is premised on securing foreign investment that integrates cities/regions into the DNA of global production networks. I outline this strategy and then I explore how the rapid integration of Bagamoyo into the global economy has impacted life for urban residents.