Paper short abstract:

I investigate deindustrialisation in Tanzania by exploring the lasting impacts on Dar es Salaam city following the decline of manufacturing in the 1980s and examining how the recent industrial growth differs from the economic base that had been established by the 1980s, which declined after 1985.

Paper long abstract:

Research on deindustrialisation in Tanzania suffers from two shortcomings. First, it mainly investigates the causes of deindustrialisation meanwhile neglecting its impacts within host cities. Second, Tanzanian industry has grown in recent years, and many scholars take for granted that this industrial growth offsets the impact of post-1986 deindustrialization. This paper seeks to rectify this gap in research by focusing on the lingering impacts of deindustrialisation in Dar es Salaam (a commercial city of Tanzania), which persist in spite of a recent industrial resurgence. I begin by narrating the decline of Tanzanian industry in the 1980s, its evolution in 1990s and re-growth in the 2000s. In this regard, the study undertakes a detailed investigation of two overarching questions: (1) what are the lasting impacts on Dar es Salaam city following the decline of manufacturing in the 1980s? (2) How does recent industrial growth differ from the rather extensive economic base that had been established by the 1980s, which declined after 1985? Research findings demonstrate that the real impacts of deindustrialisation are particularly not felt at the national level but continue to play out at the local scale. Most notably, they are evident in the communities within which retrenched labourers struggle to meet the needs of their daily lives. Furthermore, I explore the physical investments in economic activities that are actually put in place, restructured or closed down. I conclude with a series of policy recommendations that should be taken as lessons by all stakeholders as the nation strives to reindustrialise.