Josephine Christopher is a senior business journalist for The Citizen and Mwananchi newspapers
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The theme for the event, which will run from December 1 to 5, is Positioning Startups for Vision 2050: Unleashing Innovation, Inclusion, and Economic Transformation in Africa.
Dar es Salaam. Organisers of Tanzania Startup Week have released the official programme for the 2025 edition, describing it as a launchpad for turning the country’s Vision 2050 ambitions into practical investment, skills development, and policy action.
The theme for the event, which will run from December 1 to 5, is Positioning Startups for Vision 2050: Unleashing Innovation, Inclusion, and Economic Transformation in Africa.
The government has reiterated that innovation and digital transformation will guide Tanzania’s long-term development path, and the week aims to shift discussions from broad policy ideas to concrete steps that can drive economic growth.
The organising team says the 2025 edition seeks to align entrepreneurs, investors, regulators, and academia with the central goals of Dira 2050. The blueprint outlines a competitive, inclusive, and innovation-driven economy.
The five-day programme will bring together startups from across the country, government leaders, corporate executives, development partners, and venture capital firms.
Organisers note that the event has evolved into a national platform for deal-making, talent development, and ecosystem building, further strengthening its strategic importance.
The programme opens with plenary discussions on implementing the Tanzania Startup Policy launched this year. The policy aims to remove barriers that have slowed early-stage ventures.
Panellists will discuss regulatory reforms, incentives for high-growth startups, and the importance of digital public infrastructure in supporting innovation across sectors.
Financing will dominate the second day. Panels will explore venture capital, blended finance, and alternative funding models that could ease the chronic capital gaps facing startups from the pre-seed stage to growth phases.
The goal is to strengthen investor confidence and boost deal flow as Tanzania works toward a projected $1 trillion digital economy by 2050, an aspiration that has drawn growing regional attention.
Human capital is another major focus. Discussions will assess how universities and industry can collaborate to close the skills gap. Organisers say young Tanzanians—whom they describe as the “missing middle”—must be equipped to play a more active role in an innovation-led economy.
“Startup Week 2025 is a mobilisation toward the future of Tanzania’s economy,” the organisers said in a statement yesterday.
