Tanzania

Tanzania attempted the most ambitious socialist experiment in post-colonial Africa—and its failure was as instructive as its successes were genuine. Julius Nyerere built national unity and universal literacy while destroying agricultural productivity and industrial efficiency.

Tanganyika gained independence from Britain in December 1961, merging with Zanzibar in 1964 to form Tanzania. Unlike neighbors carved by colonial boundaries that split ethnic groups, Tanzania held over 120 ethnic groups, none dominant enough to capture the state. Nyerere, a former teacher educated at Edinburgh, saw this as opportunity: socialism could forge national identity where tribalism might otherwise fracture it.

The Arusha Declaration of January 29, 1967, committed Tanzania to socialism and self-reliance. The state nationalized banks, insurance companies, and major industries. The Ujamaa policy aimed to collectivize agriculture into planned villages where peasants would farm communally, share resources, and access schools and clinics. Swahili became the national language, unifying communication across ethnic boundaries.

The social achievements were real. Infant mortality dropped from 138 per 1,000 live births in 1965 to 110 by 1985. Life expectancy rose from 37 years in 1960 to 52 by 1984. Primary school enrollment jumped from 25% to 72%. Adult literacy rose from 17% in 1960 to 63% by 1975. Swahili succeeded as a national language where Kenya's English-Swahili divide created class stratification.

The economic failure was equally real. Villagization often meant forced relocation—peasants resisted being moved from ancestral land to planned settlements designed by urban bureaucrats. Collective farming produced less than individual smallholdings. Parastatal corporations became sources of corruption rather than engines of efficiency. Self-reliance never materialized; foreign aid dependency grew. By the late 1970s, the economy was in shambles.

Nyerere voluntarily stepped down in 1985—rare for an African leader—and his successor Ali Hassan Mwinyi reversed course toward market liberalization. Structural adjustment programs followed. Foreign investment returned, particularly in tourism (Serengeti, Kilimanjaro) and gold mining, which now contributes about 2.7% of GDP and substantial foreign exchange.

Today, Tanzania maintains Nyerere's linguistic and national unity while pursuing thoroughly capitalist development. GDP growth has averaged over 6% annually in recent years. Gold exports, tourism receipts, and manufacturing expansion drive the economy. Population growth creates challenges: 60 million people in 2025 will exceed 100 million by mid-century.

By 2026, Tanzania must determine whether rapid growth can generate employment for its young population while maintaining the social cohesion that Ujamaa, despite its economic failures, successfully created. The mining sector faces new taxation demands; tourist infrastructure requires expansion; manufacturing remains underdeveloped. Nyerere's vision of African socialism failed, but his success in building a unified nation persists.