A Morogoro based sportswear factory Mazava Fabric & Production East Africa Ltd in Tanzania, has recently been hailed for maximizing production and employing Morogoro residents, particularly women, to work in the factory.
In his tour of the factories that were privatized to foreign investors, the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Charles Mwijage, commended the management of the factory for starting up production of sportswear for exports, which helps in boosting foreign exchange earnings to the country and contribution in easing employment problem.
“This factory has shown the way that the vision of the fifth phase government is developing an industrial economy. It plans to expand investment and employment when it is given more land,” he said.
The Acting Manager for the factory, Nelson Mchukya, said the space occupied by the factory was small which limits expansion and more job creation. He asked the minister to assist the factory to get another piece of land in the Morogoro municipality area for construction of a bigger factory so as to expand production capacity and employment opportunities.
Mchukya said the factory has planned to expand investment in sportswear production and increase employment opportunities to 4,500. According to the Acting Manager, the factory produces a wide range of quality sportswear for exports with the US being a leading market.
The minister later directed the Director General of Exports Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) to meet with the management of the sportswear factory to see how they can get an area at Kihonda for construction of their factory.
Mazava Fabric & Production East Africa Ltd under Winds Enterprises (Hangzou Ltd) has reached production capacity of 1,000,000 jerseys per month, which are mainly for exports, since it started production in 2010.
The factory is stimulating the economy of the region and contributes to poverty alleviation efforts with about 2,400 job opportunities it has generated to residents of Morogoro, majority being women.