The aspiration of becoming a middle-income economy can be a particularly challenging one.

In Tanzania, we are fortunate that over the last decade we have enjoyed a stable and high annual GDP growth rate of approximately eight per cent. Alongside this strong growth, Tanzania has ensured its employment rate remains strong, with unemployment sitting at just at 1.9 percent.

The country’s economic success and buoyant labour market has in part been driven by the private sector companies within critical sectors, including IT, construction and telecoms. Collectively, these industries have served to provide employment opportunities to countless citizens.

Part of the reason these sectors have been so successful at providing employment opportunities in the country is down to the fact that the sectors’ needs expand across a number of areas.

To illustrate this, consider Tanzania’s telecom sector. The employment opportunities offered within this sector go far beyond what someone might initially think. Of course, the industry requires mobile money merchants, sales agents, distributors and customer service representatives.

On top of this, however, the sector requires a whole range of experts, including service technicians and data analysts.

Beyond the immediate staff we each interact with to get our SMS and data bundles is a vibrant ecosystem of jobs, all employed in some manner by the telecoms sector.

Taking one household name as an example – Tigo Tanzania. Tigo is a significant employer in the country. The company employees 115,000 people either directly or indirectly.

Tigo has been essential with the creation of thousands of new jobs, ranging across the telecoms spectrum.

Tigo is a brilliant example of a company that is providing economic opportunities and supporting growth throughout the country.

We should continue to support companies like these in their efforts to drive forward Tanzania’s economy.