It comprises 67,000 km2 (7.1% of the Tanzania mainland), with over 25,000km2 being in the Selou Game Reserve.
Administratively, Lindi Region is divided into five districts namely Lindi, Kilwa, Nachingwea, Ruangwa and Liwale. The region is also divided into six Councils namely Lindi, Kilwa, Liwale, Nachingwea, Ruangwa and Lindi municipal. There are 28 divisions, 142 wards, 541 Villages, 2385 hamlets and 80 streets. The 2012 Population and Household Census identified Lindi region as having 864,652 peoples living in 190,761 households (average 3.6 persons per household)
The region is tropical with a hot and humid rainy season from November to May, with heavy rains during March and April. Mean annual rainfall is between 770-1200mm. Temperatures range from a monthly mean of 27.7 0C in Kilwa in March to 22.2 0C in Nachingwea in July. Relative humidity in Lindi town between March and April reaches 87%
The regional comprises a mixed terrain, predominantly natural vegetation. Approximately 8,000km2 is forested and the coast include number of mangrove reserves. The coastal zone is less fertile but inland areas have more fertile sandy and clay soil.
Agriculture is the main economic activity to most of the people. Cassava, millet, maize and paddy are main food crops while coconuts, cashew nuts and sesame are the dominant cash crops. Coconut and cashew nut are perennial; the rest are annual crops. Lumbering is practiced in North and Western part of the region where Woodland forests are found, woodworking activity is practiced in all five districts. In Lindi district natural gas has been discovered and in Kilwa natural gas is extracted at Songosongo. Some valuable stones are mined in Nachingwea and Ruangwa districts by small scale miners. Fishing industry is yet to be developed, local and inferior canoes are still used. However, in Kilwa district, fishing is intensively undertaken. Micro and small enterprises play a potential role in the region.
These activities stimulate the growth of the economy and contribute to the growth of employment for the majority in the region. The main SME sectors include: woodworking, trade, fishing, agro processors, livestock, beekeeping, mining, metal works and other small scale industries.
STRENGTH OF THE AREA
• Area have ample resources such as land, forest, ocean, river and gas
• Area are connected by other region such as Coast, Dar es Salaam and Mtwara by tarmac road (Dar es Salaam –Lindi-Mtwara highway) that facilitate easy transport of people and product inside and outside the area.
• Presence of Electricity in the area.
• Availability of industrial areas and present of industrial shed at SIDO.
• Availability of financial institution in the area such as NMB, CRDB, NBC and postal Bank which facilitate easy financial services.
• The area are very peaceful in term of security
• Availability of tourist attraction such as Bat Island, Historical site at Kilwa kivinje and kisiwani, white sand beaches and ocean for sport fishing, snorkeling and diving.
• Regional and local government supports.
• Presence of organization that support investors such as SIDO,TCCIA and other stakeholders
• Presence of Technology development center (TDC) which produce different agro processing machine such as cassava processing machine, cashew nut processing machine and other technological services in the area.
• Availability of valuable stones such as graphite, gold and gypsum at Ruangwa, Nachingwea and Kilwa
OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN THE AREA
There is a lot of opportunity remain untapped in many sectors in the area and other are not fully utilized as follows;
Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the opportunity available in the area, there is the potential arable land for cultivation about 5,000,000 Ha, where 10,379Ha are potential for irrigation. That land can be used to grow crops such as cassava, paddy, sorghum, maize, yams, and cashew nut, coconut, sunflower, sesame, sisal and horticulture products. Potential market for those agricultural products are so high within and outside the regional.
Fishing
Fishing dominates the human activity of the people living along the shore of Indian Ocean. At present fishing are not well developed in the area due to lack of modern equipment. There is a great opportunity for modern deep sea fishing along the coast of Lindi regional. Also there is another opportunity for investment in fish farming along the shore of Indian Ocean.
Gas
Currently gas is found in southern region, Lindi is one of the areas in southern part of Tanzania where gas are found but not yet to be extracted. There is a plan to extract gas done by LNG companies in the area this will not hinder to give chance other local and international companies to explore the opportunity. The extraction of gas will lead great development and will open the room for other opportunities in the area.
Agro processing industry
Investment in agro processing is another opportunity available in the area, Investment in agro processing industries such as;
• Cashew nut kernel processing, cashew nut apple for juice, wine, and jam production, and cashew nut shell liquid. There is the great investment potentiality in such area since such kind of industry are not well developed in the area, demand for processed cashew nut kernel is big within and outside the area. Also there is a great opportunity to get machine and working premises (industrial shed) at SIDO.
• Cassava processing industry, cassava is one of the main product in the area, so there is a great opportunity to invest in cassava flour processing and starch processing but the market of such product are not big in the area but available outside the area. Cassava processing machine and industrial working premise are available at SIDO at subsidized rate.
• Coconut oil extraction and other by product, this is another opportunity available in the area for potential investors to come and invest, since raw material are available in the area.
• Sesame and sunflower processing it also an opportunity which are available in the area due to present of raw materials
Poultry production
Currently, chicken rearing become very potential opportunity in the area due to growth of demand for chicken product such as eggs and meat by the citizens, hotel and restaurant in Lindi urban and Mtwara urban. So poultry production are still the opportunity due to presence market, land and environment potentiality in the area also the investment of poultry rearing and production open up the opportunity for poultry feed supplies and poultry processing and freezing.
Tourism & hotel
The presence of tourist attraction in the area such as Bat Island, Historical site at Kilwa kivinje and Kisiwani, and white sand beach along the shore of Indian Ocean make the area beautiful for tourism development and construction of hotel along the coast for tourist and establishment of tourism companies in the area.
Other processing and manufacturing industries
• Salt extraction and processing
Salt extraction is taking place in the area along the shore of Indian Ocean. There is potential area for salt extraction in the area for the local and international investors to come and invest, that opportunity give chance for salt processing industry to take place due to the presence of raw materials (unprocessed salt) and working premises are also available in the area at SIDO.
• Brick making industry
Construction activities in the area are currently increased, that open up opportunity for establishment of brick making industry to meet the available demand.
Real estate
There is smaller number of houses for rent in the area compared to its demand and many available houses area not meet the standard needed by many tenants since currently self-contained house are highly preferred, that give opportunity for private company or person to invest on such kind of opportunity.
Forestry and Mining opportunities
There is a lot of potentiality for
• Graphite at Ruangwa
• Gypsum at Kilwa
• Hard wood timber
• Sustainable forests
• Sawmills
• Paper mills
• Furniture manufacture
• Gypsum board.
