Songwe Region Tanzania – Districts, Demographics, Economy & More

Songwe is a Tanzanian region formed from the westernmost half of the Mbeya Region on January the 29th, 2016. Vwawa serves as the region’s capital.

Songwe Region Geography

To the south, the Songwe Province borders Malawi and Zambia, with Tunduma serving as the primary point of entry into Zambia and Isongole serving as the vital point of entry into Malawi. Songwe is also bordered to the west by Katavi and Rukwa, on the northern front by Tabora, and on the eastern front by Mbeya. Lake Rukwa is a significant stretch of water in the region’s western part. The area is intersected by the Eastern African Rift Valley as well as the Southern Highlands.

Additionally, within the same border between Malawi and the region of Songwe in Tanzania, there is an existence of the popular Songwe river.

Administration of Songwe Tanzania

Omary Tebweta Mgumba, the administrator of Songwe District, was appointed on May the 15th, 2021.

Songwe Districts

The city of Tunduma and the regions of Mbozi, Ileje, Songwe and Momba, make up the Songwe Region. Tunduma is partitioned into fifteen wards and 71 streets [mitaa], while the 4 districts are partitioned into eleven divisions, 79 wards, 307 rural areas, and 1493 hamlets.

Songwe Regional Demographics

In the census of 2012, the local gov’t areas that presently make up the Songwe Region recorded a total population of 998,862, with 46 per cent of the people under the age of 15. In the census of 2002 in Tanzanian, the same territories had a population of 723,480, indicating a 3.2 per cent yearly rate of population growth between 2002 to 2012. In 2017, the region’s population was estimated to be 1,173,667 people. In 2012, 211,537 individuals lived in the cities, accounting for 21.2 % of the district’s population, a 250.4 per cent increase over the 60,377 people who lived in the urban city in 2002. The Nyiha, Manda, Bungu, Ndali, Lambya, and Nyamwanga are among the region’s main ethnic groups. Nyiha is the predominant indigenous racial group in Mbozi district, Manda and Bungu in Songwe, Lambya and Ndali in Ileje. At the same time, Nyamwanga is the indigenous ethnic group in the Momba district. The Nyihas are the region’s most populous ethnic group, with a total expected population of about 450,000 by 2017.

Economy of Songwe Region

Agriculture, fishing and animal husbandry are the primary economic activities in the region of Songwe. Paddy rice, sesame, beans, maize, sunflowers, coffee, and sorghum are among the crops cultivated. Wandali, Wabungu, and Wanyiha, are among the locals, as are Walambya and Wandamwanga.

Pastoralism is practiced by the Sukuma and Maasai people in the region. In 2016, the region’s gross domestic output was predicted to be 1888.3 bn Tanzanian shillings.

Transport in Songwe Region

In the southern portion of the Songwe Region, both the TAZARA Railway and the Tanzam Highway pass between Tunduma and Vwawa. The Tanzania-Zambia Highway is known as Tanzam, and the Tanzania & Zambia Railway Authority is known as TAZARA. TAZARA was built in 1975 with the support of the Chinese government to facilitate the transit of people and heavy products between the two nations.

The distance from Dar es salaam to Songwe border is about is about 753 kilometers, but the actual distance by road is 823.5 kilometers.

Songwe Airport

The Songwe international airport which is formally referred in flight tickets as Mbeya Songwe airport, is an airport that is situated in the Mbeya region, southern highlands.

Songwe Region Map

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