A tree is known by the value of its fruits, but formerly, the then semi-arid and economically disadvantaged region of Dodoma had little to brag about, having instead been widely perceived as a hub of beggars, a reputation perpetuated by the local brand of “Matonya.”
The mere slender reputation that this region, which is home to the native “Wagogo” tribe, had was its political and historical significance, largely favoured by its geographical location at the heart of Tanzania.
But time is making a difference.
In the Christian Holy Bible, John 1:46 says: “And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”
Similarly, today a number of good things in Tanzania are coming out of Dodoma.
An impetus and patriotic move by the former President of Tanzania, the late John Pombe Magufuli, to fulfil the long-standing zeal of the Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, to shift the Government’s administrative headquarters from Dar es Salaam, the country’s business capital, to Dodoma, laid a successful foundation for the total socioeconomic transformation of the region.
From there, good things began to happen. But amid the numerous economic potentials that remained untapped in the Dodoma Region was the grape sector.
According to agricultural research, Dodoma’s semi-arid tropical climate allows vines to grow without a standard winter resting period, enabling farmers to harvest grapes twice a year, mainly around February and September. This gives the region a distinctive advantage in grape production.
Moreover, scientific findings have established that grapes grown in Dodoma are highly suitable for wine-making, particularly because of their taste and aroma, giving Tanzania an important comparative advantage in the wine industry.
But for years, grape cultivation remained at a low ebb, and the sector attracted only a few small-scale farmers, aside from a few larger vineyards that were introduced during the colonial era.
Historically, grapes were first introduced in the region by Catholic missionaries in 1938, whereby their cultivation remained small for decades before scaling up to nearby villages around 1963.
Basing on the crop’s worth towards the country’s economy, the Government, through the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), decided to establish a special centre for undertaking thorough research on grapes, including the development of high-yielding varieties for both wine and table grapes, at the TARI-Makutupora Centre.
With this centre, a number of achievements have been attained to promote grape production in central Tanzania.
IMPROVEMENTS IN CULTIVATION OF GRAPE VINES
Worldwide, there are more than 360 types of wine grapes cultivated, but unfortunately, due to some limitations, only a few wine grape varieties have been cultivated in the Dodoma Region.
The common varieties grown include Makutupora Reds, Black Rose, Alphonse Lavalle, Malagha Crevein, Muscat Hamburg, Halily Belly, Chenin Blanc, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
To bridge the gap, the Morogoro-based Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), in partnership with experts from the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), implemented a special strategy to encourage serious investment in the cultivation of grapes in the country.
The initiatives included the establishment of vast vineyard projects, as well as opening special training programmes to equip extension officers with wine-grape agronomic knowledge.
In this ambitious intervention, the focus was to support the establishment of larger plantations of wine-grape varieties in all areas with a favourable climate for grape growing.
AGRICULTURAL INPUT SUPPORT, ON-FARM TRAINING AND MICRO-VINIFICATION PROJECT
Aliko Vintage Co. Ltd is one of the names behind Tanzania’s growing wine sector. Having carved its own successful niche from humble beginnings, the famous Dodoma-based wine-making factory has beaten the odds, producing wine brands that are increasingly competing in international markets against those from South Italy, France, Germany, Britain, America, China and other established wine-producing countries.
As part of giving back to grape farmers and improving the performance of wine production in the country, the owner of the factory, Mr Archard Kato, has introduced an On-Farm Training and Micro-Vinification Project to empower grape farmers in the Dodoma Region.
“The reason behind the establishment of the programme was not only recognition of the importance of the linkage between grape farmers and wine producers, but the core focus was to elevate grape production in the central zone corridor,” Mr Kato said.
He added that the timely programme comprises three different packages: Agricultural Input Support, On-Farm Training and Micro-Vinification.
“The move aims at assisting smallholder grape farmers with the capacity, knowledge and skills to make wine on their own vineyards, a move which now enables them to fetch more profits. The development also plays a vital role in reducing production costs among wine factories. Instead of purchasing fresh grapes, most factories now purchase wine juice,” he told Zanzibar News.
PLANS TO MAXIMISE CULTIVATION
Impeccable statistics depict that there are over 1,996 farmers cultivating table and wine grapes in 25 villages of Chamwino, Bahi and Dodoma Municipality, with annual production capacity exceeding 20,052 tonnes.
In boosting the sector, the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, is implementing a programme to identify and set aside chunks of land to support investment in large vineyards by both local and foreign investors in grape-growing areas across the country.
The initiative focuses on collecting reliable and current data on the actual number of farmers and plantations in the country, together with their respective production capacities.
The timely strategy will also ensure effective cultivation of more types of wine-grape varieties, enabling indigenous wine producers to bottle and introduce more types of wines into the global market.
OPENING OF CHINANGALI II VINEYARD
At Chinangali II Village in Chamwino District, a major vineyard was initiated and is currently being used as a training vineyard under the Building Better Tomorrow (BBT) Programme.
The 600-acre grape block farm, worth over 3 billion/- has received significant financial assistance from the Government and financial institutions for the installation of modern irrigation schemes and other vital facilities, including a major water pond with a capacity to store a total of 21 million litres.
TARI has been distributing improved seedlings to farmers cultivating the plantation under the Chabuma Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS), enabling production to stand between 2 and 2.5 tonnes per hectare.
BBT SUPPORT TO GRAPE PRODUCTION
The Government’s Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA) programme supports grape farming in Dodoma by empowering young farmers with training, access to land and direct market connections.
Through the robust programme, participating youth receive hands-on education in modern viticulture, crop management and direct-to-consumer sales at training centres such as the Bihawana Youth Training Centre in Dodoma.
The initiative also helps young farmers bypass exploitative middlemen, enabling them to sell their harvests directly and profitably.
DEVELOPMENT IN WINE PRODUCTION SECTOR
The history of wine production in Dodoma can be traced as far back as the 1930s, when missionaries introduced the crop in the semi-arid region.
Tanzania is among the continent’s leading grape-growing and wine-producing countries, with Dodoma emerging as the country’s major grape and wine hub. Locally produced wines are increasingly competing in international markets against famous brands from Italy, France, Germany, Britain, America, China, South Africa and other wine-producing countries.
As the country’s grape and wine hub, Dodoma Region now has at least three major wine factories—Aliko Vintage Co. Ltd, Central Tanganyika Wine Company (CETAWICO) and Dane Holding Company (DHC)—alongside five other small-scale plants scattered across different locations and owned by farmers’ associations.
DODOMA INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL
The introduction of the Dodoma International Wine Festival marked a significant journey towards using the grape and wine sector to promote tourism activities in the central zone.
The festival has become a crowd-puller, attracting wine enthusiasts from different parts of the world to come and taste the sweet flavours and aromas of some of the best wines produced in Dodoma.
This emerging tourism product is projected to play a vital role in boosting the economy of the central zone, while stimulating the performance of grape farmers and wine processors.
The prestigious event also involves vineyard tours, local food pairings such as Nyama Choma, and exhibitions by grape farmers and regional winemakers.
“The establishment of the Dodoma International Wine Festival is to put locally made wine products onto the world’s red-carpet agenda,” said Dodoma Regional Commissioner Rosemary Senyamule.
The next Dodoma International Wine Festival is scheduled for September 23 to 27, 2026, at the Nane Nane Grounds in Dodoma.
Although Tanzania still has a limited number of wine factories, the country is making crucial strides in bottling numerous wines that continue to conquer the world market, largely due to their uniqueness in taste and aroma.
Among the top wine varieties produced locally are Dompo, Image, For You, Saint Marry, Presidential Wine, Overmeer, Altar, Sharye and Dane NK Super Wine.
For Dodoma, therefore, the story of grapes is no longer simply about agriculture. It is increasingly becoming a story of transformation—where vineyards, wine, food, culture and tourism are coming together to redefine the economic identity of a region once known more for its hardships than its opportunities.
From the climbing vines spreading across its semi-arid landscape to the growing number of wine enthusiasts travelling to taste locally produced wines, Dodoma is steadily turning its grapes into a new tourism product—and another example of how good things can indeed come out of the region.