CRCC Develops Local Expertise in Tanzania

Business Wire

3 days ago

BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tanzania's JP Magufuli Bridge opened to traffic on June 19, marking more than just a transportation milestone. Africa's longest low-tower cable-stayed bridge spanning Lake Victoria also represents five years of successful local capacity building and skills development.
Built by China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC), the project implemented hands-on training programs during complex construction phases like cable installation and cantilever casting. This 'learn-by-doing' approach helped transform local workers from general laborers into skilled technicians and specialists. The project generated over 3,000 local jobs and trained more than 1,500 technical workers across structural construction, electrical systems, safety management, and materials handling.
'I used to do odd jobs around town,' says Joshua, a local employee now responsible for project-wide safety management who conducts weekly training sessions for new staff. 'The Chinese engineers taught me more than just procedures—they taught me responsibility and leadership.'
Electrician Saidi's journey illustrates this transformation. Starting with basic light bulb repairs, he now manages the entire bridge's electrical systems independently. 'We sometimes communicate through gestures, sometimes in broken English and Chinese, but technical knowledge transcends language barriers,' he explains. 'This project showed me that any problem can be solved with dedication to learning.'
Warehouse manager Michael credits Chinese mentors with teaching him systematic management principles of planning, controlling, and monitoring. 'Now I don't just manage inventory—I lead teams,' he says.
Project leaders emphasize that these locally trained technicians participated in world-class infrastructure development and will contribute to future projects. CRCC's commitment to knowledge transfer strengthens China-Africa infrastructure cooperation while building sustainable capacity for Africa's continued development.