Legibility of Small-Scale Industrial Sector in Promoting Social-Economic Development of Informal Settlements: Case of Mlalakuwa in Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam

Abstract

Small-scale industries constitute essential elements in accelerating the flourishing of the economy in towns. Cities in global south countries are witnessing an expansion to an unprecedented scale. The growth of cities is accompanied by the emerging of small-scale industrial activities like handcraft industry, car repair workshops, sewing, furniture making, which act as economic pivots for urban proliferation. They represent an important factor for the provision of employment to a large number of people living in urban centres. The investigation was done through a case study of small-scale industrial activities running at informal settlements to provide a better understanding of the roles of small-scale industries that promote community quality of lives at Mlalakuwa informal settlements. This paper aims at providing an under standing of the diversity of small-scale industrial sectors as a potential tool for the development of collective spaces usage at Mlalakuwa informal settlement. Small-scale industrial activities are well known in informal areas in the city of Dar es Salaam because they provide opportunities for boosting local social-economic activities and improving the community ’s livelihoods. The results show that more than 50% of the residents engaged with small-scale industries to sustain their daily lives. Whereby 70% of the settlement growth development at Mlalakuwa is the result of small-scale industrial activities. There has been a good opportunity for the authorities to have an integrated revenue collection between formal and informal economic sources if SSI activities will be positively considered one of the economic hubs for the betterment of the city’s development.