Short answer: most public street lights in Tanzania are bought by TARURA (urban and district roads), TANROADS (trunk and regional roads), city councils and World Bank–funded city programmes. All tenders run on the NeST e-procurement portal. The 2023 Public Procurement Act reserves smaller contracts for local firms, so manufacturers usually supply a Tanzanian bidder. Regulated imports need a TBS certificate of conformity before shipment.
Street lighting is now a standard item in Tanzanian road contracts, from 86 lights on a single town road to solar lighting packages inside the World Bank–funded TACTIC cities programme.
Key numbers
- The Public Procurement Act No. 10 of 2023 took effect on 17 June 2024 and made the NeST portal mandatory for public procurement.
- When the Act passed, the government said tenders up to about TZS 50 billion would be reserved for Tanzanian firms; local firms also get a margin of preference of up to 10 % under the 2025 regulations.
- Since May 2025, regulated goods arriving without a certificate of conformity face a penalty of 15 % of CIF value, plus inspection before release.
1. Who buys street lights
| Buyer | Typical scope | Example |
|---|---|---|
| TARURA regional and district offices | Supply, installation and commissioning of street lights on urban and district roads | Tanga region: 86 street lights on one road (2025); Mtwara and Masasi town roads |
| TANROADS regional offices | Solar street lights within trunk road maintenance and safety works | Shinyanga: solar street lights with pedestrian crossing lights (2025) |
| City and municipal councils | Solar lighting on city streets and markets | Dar es Salaam City Council solar street light works (2024–2025) |
| TACTIC cities programme (World Bank loan) | Roads, drains, bus terminals and solar street lights in 45 towns | Tier 1 contracts in 12 cities included solar street lights |
| Universities, REA and donor projects | Campus and rural trading-centre lighting | World Bank–financed campus lighting tenders |
Lighting is often a line inside a road works contract rather than a separate supply tender. The contractor who wins the road then buys the lights, so road contractors are buyers in their own right.
2. NeST and local preference
- NeST (National e-Procurement System of Tanzania) replaced TANePS in 2024. Tender documents, clarifications and submissions all go through it, and bidders register there.
- Exclusive preference: contracts below the thresholds in the regulations are reserved for local persons or firms.
- Margins of preference: up to 10 % for local firms or local–foreign associations; a foreign firm that subcontracts a local firm can receive up to 6 %.
- Special groups: procuring entities must reserve 30 % of annual procurement for women, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities, mostly in small contracts.
- Donor-funded projects follow the lender’s procurement rules, which allow international competition on larger packages.
For a manufacturer, the route is to back a registered Tanzanian contractor or supplier with a manufacturer’s authorisation, test reports, an IES file, samples and a warranty letter.
3. Import: TBS PVoC certificate
The Tanzania Bureau of Standards runs a pre-shipment verification of conformity programme. Regulated products are tested and inspected in the exporting country and receive a certificate of conformity from an appointed agency (SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek or TÜV Rheinland), which customs requires for clearance. Luminaires, lamps and solar-powered appliances appear on the regulated list. Tanzanian standards apply first, then East African standards, then IEC or ISO standards. Some project and donated goods can be exempted, but only with a TBS exemption letter in hand before shipping. Confirm the classification of your product’s HS code with the agency early.
4. What to prepare as a supplier
| Document or item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer’s authorisation to the bidder | Required in most tenders to prove the bidder can supply the product |
| Datasheet with actual LED power, panel W, battery Wh and dimming profile | Lets evaluators check the energy balance; see our spec-sheet checks |
| Test reports: IEC 60598, LM-79 with IES file, IP and IK, battery IEC 62133 or 62619, UN38.3 | Evaluation, PVoC certificate and shipping |
| Lighting calculation for the tender road | Shows the offered light meets the required level and uniformity |
| Warranty letter and spare parts list | Councils ask for multi-year warranties; see our warranty guide |
| Samples, if requested | Often inspected before award |
5. Design points for Tanzanian sites
- Two rainy seasons in the north and east (March–May and October–December): size the battery and panel for the worst month, not the annual average.
- Coastal sites such as Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara: specify the pole coating for the corrosivity category; see our galvanizing guide.
- Theft: keep batteries high on the pole or inside the luminaire, with tamper-proof fixings.
FAQ
Where are Tanzanian street light tenders published?
On NeST, the national e-procurement system, and summarised in tender newsletters. Donor-funded packages also appear on the lender’s procurement notices.
Can a foreign manufacturer bid directly?
Not for contracts reserved for local firms. For larger and donor-funded tenders, yes, though a local partner is still needed for installation and maintenance.
Do solar street lights need a certificate of conformity?
Luminaires and solar-powered appliances are regulated products, so plan on one per shipment unless TBS issues an exemption for your project.
What does TARURA stand for?
Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency, which manages district and urban roads under the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government.
How we help
We supply solar street lights, poles and LED heads to contractors and distributors. Send us the tender’s bill of quantities and specification, and we will return the lighting calculation, the energy balance and the documents the tender lists.
Sources: Public Procurement Act No. 10 of 2023 and PPRA announcement of its commencement; Public Procurement Regulations as amended by GN No. 261 of 2025; PPRA Guidelines for Special Groups (2025); TARURA and TANROADS tender notices on NeST (2025); World Bank documents and Daily News reporting on the TACTIC programme (P171189); TBS PVoC information and SGS, Intertek and TÜV Rheinland datasheets (2025). Interpretations are our own. Related: Uganda tenders, Kenya tenders.