DR JOSAPHAT KWEKA
Dr Josaphat Kweka is an Independent Consultant and founder of Talanta International Ltd, an Advisory and Research firm based in Tanzania, East Africa. He is also a Senior Research Associate with Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) and REPOA. With over 23 years of professional experience, he has extensive knowledge of the Tanzania and East African economies, and strong competency in undertaking development policy research, reviews and evaluation.
Dr Kweka has worked on a wide range of policy and development issues, including: Tourism, Industrial Development, Private sector Development, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Special Economic Zones, Trade and Regional integration. Currently he is working on research program to assess the scope for green industrialization in Tanzania; and a diagnostic study on the competitiveness of Tanzanian Manufacturing sector. He has conducted a range of Advisory work for various clients including: Government of Tanzania; Donor Agencies; several International Development Organizations (e.g. the World Bank); and Consulting Companies (e.g.Nathan Associates, Solimar International); Local and International Think Tanks cum Research organizations such as UONGOZI Institute; ESRF, Overseas Development Institute (ODI); REPOA; International Food Policy Research Institute (FPRI); and the International Growth Centre IGC).
Dr Kweka is a well known tourism economist. Recently, he was part of the Ministry of Tourism’s team involved in preparing the Revised National Tourism Policy; and in 2018 worked with TTB team to prepare the Marketing strategy for Domestic Tourism. While in the World Bank, Dr Kweka led the World Bank policy dialogue on Tourism through a policy note: Tourism – The Undertapped Potential to Bolster Job Creation and Poverty Reduction in Tanzania. More generally, Dr Kweka has published widely on trade, SME, tourism and Regional integration. His most recent publication include: Xinshen Diao, Josaphat Kweka, Margaret McMillan (2018) “Small firms, structural change and labor productivity growth in Africa: Evidence from Tanzania” World Development: 105 (2018) 400–415, Elsevier.
He has a PhD in Economics from the University of Nottingham (UK), and MA and BA degrees in Economics from the University of Dar-es-Salaam. He previously worked as: Tanzania Country Director for TradeMark East Africa; Senior Economist in the World Bank (Tanzania and later in Washington, DC); and Senior Research Fellow with Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF)
