Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a 48-country region with 1.2 billion people has a gross tertiary education enrollment ratio of just 9.4%. The global average: 40%.
To put it another way, young Western European and North American students are 10 times more likely than their SSA peers to get a shot at a degree. Another example of where you are born truly matters.
Many capable degree-seeking SSA students look beyond their home countries for education opportunities. The good news here is you are likely in a position to help them find and actualize their dreams. Let’s look into the numbers.
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As it stands, a full 70% of the SSA population is under age 30. And, by 2050, the number of university-age individuals in the region is expected to double. Yet, there is little chance its higher ed system will meet the demand. The most recent count shows 88 rated higher ed institutions in SSA, that’s per the Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings last year. That’s a tight (read: unrealistic) enrollment squeeze for these universities by any measure.
Are you taking note? If you aren’t, France sure is. They are the top receiving country for this significant cohort. A Campus France report shows that 92,000 (27%) of the 430,000 SSA international students in 2021/22 studied in Europe, with France their top choice, followed by Germany, then Portugal. That same year, 42,518 traveled from SSA to study in the US, a number that rose to 50,199 in 2022/23. That's 18% growth from just 2021 to 2022.
These student decisions make sense as SSA is home to 23 Francophone countries, and more than 60% of people who speak French daily live in Africa. In fact, 80% of children studying French are in Africa. For some prospects, this makes France an appealing choice for international education. Others are less interested in studying in the country that once colonized them, as one U.S.-bound student noted at the 2023 AIEA conference.
Our suggestion: Get to know this region. The growing youth population of sub-Saharan Africa offers a clear contrast to America’s enrollment cliff. Of course, not every student source country will be right for your institution – and none will match the application potential from India, even China – but as you expand your market reach, you may find parts of SSA make a whole lot of sense for the programs you offer and the internationalized campus you are building.
Key questions your enrollment team should ask before entering any new market. Obvious, but helpful to clarify and state them as you think about each country:
- Is there a growing youth population?
- Is there a growing middle-class/GDP growth?
- Can a set of families afford travel costs and your program tuition?
- Do your programs line up with the job opportunities in that market?
- Can you provide a welcoming community and academic support for these students on campus?
If you ever need help exploring new market opportunities, we are just a click away: info@intead.com.
We've written about and analyzed African source countries before. Today, let's dive into Tanzania, an SSA country that currently meets 3 key market entry requirements.
- Rising youth population: Nearly 20% of Tanzanians (68.6 million total pop.) are aged 15 to 24, with the median age 17.
- Rising incomes: In 2020, Tanzania moved from low-income to lower-middle-income status and today gets a B+ per credit rating agency Fitch.
- Employment opportunities for returning graduates: Tanzania’s unemployment rate is forecast at 2.38% this year, with growth in agriculture, mining, tourism, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
Your institution's rank is far less important here and, as we noted, your competitor institutions are likely not present in this market.
Take a closer look with us at how you might position your institution to attract Tanzanian students. Read on for 5 key recruitment insights on this market. Go even further using our Resource Center offering 15 targeted articles and reports on specific approaches to recruiting students from Africa. Pro Tip: use the search bar and type in "Africa" to find, for example, this post on African Tech Hubs.
Tanzania, the fifth most populous country in Africa behind Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Congo, has passed key milestones in recent years that could make it a more attractive market for international student recruitment. And, importantly, while Swahili is the main language spoken in Tanzania, English is the country’s commercial language. So, language is less of a barrier than you may think.
Let’s get to our 5 key consumer insights.
#1. Tanzania is improving access to education, though quality lags.
Poor enrollment has plagued SSA as a region for years with over one-fifth of children between ages 6 – 11 out of school as are one-third of youth 12 – 14, according to UNESCO. Worse yet, UNESCO estimates about 60% of SSA youth 15 – 17 do not attend school.
That said, Tanzania has significantly improved school enrollment in recent years, especially among girls. An important effort reflected by Samia Hassan, the country’s first (and current) female president. According to UNICEF, between fiscal years 2019/20 and 2021/22, the share of the government’s Mainland budget allocated to education grew 17%, though this was not the case for Zanzibar (a self-governing state of Tanzania). Even still, most students get just 5.5 years of education on average. This means about 3.2 million children ages 7 to 18 are out of school, of whom 1.2 million never attended. Further, the net secondary enrollment rate is only 27%.
While enrollment is making some gains, education quality leaves a lot to be desired, due in part to teacher retention issues and high student-teacher ratios.
Literacy rates are another good indicator of a country’s commitment to education. As of 2020/21, the country’s literacy rate was around 76%, up from 70% in 2014/15. Unsurprisingly, Dar es Salaam – the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania – has the country’s highest literacy rate (93.9%).
What this means for you: as incomes and government programs grow, so too will student aptitude and ability to afford an international education. Your best bet is to focus on urban centers like Dar es Salaam. The heightened focus on girls is also really good news. The clear challenge is ensuring you are targeting your recruitment efforts accurately to be in front of those students with enough education under their belts that they will thrive at your institution.
#2 Tanzania already exports a steady stream of students each year.
When we wrote about Tanzania in this post from 2022, Open Doors data showed 699 Tanzanian students were studying in the US the previous academic year. That number rose to 749 in 2021/22 and 904 in 2022/23. Small total numbers to be sure, but steady and significant upward trend here. Added perspective on their interests: 49.2% were pursuing undergraduate degrees, 33.6% graduate degrees, 14.9% OPT, and 2.2% were non-degree seekers. Top receiving states: Texas, Massachusetts, New York, Minnesota, Florida.
From a global viewpoint, the most recent UIS data shows 7,386 Tanzanian students in total studied abroad in 2021 – a relatively steady number across years.
What this means for you: There is a growing stream of students in Tanzania already seeking an international education. Identifying your programs that match these students’ interests and establishing in-country relationships in this emerging market will pay off in the long run. That is what developing emerging markets is all about. To state the obvious: small numbers overall and extremely low competition for students. Not many U.S. institutions make the effort here.
#3 An improved economy improves higher education options for families.
As mentioned, Tanzania is now a lower-middle-income country, an achievement reflective of its sustained macroeconomic stability. The country has high GDP growth (projected to be 6.1% in 2024 per IMF), low inflation rate (3%), and moderate debt. All good news. At a family level, however, the gross national income (GNI) per capita is, as of 2022, US$1,200.
What this means for you: Though GNI does not reflect a person’s accumulated wealth, it does represent average annual income. And US$1,200 per year won’t pay tuition. Some students are able to afford studying abroad, as the outbound stats prove. Manage your expectations on what this market can yield and target carefully to be sure your marketing is hitting the students that meet your enrollment criteria. There will be many requests for full scholarships. Nevertheless, there are still students here who can afford tuition. Consider Education USA and the US Commercial Services as valuable resources to approach this market.
#4 Career opportunities exist for Tanzanian students returning home.
Much of the country’s growth is supported by increased agriculture, mining and tourism activity, and infrastructure investments. The country’s offshore gas fields and LNG production are growing – the latter of which will start contributing to GDP in 2029. Political stability has improved due to the ruling party’s ongoing reforms under its Reconciliation, Resilience, Reform and Rebuild agenda adopted in 2022. Worth a few minutes of your time: we suggest you do a few quick career searches based on the types of graduates your institution is producing. See what search results you get that would clearly demonstrate the value of your academic programs: Tanzajob.
What this means for you: ROI is a key driver for international students, meaning they want to know what kind of career a degree from your institution can land them. Based on current economic drivers and a focus on education, students returning to Tanzania will likely find job opportunities in education, agriculture, energy, tourism, and infrastructure. Tech jobs are also present. If you tie your marketing to the academic programs that help bolster a student’s prospect at employment in any of these areas, your recruiters will prompt some valuable conversations.
#5 Digital hurdles still exist in Tanzania.
Per DataReportal, there were 21 million internet users in Tanzania as of January 2023. That means nearly 70% of the population were not using the internet at that time. As far as network coverage goes, there’s about 27% 4G network coverage in the country and 85% 3G, per Statista. So, just okay, not ideal. Urban areas are going to be far more connected than rural.
What this means for you: In a market like Tanzania, digital marketing will only get you so far. To make headway here you will likely need an omnichannel approach, including person-to-person recruiting through school visits, university fairs, or agents. Need help thinking through your on-the-ground strategy? Be in touch: info@intead.com
Institutions across the US are rethinking their strategies and evaluating far more diverse emerging markets previously considered unnecessary and unaffordable. Tanzania, with rising numbers of students looking for a foreign education, will be a good fit for some institutions. This country fits our criteria for emerging market evaluation as we work with our clients. Let’s talk: info@intead.com
