Becoming wealthy: the life-history of a rural entrepreneur in Tanzania 1922-80s

This paper analyses the life history of a rural entrepreneur in late colonial and postcolonial Tanganyika, Julius Mtenda. Based on oral and archival evidence, including Mtenda’s own diaries and private papers, this study examines the historical events that allowed him to move from poverty to relative prosperity, the rationale behind his investments, and the way in which he negotiated the challenges to accumulation that confronted him in the rural environment of Nachingwea. It is argued that the ad hoc convergence between the agenda of Mtenda and that of local government officers (both colonial and post-colonial), evident in many of Mtenda’s most significant investments, was the critical factor in his capacity to sustain his accumulation over time.