Mwanza, Tanzania
Mwanza is a regional capital of 1,104,521 people in Mwanza, Tanzania, founded in 1892.
Why visit Mwanza
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 164 places to eat, 82 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Saanane Island National Park.
Weather in Mwanza
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Mwanza
Mwanza City (), also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,104,521 and a population of 3,699,872 in the region (2022 census), it is Tanzania's second largest city, after Dar es Salaam. It is also the second largest city in the Lake Victoria basin after Kampala, Uganda and ahead of Kisumu, Kenya at least in population size. Within the East African community, Mwanza city is the fifth largest city after Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kampala.
From the Wikipedia article Mwanza (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Mwanza on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photos of Mwanza
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Saanane Island National Park
Park · 3.3 km
Tanzanian National Park on an island in Lake Victoria
Restaurants and cafes164
Copenhagen Burgerhouse
Restaurant · Burger, Pizza · 0.7 km
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Lela bakery
Bakery · 2.3 km
Mtaa Wa Keruu, Mwanza
Mo-Fr 08:00-18:00; Sa-Su 08:00-15:00
152 more on the map.
More about Mwanza
Economy
In 2011 the City Council announced plans to create a major commercial development in the Ilemela District. Construction works on Rock City Mall were finalized in early 2016. This mall is the first of its size in Mwanza and one of the biggest malls in the country.
One major occupation of the inhabitants along the shores of Lake Victoria in Mwanza region is fishing, and there are five fish processing plants in the area. The Nile perch were previously introduced to the lake, and are exported in large quantities.
The consequences of the Nile perch industry are the subject of the Academy Award nominated documentary Darwin's Nightmare (2004) by Hubert Sauper.
Water supply coverage is at 75% and sewerage at 23.7%. Projects to increase coverage including the UN Habitat Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (LVWATSAN-Mwanza) project.
Water is managed by the Mwanza Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (Mwauwasa), established in 1996 and wholly owned by the government of Tanzania. The authority covers Mwanza City, Kisesa Township in Magu District, Misungwi town and Nyahiti Village in Misungwi District, Geita, Sengerema and Nansio, and Lamadi in Simiyu Region. Mwauwasa operates a wastewater treatment plant in Butuja Ilemela.
Arts and culture
Saanane Island National Park is located on a rocky island in Lake Victoria, 500 metres (1,600 ft; 550 yd) from Capri Point in the centre of Mwanza.
The westernmost gate (Ndabaka Gate) of Serengeti National Park is located at around 150 kilometres (93 miles) by road from Mwanza town. Day trips to Serengeti National Park are organised by several tour operators in Mwanza.
Rubondo Island National Park can be reached by road and boat, or by a direct flight from Mwanza. It is located around 110 kilometres (68 miles) west of Mwanza town.
The Sukuma Museum is located in Bujora, just east of Mwanza near Kisesa. It gives an overview of the history, architecture, culture and language of the Sukuma tribe, from which the majority of the native population originates.
Education
St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) is the main university in Mwanza. The University extends over 600 acres (243 ha) in the Nyegezi-Malimbe area 10 km south of Mwanza City. It lies 4 km off the main Mwanza- Shinyanga road on the south eastern shores of Lake Victoria. The University is a half-hour's drive from Mwanza by car or by bus.
From the Wikipedia article Mwanza, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Mwanza
Richa AdhiaTanzanian beauty pageant winnerPhoto: Diya.Kathayat, CC0
Juma MwapachuTanzanian politician (1942–2025)Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg from Utrecht,..., CC BY-SA 2.0
Renatus Lwamosa ButibubageTanzanian Catholic prelate (1918 - 1998)Photo: Nmclough, CC BY-SA 2.5- Baby MadahaTanzanian actress and musician
- Henry Joseph ShindikaTanzanian footballer
- Eusebius Alfred NzigilwaRoman Catholic bishop
- Hamisa MobettoTanzanian singer, model, businesswoman and sociali
- Amir MaftahTanzanian footballer
- Vicent PhilipoTanzanian association football player
- Amir H. JamalTanzanian politician (1922-1995)
- Pritam Singh SandhuKenyan hockey player (1931-1999)
- Hamisi YusufTanzanian footballer
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Born in Mwanza, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay82
Churches and places of worship48
Shopping83
Nabaki Africa Quality Building Products
Hardware store · 0.6 km
Nyerere Road, Mwanza
Gas and EV charging19
Schools, colleges and libraries82
International Center For Intercultural Relationships Languages and Development
School · 1.0 km
Isamilo, Mwanza
Healthcare76
Map of Mwanza
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Mwanza Airport (MWZ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 km away.
- Kisesa 15 km east, about 15 min by car
- Usagara 22 km southeast, about 22 min by car
- Sengerema 32 km southwest, about 32 min by car
- Nyanguge 34 km east, about 34 min by car
- Misungwi 42 km southeast, about 42 min by car
- Nansio 46 km north, about 46 min by car
- Nakatunguru 48 km northeast, about 48 min by car
- Kihangara 51 km east, about 51 min by car
- Misasi 57 km south, about 57 min by car
- Magu 61 km east, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Openverse (see each image): photos
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mwanza from Capri Point, Tanzania, Jonathan Stonehouse, CC BY 2.0
- 2010-09-12 13-32-49 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-12 13-23-55 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-12 13-24-02 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-12 13-24-34 Tanzania Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-12 13-18-08 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 08-50-02 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-12 13-42-51 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 06-09-06 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mwanza Wikivoyage banner, Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 06-08-34 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-13 15-13-13 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-13 15-14-11 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-13 15-13-18 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lake Victoria Rock side, Mwanza in Tanzania, Stimah Barker, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2010-09-14 08-45-44 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 08-09-16 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 08-08-37 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 08-17-05 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 08-19-03 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Capri Point, Mwanza, Tanzania, Jonathan Stonehouse, CC BY 2.0
- 2010-09-14 08-24-40 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 08-27-46 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 08-29-45 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 08-30-11 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2010-09-14 08-30-15 Tanzania Mwanza Mwanza, Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nyakahoja Catholic Church, Macabe5387, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bismarck Rock (5385361213), Rahim.Lalani, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ugali & Samaki, RVRikhye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Let the rain kiss you, Mann83, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS022-E-95351 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Tanzanie du Nord-Ouest banner, 2010-09-14_08-30-11_Tanzania_Mwanza_Mwanza.jpg : Hansueli Krapf derivative work: Inkey, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bismarck Rock, Mwanza, Tanzania, Jonathan Stonehouse, CC BY 2.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, msilikale05, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, allennatai, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ralebipim, CC BY-SA 4.0
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