Tanzania has a population of about 45 million people of which working force aged between 15 and 60 years is 23 million people (Population and Housing Census 2012). Only 1.5 million people i.e. 6.5% of the working force get social security protection. Almost 99% of the people who are covered by social security schemes work in the formal sector. 21.5 million people in the working force group are not covered by any comprehensive social security protection. 60% of the working force is engaged in the agricultural sector which is among the difficult groups to cover due to the nature of their seasonal earnings nature and unpredictability of their income.

 

The Fund has recently introduced a coverage extension strategy to the difficult groups to cover known as Wakulima Scheme (Farmers Scheme) and Madini Scheme (Small Miners Scheme). The new voluntary schemes aim to address the challenge on extension of social security coverage to the excluded majority or difficult-to-cover group i.e. farmers and small miners through organized groups. The schemes commenced in May, 2014.