Karatu District is well connected to the road from Arusha via Karatu to Mwanza and Musoma passes through the town which makes Karatu town to be an active business centre. Furthermore the Karatu town is the nearest lodging center for the tourists who visit Ngorongoro Crater and Serenget National park; this environment resulted to high rate of investment in International Hotels and high circulation of money due to arrival of many foreigners.
Trade and Industries
Trade and Industries activities are growing rapidly due to the fact that the District is in the outskirt of national major commercial city of Arusha as such; both local and foreign investors are attracted by the potential economic opportunities available in Karatu.
Trade
Currently, significant number of Karatu residents engaged in trading where as more 2,000 trading entities are in place ranging from retail and wholesale shops; hospitality industries such as kiosks, restaurants and hotels; apartments, boarding houses, lodging and guest houses as well as liquors bars; transport business; banking; bookshops, stationeries and printing; beauty salon and barber shops; professional consultancies; farm implements; butchers; pharmacies; mobile phone shops etc
Industry
Industrialization is taking good slow move especially, in small scale industries establishment comparing to medium and large scale establishment. There is 5 small scale industries mainly in processing agricultural and livestock’s produce; 1 medium industry processing and canning milk ( Ayalabe Diary milk industry) . Small scale industries mostly are agricultural produce processors while others use other types of inputs such as coffee.
