Factors influencing SMEs’ export behaviour in Tanzania: A case of Dar es Salaam City

The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing SMEs export behaviour in Tanzania. It specifically examined the influence of owners’ characteristics, business characteristics and external/environmental factors on SMEs export behaviour. The questionnaires, interview and observation were used to collect data from 42 SMEs who filled in the responses from the distributed questionnaires. The descriptive analysis was used to analyse data. The study used simple random sampling in probabilistic sampling to distribute questionnaires. Moreover, purposive sampling was used to conduct interview to the SMEs owner mangers. The research findings indicate that owners’ characteristics, business characteristics and external factors had an influence on SMEs export behaviour. However education level has been found to have most significance influence of all the owners’ characteristics, while capital investment has been significant business characteristics that influence export behaviour. The efficiency of transport system has also been one of the external factors with significance influence on SMEs export behaviour. It is however recommended that the government has a great role to play in promoting SMEs export behaviour through provision of export incentives to SMEs as well as promoting various training. Such training should aim at improving SMEs’ product quality and exposing such SMEs on market opportunities. Also transport systems should be improved in Tanzania so as to promote export behaviour of SMEs. The use of internet has been found influential foe SMEs to capture foreign markets hence it is recommended that more knowledge should be provided to SMEs on the use of internet to explore the market.