(Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced late on Wednesday that it expected the Tanzanian economy to grow by 6.7% in 2011, up from the estimated 6.2% in 2010.

"Real GDP growth is projected to rise to 6.2% in 2010 and to 6.7% in 2011, reflecting a continuation of the economic rebound in the second half of 2009 and the anticipated pick up in global and sub-Saharan African growth," IMF said in a statement late on Wednesday.

As with many countries in Africa and around the world, Tanzania’s economy took a knock due to the global recession, which diminished the demand for the country’s exports as well as the tourism sector’s offerings in late 2008 and part of 2009.

Coupled with the global recession was a prolonged drought, which hurt the agricultural sector significantly by causing a drop in output and energy production.

The predicted growth figures for 2010 and 2011 are therefore very encouraging.