[3] Mbeya is situated at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,500 ft), and sprawls through a narrow highland valley surrounded by a bowl of high mountains.

Mbeya City is now a growing metropolis and business centre for the southern regions and the neighbouring countries of Malawi, Zambia and Congo.

The city has several tribes including the Safwa, Nyakyusa, Nyiha and Ndali all being agricultural peoples.

Mbeya has weather with enough rainfall and fertile soil which enable it to be the largest producer of maize, rice, bananas, beans, potatoes (Irish and sweet), soya nuts and wheat in the entire country.

Bamboo is naturally abundant in the forests, and there are plans to teach local people about this versatile plant and its many uses.

The hills are clad in heather and bracken, but botanically they are more closely related to the Fynbos (fine bush) of South Africa's Western Cape Province than the Highlands of Scotland.

Mount Rungwe is the highest mountain in the wider Mbeya region and it dominates the skyline for several kilometers around.

In 2005, a completely new species of large monkey, the Kipunji, was discovered living in the southern highlands to the south-west of Mbeya.

There are paved roads which connects Mbeya city with the other towns like Tukuyu through Uyole, Tunduma via TANZAM highway and Chunya to Tabora through Isanga.

Mbeya connects to the rest of Tanzania by air through Songwe International Airport which was opened in December 2012.

The cooler and mountainous climate in the town attracts mainly locals from other parts of the country and foreigners for the game watching and trout fishing.

Some notable local tourist attractions in the area include: The city also has various rock and cave painting sites.

Many of the rock sites have still been undocumented by the Antiequits department and provide a looking glass into the traditional cultures of the local surrounding communities.

Ihefu is a club from Ubaruku, Mbarali district that was promoted to the Tanzanian premier league at the 2020–2021 season and currently play their home matches at the Highland Estate Stadium.