The city is poised to experience significant economic growth in the near future as the Mtwara Corridor opens up in a few years.

It is projected to be the sixth fastest growing city on the African continent between 2020 and 2025, with a 5.74% growth.

[5] After the Second World War, the area was marked for rapid agricultural development linked to the ultimately disastrous groundnut scheme.

A railway had been planned from the coast to Songea and actually appeared in 1950s high school geography text books.

During the liberation war with Mozambique the Songea area was a restricted zone and occasionally suffered aerial attacks by Portuguese forces.