Social work in Africa faces major challenges due to factors such as lack of resources, insufficient training schools and adequate curricula. In this situation, the actions of women’s social movements can be defined as social development, more in line with the needs of the local population. This article presents, through Tanzania’s case, how the actions of women’s social movements, where the discipline of social work is weakened, follow different models of social development. Their actions should be reckoned as an opportunity to overcome some of the challenges of the professional education and practice of social work in the continent.