Conducive investment climate lays foundation for five flagship projects

TANZANIA: TANZANIA is putting five major strategic projects on the table for international investors as the country steps up efforts to attract foreign capital to support its industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.

Tanzania firmly believes that the five projects have what it takes to drive the country’s economic transformation agenda in line with its 25-year national strategic roadmap, Dira 2050.

Dira 2050 seeks to transform Tanzania into a one-trillion-dollar economy, knowledge-based, industrialised and upper-middleincome economy with an average GDP per capita of 7,000 US dollars by 2050.

It was against this backdrop that President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan invited the global business community to partner with Tanzania in key sectors, including ports, mining, tourism, fertiliser manufacturing and nuclear energy, when she spoke at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 5, 2026.

She said Tanzania was implementing reforms aimed at creating a more attractive investment environment, with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows increasing to about 5 billion US dollars (about 13.15tri/-) in 2025 from nearly 3 billion US dollars (about 7.9tri/-) in 2021.

“At this juncture, allow me to mention five main projects, for which we are here to seek partnership from the international business community,” she told delegates attending the forum hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The five flagship projects are the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone and port development; mining and mineral beneficiation; tourism expansion; agriculture and fertiliser manufacturing and nuclear energy development.

“The Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone is our Number One project and we welcome international companies to partner with us in its development,” the Head of State said.

On mining, President Dr Samia said: “Our national policy is clear. We intend to move steadily from being a producer of raw materials to a producer of finished products.”

On tourism, she announced direct flights between Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Moscow. TISEZA: The institutional backbone Behind the ambitious vision lies a fundamental institutional reform designed to convert political will into tangible investment outcomes.

The Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) officially came into being on July 1, 2025 after the President consented to the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Act, 2025.

TISEZA consolidates the functions of the former Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) and the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) under a streamlined authority, creating a true One-Stop Facilitation Centre for investors.

This merger eliminates bureaucratic duplication and provides a single point of contact for everything from company registration to work permits and utility connections.

“The days of investors moving from one government building to another are over. Our mandate is to remove operational friction at every stage of the corporate lifecycle,” said TISEZA Director General Gilead Teri.

The Minister of State in the President’s Office (Planning and Investment), Professor Kitila Mkumbo, described the establishment of TISEZA as a transformative step towards making Tanzania more investorfriendly.

Tangible results: Investors already on the ground The reforms are already delivering tangible results.

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Prof Mkumbo announced that six companies have been granted investment licences to operate within the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone, with combined capital exceeding 230bn/-.

These include MCGA Auto Limited, which plans to inject 50 million US dollars (about 131.5bn/-) into vehicle assembly, creating about 1,000 direct jobs and more than 3,500 indirect jobs in the process.

Nationally, 927 projects worth 11.95 billion US dollars (about 31.4tri/-) were registered by 2025, which represents a massive structural jump from previous years, guiding the government towards its target of attracting 15 billion US dollars (about 39.4tri/-) in annual FDI from 2026 onwards.

The Bagamoyo Eco-Maritime City project, which is expected to attract up to 10 billion US dollars (about 26.3tri/-) at full operational capacity, will integrate a world-class deep-sea port, industrial park, technology park and Special Economic Zone, supported by integrated roads, railways, power, water, gas and digital connectivity.

Experts weigh in Finance expert and economist from Ardhi University, Alfred Kiariga, said Tanzania’s institutional reforms have fundamentally changed the investment landscape.

“The creation of TISEZA and the single-window digital clearinghouse have lowered the cost of doing business.

Investors can now register companies, secure land and obtain primary approvals within seven to 14 days, a process that previously took months.

This efficiency makes Tanzania highly competitive within the region.” REPOA Executive Director, Donald Mmari, highlighted why these projects are achievable.

“Tanzania has moved from policy design to institutional execution. The government has backed its ambitions with a clear legal framework, predictable fiscal incentives and active investor facilitation. The establishment of TISEZA, combined with infrastructure investments in ports, railways and energy, means that these five flagship projects are not just blueprints, they are bankable ventures with strong government backing.”

Economist and fiscal policy expert Samson Rutashobya of the University of Iringa emphasised the importance of institutional stability.

“Tanzania is positioning itself to avoid the traditional raw-commodity trap. The establishment of TISEZA, the singlewindow clearinghouse and the legally-protected incentives are not superficial reforms, they are structural shifts that signal to global capital that Tanzania is serious about protecting and growing investments.”

For her part, Ardhi University economist and assistant lecturer Jasmine Christian noted the broader economic impact.

“Increased investment flows will stimulate economic growth, create employment, generate more foreign exchange earnings and support direct implementation of Dira 2050. The multiplier effect across supply chains, from local suppliers to transport and logistics will ensure that benefits reach ordinary Tanzanians,” he said.