Ambassador Matinyi advances strategic ties in high-level Swedish talks

STOCKHOLM: When you think of Tanzania and Sweden, your mind might wander to safaris and snowflakes, coffee and a Swedish multinational company (IKEA) known for designing and selling ready-to-assemble furniture, home accessories, kitchen appliances, and home décor, or even Maasai beads and minimalist fashion.

But behind the cultural contrast lies a blossoming relationship that is far more exciting and potentially lucrative than any postcard image.

Look at it on Friday, 22 August 2025, when Tanzania’s Ambassador to Sweden, Ambassador Mobhare Matinyi, met with Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard, at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Stockholm. Their agenda? Nothing less than taking the already warm Tanzania–Sweden friendship and giving it a fresh coat of diplomatic gloss, spiced with trade talks, investment prospects, and good old-fashioned goodwill.

Here, Ambassador Matinyi came bearing greetings from President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who conveyed her warm wishes to the Swedish people and government. But it was not just a polite hello. The message was loud and clear: Tanzania is eager to deepen its partnership with Sweden, particularly in critical sectors such as energy, education, health, environment, research, and infrastructure.

Let us not forget that Sweden and Tanzania go back way back to 1963, making their partnership one of the most enduring across continents. And unlike most long-term relationships, this one only seems to be improving with age.

In a way, Ambassador Matinyi didn’t just come with pleasantries. He came armed with a portfolio of figures, and they were impressive.

From 1997 to 2024, Tanzania registered 101 projects from Swedish companies worth USD 313.04 million (roughly 790bn/-), creating 3,877 jobs across a spectrum of industries—from agriculture and energy to construction, tourism, and financial services.

In case you are wondering: yes, that is a lot of IKEA-level assembly going on, only with Tanzanian flair.

These investments demonstrate Sweden’s confidence in Tanzania’s growth trajectory and economic stability. Whether it’s solar energy in Dodoma, hospital tech in Dar, or research collaborations in Arusha, Sweden has had a finger in many of Tanzania’s most promising pies.

As of 2023, Tanzania exported goods worth 12.4bn/- to Sweden. While that may not fund the entire Stockholm metro, it is certainly a strong start especially considering the export list reads like a hipster farmer’s market: coffee, cut flower buds, fish fillet, unprocessed tobacco, cocoa beans, fruits, nuts, and even wooden ornaments. Sweden’s got taste, clearly.

On the flip side, Tanzania imported 209.8bn/- worth of goods from Sweden in the same year and mostly high-value products like machinery, electronics, pharmaceuticals, paper goods, aluminium, organic chemicals, and even insulin. Clearly, when Sweden exports, it is not playing around. But here is where it gets more exciting.

Ambassador Matinyi’s mission: More avocados, less red tapes

Ambassador Matinyi expressed his intention to scale up Tanzanian exports to Sweden. In particular, he highlighted items that Sweden could definitely use more of tea, coffee, avocados, gemstones, wood products, and, of course, more cut flower buds to brighten up those long Scandinavian winters.

He also urged more Swedish tourists to visit Tanzania. Currently, around 20,000 Swedes visit Tanzania annually and that is a decent number, but Ambassador Matinyi is setting his sights higher. After all, who would not want to trade snow boots for Serengeti sunsets?

And for the Tanzanian mining community, there is a nugget of interest too. Here, Ambassador Matinyi encouraged artisanal and small-scale miners back home to consider importing mining equipment from Sweden, citing Sweden’s reputation for high quality, safety, and innovation in industrial machinery. Because if you are going to mine for gold, you might as well do it with the Swedish precision of a Volvo engine.

Sweden responds: Let us keep the love going

On her part, Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard echoed the Ambassador’s sentiments. She confirmed that Sweden is more than ready to expand its cooperation with Tanzania, particularly in areas of trade and investment, and affirmed the continued relevance of development cooperation and that is a hallmark of the bilateral relationship for over six decades.

She also expressed hope that Tanzania would continue to play a constructive role in global peace efforts, particularly referencing the Russia–Ukraine conflict, where Tanzania’s diplomatic voice has been one of calm encouragement for peaceful resolution.

But wait, there is more. A few months earlier, on 18 June, Ambassador Matinyi met with Swedish State Secretary for International Development Cooperation, Ms. Diana Janse, over an official luncheon at the Ministry. What was on the menu? Likely meatballs and mutual respect. The discussion focused on Ambassador Matinyi’s mission in Sweden and the broader Nordic region namely, to boost trade, investment, and tourism.

Here, Ms Janse was particularly receptive to this approach, affirming that Sweden’s current development policy increasingly emphasizes bilateral trade and investment, rather than purely aid-based cooperation. In plain terms: “Let us build wealth together, not just donate it.”

So, why should you care?

If you are an investor, entrepreneur, policy wonk, or just someone curious about where the world is going next, the Tanzania–Sweden partnership should be on your radar.

Think of it as the perfect blend of Tanzanian opportunity and Swedish know-how. Tanzania offers resources, markets, and momentum, while Sweden brings technology, innovation, and sustainable practices.

From a diplomatic perspective, this relationship is also a model of how South–North cooperation can evolve beyond aid and into mutual growth and value creation.

What next? The way things are going, don’t be surprised if future trade stats show Tanzanian macadamia nuts taking over Stockholm or Swedish AI-driven irrigation tech revitalising farms in Kilimanjaro.

As Ambassador Matinyi continues his tenure, his strategy is clear: open more doors, close no opportunities, and toast the future with a mug of Tanzanian coffee and maybe, just maybe, a cinnamon bun on the side.

So, here is to more trade, deeper investment, greater cooperation, and yes, a few more tourists swapping snow for savannah.