Dar, Kinshasa target trade gains

ZAMBIA: TANZANIA is set to deepen trade and investment ties with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi begins a twoday visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation.

The visit, which began yesterday following an invitation by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, is expected to focus on trade and investment, infrastructure, mineral processing, agriculture, energy, transport, health, digital communications, peace and security and regional integration.

According to a State House statement issued yesterday, President Tshisekedi will hold official talks with President Samia in Zanzibar before the two leaders address a joint press conference.

The visit comes as Tanzania and the DRC seek to improve transport links and reduce the cost and time of moving goods between the two countries, potentially opening wider opportunities for businesses along the Central Corridor.

The two countries held their second High-Level Steering Committee Meeting on the Transport Infrastructure Development Programme in Kigoma in March, following a Joint Technical Experts Meeting.

The meeting reported progress in developing dry ports, expanding and modernising rail infrastructure, strengthening maritime transport on Lake Tanganyika, improving roads and promoting air transport links.

The committee also agreed on measures to accelerate project implementation and strengthen coordination between the two countries.

The Central Corridor remains central to Tanzania’s trade relationship with the DRC, linking the land linked country to the Indian Ocean through the Port of Dar es Salaam and supporting the movement of cargo across the region.

The March meeting ended with site visits to the Port of Kigoma and Kigoma Airport, where officials assessed ongoing infrastructure projects and their potential to improve multimodal connectivity along the corridor and the Lake Tanganyika region.

For Tanzania, however, the opportunity extends beyond moving more cargo.

Dar es Salaam-based economist and investment banker Dr Hildebrand Shayo said the visit should be used to translate longstanding political relations between the two countries into tangible economic opportunities.

“During DRC President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi’s state visit to Tanzania, the country has a strong opportunity to convert existing political connections into deeper economic cooperation,” he said.

Dr Shayo said Tanzania’s position as a gateway to the DRC through the Port of Dar es Salaam and its transport networks could benefit local businesses while attracting DRC-related investment in manufacturing, logistics, storage, agro-processing and financial services.

He also identified opportunities in agriculture, including irrigation, mechanisation, seed technology, fertiliser supply and food processing to serve the DRC market.

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Minerals offer another area for cooperation, he said, with Tanzania able to pursue partnerships in processing, value addition, responsible mining and regional supply chains instead of focusing mainly on transporting raw minerals.

He said cooperation in energy, including gas, electricity and renewable energy, could further support industrial development in both countries.

Improved roads, railways, ports and logistics would also strengthen Tanzania’s position as a major Indian Ocean gateway for the DRC, Dr Shayo said.

At the same time, he urged Tanzania to use the visit to deepen cooperation on peace and security in eastern DRC, arguing that regional stability and economic integration were closely linked.

Dr Innocent Shoo, a lecturer at the Dr Salim Ahmed Salim Centre for Foreign Relations, said the visit would strengthen the strategic relationship between Dar es Salaam and Kinshasa while reinforcing Tanzania’s role as a gateway to the Indian Ocean.

He said the DRC could benefit from more efficient access to the Port of Dar es Salaam and the Central Corridor, while Tanzania would gain from increased cargo volumes, logistics activity and trade.

Dr Shoo identified dry ports, railways, logistics, Lake Tanganyika transport, manufacturing, mineral processing and value addition as potential areas of cooperation.

For Tanzanian traders, however, he said the value of the visit would ultimately depend on whether it delivered practical improvements in cross-border trade.

“For the ordinary trader, the success of the visit will be seen if the agreements reduce the cost and time of transporting goods, simplify customs procedures and open new markets between Tanzania and the DRC,” he said.

Dr Shoo also highlighted the importance of security cooperation, including information sharing, combating cross-border crime and smuggling and supporting peace efforts in eastern DRC.

President Tshisekedi’s visit is his third to Tanzania, following visits in 2019 and 2022 that helped deepen cooperation in infrastructure, port use, trade and investment.

The latest visit therefore comes at a critical point: With transport links being expanded, the next challenge is to turn improved connectivity into greater trade, investment and value addition for businesses in both countries.