Tanzania strikes gold in heavy mineral sands
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has entered a new phase in the development of heavy mineral sands, with mining operations underway at the Fungoni-Kigamboni and Tajiri projects, alongside the construction of a mineral processing plant in Tanga Region.
The activities are being undertaken by Nyati Mineral Sands Limited, a joint venture company in which the Tanzanian government holds a 16 percent non-dilutable equity stake.
Speaking during a visit to inspect production activities at the Fungoni-Kigamboni project and receive an update on the construction of the Tajiri mineral processing plant in Tanga, Deputy Minister for Minerals Dr Steven Kiruswa directed the company to accelerate construction of the facility.
Dr Kiruswa said the directive is part of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that minerals are processed and value is added within Tanzania before being exported to international markets.
According to the Deputy Minister, the Government has granted the company a two-year temporary permit to export raw minerals. The measure is intended to give the company time to complete construction of the processing plant while also strengthening the project’s capital base.
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However, he said the company should use the period to prepare for domestic mineral processing in order to maximise the economic benefits generated from the country’s mineral resources.
Dr Kiruswa also directed Nyati Mineral Sands Limited to strengthen the transfer of knowledge and skills to Tanzanians, increase the participation of local professionals and workers in project activities, and continue fulfilling its social responsibilities to communities surrounding the mining areas.
He further stressed the importance of implementing the Mine Closure Plan, including restoring areas affected by mining activities to safe and productive conditions once extraction operations are completed.
He said implementation of the plan is essential to ensuring that mining activities are conducted in line with environmental conservation requirements and sustainable land use principles.
Meanwhile, Dr Kiruswa said the mining sector in the Dar es Salaam and Pwani Mining Region has continued to make a significant contribution to Government revenue.
He said the region collected 27.07bn/- in the 2025/26 financial year against a target of 24bn/-, exceeding its target by 3.07bn/-.
For the 2026/27 financial year, the region has been assigned a revenue collection target of Sh33 billion. Dr Kiruswa said the region had already collected 4.06bn/- in July alone, equivalent to 147.50 percent of its monthly target of 2.75bn/-.
He said the revenue performance reflects the continued strengthening of the mining sector’s contribution to Government finances, while investment in heavy mineral sands extraction and processing is expected to further increase the value derived from Tanzania’s mineral resources within the country.
