DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – Over the past 25 years, Tanzania’s National Development Vision 2025 has charted a course of measured, long-term growth, blending political stability, strategic planning, and massive infrastructure investment.
The results are visible in bustling urban centres, electrified villages, and expanding industrial hubs, where more Tanzanians than ever are connected to markets and services.
Under Vision 2025, Tanzania has maintained average real GDP growth of 6.2% between 2000 and 2024, according to official data, achieving lower-middle-income status in 2020.
Social progress has mirrored economic expansion: per capita income rose from US$453 in 2000 to about US$1,277 in 2023, extreme poverty fell from 36% to 26%, life expectancy increased from 51 to 68 years, and maternal mortality dropped sharply to 104 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Improved infrastructure, education, and water access have created a foundation for investment that connects rural communities to regional markets.
China has long been Tanzania’s most significant bilateral partner for investment and infrastructure. Over the years, Chinese engagement has extended beyond financing and construction to co-develop industrial capacity and regional connectivity.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan recently reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to the partnership during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the State House in Dar es Salaam. They discussed expanding exports, improving the trade balance, promoting business and people-to-people exchanges, and streamlining visa processes to facilitate mobility.
A highlight of the cooperation is the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), stretching 1,860 kilometres across the two countries. Plans are underway to modernise it into an electric line, both to boost regional trade and industrial activity and to honour the Chinese nationals who lost their lives during its original construction.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasised Beijing’s commitment to ongoing cooperation in TAZARA, infrastructure, water supply, clean cooking initiatives, and concessional financing. Both leaders reiterated a shared vision of sustainable, mutually beneficial economic and social development, rooted in decades of strategic alignment.
Investment and infrastructure impact
China remains Tanzania’s leading source of bilateral investment. Between January 2021 and December 2023, 256 Chinese projects were registered, valued at roughly US$2.5 billion. In 2025 alone, Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) recorded 343 projects worth US$3.1 billion, creating over 82,000 jobs.
From 1997 to 2024, China invested in 1,360 projects worth around US$11.5 billion, generating more than 155,000 jobs across manufacturing, construction, agriculture, transport, and services.
Major projects include expansions of Dar es Salaam port, modern rail links such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), roads connecting rural regions to urban centres, and power generation upgrades. These investments underpin Tanzania’s role as a regional transit and logistics hub, lowering costs, improving efficiency, and expanding opportunities across East and Central Africa.
Bilateral trade continues to grow. In 2024, trade volume reached US$8.88 billion, making China Tanzania’s largest trading partner for the ninth consecutive year.
Tanzania exports agricultural products, including soybeans, sesame, and avocados, alongside minerals, while importing machinery, construction materials, and industrial inputs.
Vision 2025’s industrialisation drive is reflected in manufactured exports growing from US$43 million in 2000 to US$1.4 billion in 2024.
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Chinese-backed industrial parks and special economic zones provide platforms for domestic labour, raw materials, and capital to integrate, helping Tanzania diversify beyond raw exports into value-added production.
Infrastructure-first development has been central. Roads, railways, ports, and power facilities built with Chinese participation provide the backbone for industrial growth, enabling small manufacturers, agro-processing, logistics, and services to thrive.
Agriculture, which makes up 25.3% of GDP and employs roughly 65% of the workforce, benefits indirectly from better connectivity, reducing post-harvest losses and improving market access.
Industrial Diversification and Long-Term Development
Chinese engagement increasingly targets industrialisation through joint ventures, industrial parks, and manufacturing projects linking capital with Tanzanian labour.
Projects in Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam anchor long-term value chains, supporting structural transformation and integrating Tanzania into regional production networks.
Political stability and policy continuity underpin the partnership. Tanzania’s delivery of large-scale projects and strengthened human capital demonstrate governance capacity, reducing perceived risks for Chinese investors.
High-level engagement through FOCAC and bilateral meetings ensures alignment of Tanzania’s development priorities with Chinese strategic investment objectives, including infrastructure, industrialisation, education, health, and people-to-people exchanges.
For Tanzanians, Vision 2025 and Chinese-backed projects have transformed daily life. Smallholder farmers now operate processing mills and expand market access thanks to improved roads and electricity.
Students benefit from better facilities and digital learning tools, while industrial park entrepreneurs enjoy reliable energy and transport networks that reduce operational costs and risks.
TAZARA’s modernisation is expected to stimulate trade corridors and local economies while commemorating the historical contributions of Chinese engineers.
As Vision 2025 nears its conclusion in June 2026, paving the way for the new Vision 2050, Tanzania and China are positioned to deepen cooperation in renewable energy, digital infrastructure, agro-processing, industrial clusters, and regional logistics networks—projects promising long-term returns and tangible benefits for Tanzanian communities.
