DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania is stepping up efforts to strengthen trade and investment ties with Russia following President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s recent State Visit to Moscow, as the country seeks to attract more international capital to support its long-term economic transformation agenda.
Government officials say Tanzania is targeting exports worth 500 million US dollars to Russia by 2030, a sharp increase from the current 70 million dollars, while also seeking increased Russian investment in key sectors such as energy, mining, agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam, Minister of State in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, Professor Kitila Mkumbo, described President Samia’s trip as an economic diplomacy mission aimed at opening new markets and expanding investment opportunities for Tanzania.
“As a country implementing Vision 2050, we are mobilising global partners to access capital, technology and markets needed to accelerate trade and investment,” Prof Mkumbo said.
The visit forms part of Tanzania’s broader Vision 2050 strategy, which focuses on industrialisation, energy expansion and long-term economic growth.
During the visit, President Samia participated in the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2026), which brought together leaders, policymakers and business executives from more than 130 countries to discuss global economic cooperation and investment opportunities.
According to Tanzanian officials, the country’s investment pavilion at the forum attracted strong interest from international investors, including representatives from dozens of companies exploring potential partnerships in Tanzania.
Russian companies reportedly expressed interest in investing in fertiliser production, tourism, pharmaceuticals, energy, mining and railway infrastructure.
Other proposed investment areas include coffee processing, wheat farming, poultry production, hotel development and the assembly of railway wagons to support Tanzania’s expanding Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) network.
Prof Mkumbo said Russia’s interest in fertiliser manufacturing could help address one of the major challenges facing Tanzania’s agricultural sector while supporting food production and industrial growth.
Officials say 13 Russian companies are currently operating in Tanzania with investments valued at around 400 million US dollars.
The government also highlighted the Mkuju River uranium project, which is expected to attract an estimated 1.2 billion dollars in investment capital.
Tanzania and Russia are also exploring cooperation in nuclear energy development, a move officials describe as an important step towards the country’s future energy diversification plans.
“For the first time, Tanzania has entered arrangements that could pave the way for nuclear power generation within the next decade,” Prof Mkumbo said.
Tanzania aims to raise national electricity generation capacity to 70,000 megawatts by 2050 as part of its industrialisation drive, with officials saying nuclear energy could complement hydropower and natural gas in meeting future demand.
Director of International Trade Coordination and Economic Diplomacy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador John Ulanga, said bilateral trade between Tanzania and Russia currently stands at approximately 300 million US dollars annually.
Tanzania mainly exports agricultural commodities including coffee, cashew nuts and tobacco, while Russia exports fertilisers and other manufactured goods.
Amb Ulanga said Tanzania plans to increase exports of value-added products and services to the Russian market over the next five years, with tourism also expected to benefit from stronger connectivity between the two countries.
He noted that direct flights by Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) between Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Moscow are scheduled to begin on July 2, 2026, a move expected to boost trade, tourism and business travel.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo described President Samia’s visit, made at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a historic step in strengthening bilateral relations.
He said the visit reaffirmed Tanzania’s long-standing foreign policy of maintaining friendly relations with all nations while also reviving historical ties between Tanzania and Russia.
Russia was among the first countries to recognise Tanganyika’s independence in 1961 and later recognised Zanzibar following the 1964 Revolution.
President Samia is only the second Tanzanian Head of State to visit Russia in nearly six decades after founding President Julius Nyerere’s visit to Moscow in 1969.
