INDONESIA: Tanzania has called on Indonesian investors to explore opportunities in its growing beauty and fragrance industry, as it seeks to deepen trade and industrial cooperation with Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
The appeal was made by Tanzania’s ambassador to Indonesia, Macocha Tembele, during a visit to a manufacturing facility operated by PT Mandom Indonesia Tbk in Cibitung, Bekasi.
During discussions with the company’s management, Ambassador Tembele said Tanzania’s cosmetics and personal care sector has recorded steady expansion in recent years, supported by demographic growth, urbanisation and increased consumer demand. He also cited Tanzania’s membership in regional economic blocs as strengthening its position as a potential production and distribution base for East and Southern Africa.
Tanzania is a member of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), giving investors access to wider regional markets through preferential trade arrangements. The ambassador said this regional integration, combined with ongoing infrastructure upgrades in transport and energy, enhances the country’s attractiveness as a manufacturing destination.
He outlined opportunities in manufacturing, packaging, processing and regional distribution of products such as soaps, perfumes and cosmetics, and encouraged PT Mandom to consider establishing a production facility in Tanzania.
The ambassador invited the company’s leadership to visit Tanzania to assess the business environment and market potential first-hand, adding that the Tanzanian embassy in Jakarta stands ready to facilitate meetings with relevant government institutions and private sector stakeholders.
PT Mandom’s Chief Executive Officer, Koichi Watanabe, thanked the ambassador for the visit and said the company would conduct further evaluations before making any investment decision.
Broader bilateral engagement
Cooperation between Tanzania and Indonesia has intensified since the official opening of Tanzania’s embassy in Jakarta in June 2023, a move aimed at strengthening economic diplomacy and expanding commercial ties.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries date back to 1964. Since then, engagement has expanded beyond political relations to include trade and investment promotion, agriculture, fisheries, energy and natural gas development, health and pharmaceutical manufacturing, education and human resource development, tourism and industrial partnerships.
Officials from both countries have said that recent efforts are focused on translating longstanding diplomatic ties into practical economic cooperation, with greater emphasis on private-sector investment and technology transfer.
For Tanzania, attracting manufacturing investment aligns with its broader industrialisation strategy, which aims to expand domestic production, create jobs and increase value addition within key sectors of the economy.
