MOSCOW: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has invited Russian investors to expand their footprint in Tanzania, highlighting opportunities in mining, energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, transport and logistics as the two countries seek to deepen economic cooperation.
Addressing the Tanzania-Russia Business and Investment Forum held alongside the 29th St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2026), President Samia challenged business leaders from both countries to move beyond discussions and translate opportunities into concrete investments. “Move from rhetoric to action.
Talking alone won’t bear fruits,” President Samia said, stressing that the forum was intended to create partnerships capable of delivering tangible economic benefits.
She said the gathering was not merely a platform for speeches but an opportunity for investors and entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, showcase products and establish ventures that would strengthen economic ties between Tanzania and Russia.
President Samia said that despite more than six decades of friendship and cooperation, trade between Tanzania and Russia remains below its potential, with Russia accounting for less than one per cent of Tanzania’s total trade volume in 2024.
“This is not where we should be,” she said, adding that the current level of economic engagement does not reflect the strong bilateral relations enjoyed by the two countries. “It is precisely this gap between the potential investment and trading and our actual performance that brings us together in this room,” she added.
President Samia presented Tanzania as a strategic investment destination, citing its population of more than 61 million people, annual economic growth of about six per cent and access to a regional market of more than 500 million consumers across Eastern and Southern Africa. She said ongoing investments in the Port of Dar es Salaam and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) are strengthening Tanzania’s position as a regional logistics hub.
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President Samia identified mining as a key sector for cooperation, noting that Tanzania is endowed with gold, uranium, nickel, graphite and other critical minerals. She invited collaboration in geological surveys, mineral exploration and value addition through smelters and refineries.
On energy, she said Tanzania is committed to a diversified and low-carbon energy mix and is exploring longterm cooperation in small modular reactor technology, while Russian companies are also welcome to participate in oil and gas exploration activities.
The President further encouraged investment in fertiliser production, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and vaccine manufacturing, saying Tanzania aims to meet 60 per cent of its domestic health product needs through local production by 2030.
She also showcased opportunities in the Bagamoyo Port and Special Economic Zone, as well as the proposed Mangapwani transshipment port project in Zanzibar. To improve connectivity, President Samia announced that Air Tanzania will launch direct flights linking Dar es Salaam, Moscow and Zanzibar on July 2, a move expected to boost trade, investment and tourism between the two countries.
Supporting the President’s call, Russian Minister for Economic Development, Mr Maxim Reshetnikov said several joint projects are already progressing in Tanzania, including a uranium project that has advanced from a pilot mining plant to the next phase of production.
He also highlighted plans to establish a rapid diseasetesting factory in Tanzania, which is expected to produce up to 20 million test kits annually, alongside expanded cooperation in agriculture, logistics, tourism and pharmaceuticals.
“Cooperation in agriculture could be broadened through increased supplies of grain, fertilisers and veterinary vaccines, while Russian research institutions are ready to support agricultural production through technology transfer and joint research programmes,” he said.
He also pointed to progress in transport and logistics, citing the launch of a new container shipping line between Novorossiysk and Dar es Salaam last month. Tourism was identified as another area of growing cooperation.
According to Mr Reshetnikov, trips by Russian tourists to Tanzania increased by nearly 40 per cent last year. Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said the focus has now shifted from signing agreements to implementing them.
He said that Tanzania is eyeing expanded access to the Russian market after visiting a major supermarket chain that already stocks Tanzanian products, including cashew nuts, coffee, tea and tobacco.
According to the minister, the retailer operates about 35,000 outlets across Russia, creating a significant opportunity for Tanzanian exporters. “This is a unique opportunity that not many countries in Africa get,” he said, calling on the private sector to position itself to benefit from the growing partnership.