IN SHORT: Tanzania registered 177 investment projects worth $1.12 billion in the January to March 2026 quarter, expected to create more than 19,750 jobs, according to the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority. China led all foreign investors at 39% of total investment and 60% of projected job creation. Tanzania’s economy grew 6% in Q3 2025, up from 5.5% in the same period of 2024.
Tanzania registered 177 investment projects worth $1.12 billion in the first quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year, expected to create more than 19,750 jobs, as TISEZA Director General Gilead Teri attributed the performance to improvements in the business environment under President Samia Suluhu Hassan. China was the dominant foreign investor, accounting for 39% of total investment and 60% of job creation, maintaining a structural lead in the country’s FDI profile that has persisted across several consecutive quarters.
- 177 projects registered in January to March 2026, valued at $1.12 billion total, generating an expected 19,750-plus new jobs across sectors.
- China led all foreign investors at 39% of total investment and 60% of job creation, reflecting the scale of Chinese manufacturing and infrastructure commitments in Tanzania.
- Dar es Salaam led regionally with 60 projects, followed by the Coast Region with 33 projects and Mtwara with 5, pointing to concentration in established commercial and industrial centres.
- Tanzanians continue to own the majority investment share at 57.06% (35% fully local and 21.47% joint ventures), with foreign investors at 42.94%.
- 86 applications have been received from investors expressing interest in Special Economic Zones including Buzwagi, Nala, Kwala, and Bagamoyo Eco Park.
- Tanzania’s economy grew 6% in Q3 2025, up from 5.5% in the same quarter of 2024, with PM Mwigulu Nchemba citing public and private investment in energy, communications, transport and logistics as the primary drivers.
- UNCTAD projects Tanzania’s GDP growth at 5.8% in 2026 and 5.3% in 2027, supported by agricultural output, improved macro stability, and gold price tailwinds.
Tanzania has been one of East Africa’s most consistent investment attraction stories through 2025 and into 2026, with each quarterly TISEZA bulletin showing sequential improvement in both volume and value. The $1.12 billion Q1 figure represents a strong start to the financial year and is consistent with the Q3 2025 figure of $2.54 billion, which was the highest on record at the time.
The Bigger Picture: China’s 39% share of Tanzania’s foreign investment and 60% of projected job creation reflects a relationship that is structural, not transactional. Chinese firms dominate Tanzania’s manufacturing parks, infrastructure contracts, and telecommunications buildout. That concentration creates both dependency risk and a significant positive employment multiplier. Tanzania’s 57% domestic ownership of registered investment is the more underreported figure: it suggests a domestic investor class that is increasingly active and confident in the local market, which is a better leading indicator of long-term economic resilience than foreign capital flows alone. TISEZA’s stated priority of attracting investors to peripheral regions through tax and non-tax incentives is the right policy direction, but the concentration of 60 projects in Dar es Salaam versus 5 in Mtwara shows how much work remains.
Source: Daily News Tanzania
