Dar es Salaam. Tanzania and Singapore have taken steps to deepen trade and investment ties as Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam began a three-day state visit aimed at unlocking fresh economic opportunities and strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
The visit, which commenced yesterday and is scheduled to run to June 10, 2026 at the invitation of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, came as both nations sought to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, logistics, industrialisation and skills development amid expanding economic links between Africa and Asia.
President Shanmugaratnam was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising cabinet ministers, senior government officials and business leaders.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation said in a statement that the visit marked a new chapter in relations between the two countries, which established diplomatic ties in December 1980 and celebrated 45 years of cooperation last year.
Economic cooperation has emerged as one of the fastest-growing pillars of the bilateral relationship.
Trade between Tanzania and Singapore expanded significantly over the past decade, with Tanzanian exports to Singapore rising from $43 million in 2020 to nearly $183 million in 2022 before easing to $142 million in 2023, according to figures cited by the ministry.
Major Tanzanian exports included cocoa beans, coffee, cloves, copper, precious stones and frozen fish. Imports from Singapore consisted mainly of fuels, machinery, electrical equipment, medical products, chemicals and other manufactured goods.
“As Tanzania advances its ambitions for industrialization, digital transformation, infrastructure modernisation, and economic diversification, Singapore's expertise in governance, logistics, urban development, innovation, and skills training offers valuable partnership opportunities,” the ministry said in the statement.
The ministry noted that the visit was expected to provide a platform for business leaders from both countries to explore new commercial partnerships and investment opportunities across key sectors of the economy.
Singaporean investment has already established a notable presence in Tanzania’s energy, manufacturing, transport, construction and natural resources sectors.
According to the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (Tiseza), 36 projects worth $535 million involving Singaporean investors had been registered between 1997 and July 2025. The projects were expected to create more than 3,200 jobs.
Manufacturing accounted for the largest share of these investments, followed by construction, transport, agriculture, infrastructure development and natural resources.
Among the most significant investments was that of Singapore-based energy company Pavilion Energy, which acquired a 20 percent stake in offshore gas Blocks 1, 3 and 4, highlighting investor confidence in Tanzania’s energy sector.
The visit was also expected to culminate in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a framework for bilateral consultations between Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The arrangement would create a structured mechanism for regular political and economic dialogue, enabling the two governments to monitor progress and identify new areas of cooperation.
Beyond trade and investment, Tanzania has benefited from Singapore’s technical assistance programmes, including scholarships, professional training and capacity-building initiatives.
The recently launched Singapore–Africa Partnership Leading to Growth and Sustainability (SAPLINGS) programme for 2026–2028 is expected to support African countries, including Tanzania, in areas such as digitalisation, governance, port management, financial technology, healthcare, smart cities and trade facilitation.
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