Tanzania

Political relations

Relations between France and Tanzania, established in 1844 with Zanzibar and in 1961 with the Republic of Tanganyika, grew richer through strengthened dialogue since President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in 2021. She travelled twice to France and met with President Emmanuel Macron at the One Ocean Summit in Brest in February 2022 and the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, held in Paris in May 2024.

There is clear determination to bring the two countries closer. Minister Delegate Olivier Becht travelled to Tanzania on 23 February 2023 and Minister of State Chrysoula Zacharapoulou and Minister of Foreign Affairs January Makamba signed a Franco-Tanzanian declaration on 14 May 2024 identifying five priority areas for cooperation: energy and climate change, water and the blue economy, gender equality and women’s empowerment, transport infrastructures and agriculture.

Economic relations

Tanzania ranks 30^th among France’s trade partners in sub-Saharan Africa, and 129^th globally. For our part, France is Tanzania’s 27^th-largest customer and 28^th-largest supplier. Bilateral trade stood at €111 million in 2023, up €10 million on 2020. French companies mainly invest in the transport and energy industries, two priority sectors highlighted by the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Olivier Becht during his trip to Tanzania in February 2023.

Since President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office, the Tanzanian authorities have shown a desire to improve the business climate. In May 2024, a first France-Tanzania Business Forum bringing together public and private stakeholders in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar was held, focusing on infrastructure, energy, transport and urban development, providing an opportunity for French businesses to show interest in the Tanzanian market.