Tanzania has launched a nationwide campaign to reposition its own citizens as primary drivers of investment, targeting domestic investors to account for more than 50% of all investment projects expected this year.
Led by the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA), the two-month campaign will roll out from Geita Region and expand nationwide, including Zanzibar, in collaboration with the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA).
Minister of State for Planning and Investment Kitila Mkumbo said the initiative is meant to dismantle a long-standing perception that investment is a space reserved for foreigners.
“No country can rely solely on foreign investment for development,” Mkumbo said. “Domestic investment plays a critical role in economic growth, job creation and income generation.”
The campaign will focus on investment education, highlighting viable sectors, tax and non-tax incentives, and practical pathways for Tanzanians to participate in formal investment activity. Authorities will also promote joint ventures between local and foreign investors to help domestic firms access capital, technology and global markets.
Special emphasis will be placed on landowners, many of whom possess valuable but underutilized land. The program aims to connect them with developers and investors capable of transforming land into income-generating assets.
Officials say the initiative reflects President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s strategy to deepen domestic capital formation while sustaining Tanzania’s appeal to international investors.
Analysis
Tanzania is shifting from an FDI-led growth narrative to a balanced investment model where domestic capital is no longer secondary. By targeting majority local participation, the government is addressing capital concentration risk and strengthening economic resilience.
Decode
This is not about replacing foreign investors.
It’s about re-rating Tanzanians from spectators to shareholders in their own economy.
When locals invest:
Insight
Countries that sustain long-term growth are not built only by external capital, they are anchored by citizens who own productive assets. Tanzania is building that anchor.
A Call for Progress
Domestic capital is not small capital.
With the right structure, incentives and partnerships, local money becomes national power.
Progress Tracker
Domestic investment target: 50%+ of projects (2026)
Nationwide investment education campaign launched
Joint ventures promoted for capital & technology transfer
Continued openness to foreign investors
Shift toward inclusive, citizen-led growth
