By URT Progress Desk
Dar es Salaam | 13 Jan 2026

What is happening?

The United Republic of Tanzania has recorded a sharp expansion in bilateral trade with South Africa, driven overwhelmingly by gold exports, pushing total trade value to approximately TZS 5.7 trillion over the last five years.

Data from the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade) shows that from 2020 to 2024, Tanzania’s exports to South Africa nearly doubled, from USD 1.145 billion to USD 2.293 billion, with trade consistently favouring Dar es Salaam.

Gold has emerged as the dominant export:

• USD 1.075 billion in 2023
• USD 2.226 billion in 2024
  This represents one of the fastest single-market gold export expansions in Tanzania’s recent trade history.

Beyond gold, Tanzania diversified exports into:

• Tobacco, coffee, tea, cashew nuts, avocados
• Cotton garments (T-shirts, singlets, vests)
• Ceramic tiles, paving materials
• Oilcake and agricultural residues

On the import side, Tanzania sourced:

• Vehicles and iron & steel
• Electrical machinery and plastics
• Medical equipment, chemicals, beverages, and paper products

This balanced yet export-led trade profile underscores Tanzania’s rising competitiveness within the SADC market.

Why it matters

This is not just a gold story; it is a regional integration story.

Key signals decoded:

• Gold as a foreign exchange anchor: Tanzania is leveraging mineral wealth to strengthen trade balances and macroeconomic stability.
• SADC market penetration: South Africa has become a strategic gateway for Tanzanian exports into Southern Africa.
• Logistics + diplomacy synergy: Trade growth has been reinforced by aviation, standards harmonisation, and institutional cooperation.
• Export diversification underway: Agricultural and light manufacturing products are gaining traction alongside minerals.

The trade surplus strengthens Tanzania’s negotiating power, supports industrial value chains, and validates its export-led growth strategy under FYDP III.

What this unlocks next

a) Gold-to-Industry Transition

Sustained gold export earnings provide fiscal and forex space to:

• Accelerate local gold beneficiation
• Finance industrial parks, SEZs, and SME export capacity
• De-risk long-term infrastructure and logistics investments

b) Aviation as a Trade Multiplier

The resumption of Air Tanzania (ATCL) flights has:

• Carried 26,268 passengers
• Transported 202,707 tonnes of cargo (Nov 2024–Dec 2025)

This has:

• Reduced trade friction
• Expanded cargo and perishables exports
• Boosted tourism and business mobility

c)  Standards & Market Access

The Zanzibar Bureau of Standards–South African Bureau of Standards MoU:

• Lowers technical barriers to trade
• Enhances export acceptance
• Positions Zanzibar as a competitive regional production and tourism hub

What should be done now

Move from raw exports to value chains

• Scale gold refining, jewellery, and downstream manufacturing
• Link mining revenues to industrial financing mechanisms

Lock in agricultural export corridors

• Prioritise avocados, cashews, coffee, and tea for South African retail and processing markets
• Support cold-chain logistics via ATCL cargo expansion

Deepen SADC trade diplomacy

• Fast-track pending MoUs with South Africa, Botswana, and Lesotho
• Align trade agreements with AfCFTA + SADC protocols

Position Tanzania as a regional logistics hub

• Integrate ports, airlines, SEZs, and standards agencies into one export ecosystem