Tanzania is making a fresh push to position itself as one of Africa’s leading investment destinations, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan inviting Russian and other international companies to participate in the development of the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone (BSEZ), widely regarded as one of East Africa’s most ambitious industrialization plans.
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, June 5, President Hassan used the global platform to showcase Tanzania’s economic ambitions and court foreign investors at a time when African countries are increasingly competing for manufacturing, logistics, and infrastructure capital.
At the centre of her pitch was the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone, a flagship project the government hopes will transform Tanzania into a major manufacturing and trade hub serving both regional and international markets.
“The Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone is our number one project, and we welcome international companies to partner with us in its development,” Hassan told participants at the forum, which was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, business executives, and policymakers from around the world.
The renewed investment drive comes as global companies seek alternative production and supply chain locations beyond traditional manufacturing centres in Asia. Several African economies, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Morocco, have intensified efforts to attract industrial investments, creating a growing race to become the continent’s next manufacturing powerhouse.
