Tanzania Politically stable and rich in natural resources

Tanzania is one of the most politically stable and peaceful countries in East Africa. It serves as a model for others in the region as far as religious freedom and ethnic tolerance are concerned. The country is making considerable efforts to protect its rich biodiversity.

In recent years, Tanzania’s economy was one of the strongest in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous loss of revenue, especially in the tourism sector. Another challenge is population growth. Over the last 50 years, the country’s population has more than quadrupled and the average age is 18 years.

View of Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania

The government is pushing ahead with reforms aimed at fighting corruption, increasing domestic revenues, and improving health care and water supply. Initial successes can be seen, but so far it has not proved possible to achieve any tangible or sustained reduction in poverty. On the current Human Development Index (HDI) Tanzania ranks 160th out of 191 countries.

Relations between Tanzania and Germany have been shaped by the colonial history between the two countries: from 1891 to 1918, large areas of the country were part of the imperial colony German East Africa. Today, relations are close and friendly. For example, numerous partnerships exist between towns and cities, schools and church communities in the two countries.

German development cooperation with Tanzania

Tanzania and Germany have been engaged in development cooperation for many decades. At government negotiations in October 2021, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) made a new commitment of 71 million euros to Tanzania for bilateral cooperation, with 56 million euros being earmarked for Financial Cooperation and 15 million euros for Technical Cooperation.

The core areas for this cooperation are:

Conserving nature and natural resources, protecting life on Earth
Areas of intervention: biodiversity and water
Peaceful and inclusive societies
Area of intervention: good governance

Other areas of cooperation

A mother has her newborn child medically examined

In addition, Germany is also working to improve maternal and child health in Tanzania. This includes support that is being given through KfW Development Bank to the national health insurance provider, which is offering special free insurance for pregnant women and mothers living in poverty, and for their newborn babies. Additional support is being provided, furthermore, for family planning services. In order to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021 Germany additionally provided funding for hospital equipment and staff training.

The expansion of the power supply in the north-west of the country is also being supported. Through the construction of a 140-kilometre-long transmission line, the region south-west of Lake Victoria is being connected to the national power grid, and regional energy trading with Tanzania’s neighbours Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda is being made possible.

Cooperation with Zanzibar

In addition, at the government negotiations in the autumn of 2021, it was agreed that development cooperation with Zanzibar would be formally resumed. This semi-autonomous territory is characterised by political tensions, struggles for independence, sluggish economic development and enormous poverty.

Bilateral development cooperation with Zanzibar was put on hold following undemocratic elections in 2015 that were accompanied by rioting and violence. After elections in October 2020, Hussein Ali Mwinyi became Zanzibar’s new president. He formed a governing coalition with Zanzibar’s strongest opposition party (see also Political situation).

The newly resumed cooperation with Zanzibar is to begin with a participatory project for municipal water supply, which also takes into account the impacts of climate change on water security.

In addition to that, Germany is supporting Zanzibar in the areas of health and sport for development, with a special focus on young people. The aim of this cooperation is to contribute to peace and social cohesion.

Still from the BMZ video "Biodiversity in Tanzania"

The focus of German-Tanzanian development cooperation within the context of this core area is on the UNESCO world heritage sites in Tanzania: the Serengeti National Park, the Nyerere National Park – which includes the Selous Game Reserve – and the Mahale and Katavi national parks in western Tanzania.

Another focus of German activities is on water supply and sanitation in small and medium-sized towns that are experiencing strong growth.

Girls learn how to use computers at a youth centre in Tanga (Tanzania).

In the field of good financial governance, Germany is contributing towards strengthening Tanzania’s system of public finances. A new project under Technical Cooperation is intended to facilitate access to justice for women and girls, thus helping to prevent gender-based violence.