Dar es Salaam. In the heart of Tanzania, a groundbreaking shift is taking place in the mining sector, promising to reshape the nation’s future.
Over the course of three transformative days, Dar es Salaam hosted a high-stakes conference that brought together over 1,500 stakeholders, all focused on unlocking the immense potential of Tanzania’s rich mineral resources.
This event marked a pivotal moment in the country’s strategy to position itself as a global mining hub, with ambitious plans for investment, value addition, and sustainable growth.
The promise of a prosperous future was echoed by Tanzania’s leadership, including the President of Zanzibar, Dr. Hussein Mwinyi, who spoke about the nation’s ambitious plans to create a more business-friendly environment to attract investments in mineral value addition.
“As Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, the At the climax of the conference, which started on November 19 and ran through November 21, Dr. Mwinyi, represented by Deputy Speaker Mgeni Hassan Juma, declared that adding value to minerals was no longer optional—it was a necessity for the nation’s development.
President of the United Republic of Tanzania, has been emphasizing, we must ensure that all minerals extracted in our country are processed and value-added,” Dr. Hussein Mwinyi said in his speech.
This vision was not just about extracting raw materials, but about transforming them into finished products that could power industries, generate employment, and significantly contribute to the national economy.
Tanzania is blessed with an abundance of valuable minerals, including copper, nickel, cobalt, and lithium—resources that are essential in today’s global economy.
However, Dr Mwinyi pointed out that the country could only fully benefit from these resources if it built industries to process the raw minerals locally.
“We must build factories that add value to these minerals until they reach the final product stage,” he explained.
This, he asserted, would expand the sector’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which stood at 9 percent last year, higher compared to 7.2 percent recorded in 2021.
The plan on card is to increase the contribution to 10 percent by next year.
The three-day conference was a key moment in Tanzania’s quest to tap into its mining potential.
Discussions were held on various topics, including overcoming challenges to mineral value addition in Africa, enabling access to capital, and exploring opportunities in the mining sector.
A key focus was also on promoting the involvement of women and youth in the mineral processing industry, an area that remains underdeveloped in many African nations.
In his speech, the Minister for Minerals, Anthony Mavunde, emphasized the importance of such gatherings.
He described the event as a platform for exchanging knowledge, learning from countries that have successfully advanced their mining sectors, and showcasing Tanzania’s vast mineral wealth to the world.
“We aspire to make Tanzania a global hub for mineral investment,” Mr Mavunde stated, citing South Africa’s “Mining Indaba” as a model to follow.
The “Mining Indaba” in Cape Town, South Africa, is one of the largest annual conferences for the global mining industry, where stakeholders meet to explore investment opportunities, discuss challenges, and cooperate across public and private sectors.
Mr Mavunde’s vision for Tanzania was clear: to establish a permanent venue for mining conferences that would attract global attention, similar to South Africa’s success.
He called on all Regional Commissioners to set aside large areas of land that could be developed into mining hubs, offering the necessary infrastructure and facilities to host international conferences and attract significant investment.
“When investors come to Tanzania, we want them to see the full potential of our mineral wealth,” he said, highlighting areas like Buzwagi located in Kahama as prime locations for such developments.
Dr Steven Kiruswa, the Deputy Minister for Minerals, also praised the top leaders for their strategic vision, noting that Tanzania’s mining sector was steadily growing, thanks to sound policies and clear guidance.
Going by the official data, the Mining sector’s growth climbed to 11.3 percent last year compared to 9.4 percent realized in 2021
The theme of this year’s Mining and Investment Conference—Value Addition for Economic and Social development—was aligned with the country’s 2009 mining policy, which mandates that all minerals produced in Tanzania should be processed domestically before being exported.
Dr Kiruswa stressed that the ultimate goal was to broaden the value chain within the country.
“We aim to create opportunities for employment and establish mining processing industries here at home,” he affirmed.
The government’s plans for investment also extended beyond exploration and mining to include refining, value addition, and trading in minerals—activities that would add depth to the country’s economy and make Tanzania a regional mining powerhouse.
As the conference closed, there was a renewed sense of optimism and determination.
The discussions were more than just theoretical—they were about transforming Tanzania into a model for responsible and sustainable mining in Africa.
With the right investment, infrastructure, and leadership, the country’s vast mineral wealth could become a source of long-term prosperity for all Tanzanians.
This vision for the future of the mining sector was not just a dream—it was an unfolding reality, one that would lead to greater jobs, industries, and a brighter economic future for Tanzania.
