Tanzania Investment and Consultant Group Ltd

| Economic Research Centre

Tanzania’s Investment Boom 335% Growth in Projects and $9.3 Billion Capital Inflow (2020–2024)
April 29, 2025  
Between 2020 and 2024, Tanzania experienced a remarkable surge in investment activities, signaling growing confidence in the country's economic prospects. The number of projects registered by the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) increased from 207 in 2020 to 901 in 2024 — a 335% growth over five years. At the same time, total capital investment rose […]

Between 2020 and 2024, Tanzania experienced a remarkable surge in investment activities, signaling growing confidence in the country's economic prospects. The number of projects registered by the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) increased from 207 in 2020 to 901 in 2024 — a 335% growth over five years. At the same time, total capital investment rose sharply from $1.1 billion to $9.3 billion, marking a 745% increase. Job creation linked to these projects also soared by 1,121%, with employment opportunities growing from 17,385 in 2020 to 212,293 in 2024. This rapid expansion reflects both domestic and foreign investor confidence, with domestic projects growing by 402%, foreign projects by 399%, and joint ventures by 184%. Key sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, commercial real estate, transportation, and telecommunications attracted the largest share of capital and created substantial jobs, demonstrating Tanzania’s ongoing transformation into a vibrant investment hub.

Key Figures:

  • Total Projects: Increased from 207 (2020) to 901 (2024)+335% growth.
  • Domestic Projects: Increased from 64 (2020) to 321 (2024)+402% growth.
  • Foreign Projects: Increased from 81 (2020) to 404 (2024)+399% growth.
  • Joint Venture Projects: Increased from 62 (2020) to 176 (2024)+184% growth.
  • Capital Investment: Rose from $1.1 billion (2020) to $9.3 billion (2024)+745% growth.
  • Jobs Created: Rose from 17,385 (2020) to 212,293 (2024)+1,121% growth.
  • Top Investment Sectors by Capital (2024): Manufacturing ($2.19 billion), Agriculture ($1.89 billion), Commercial Buildings ($788.86 million).
  • Top Sources of FDI (2024): China ($1.05 billion), Vietnam ($783.4 million), Mauritius ($773.96 million).
  • Top Region by Investment (2024): Dar es Salaam with $4.44 billion across 356 projects and 107,962 jobs.

Project Registration Trends (2020-2024)

YearTotal ProjectsDomestic ProjectsForeign ProjectsJoint Venture ProjectsJobs CreatedCapital Investment (US$ Billion)
202020764816217,3851.1
2021256751146740,8893.8
2022293991128253,0254.5
2023526182214130137,0105.7
2024901321404176212,2939.3

Project Ownership in 2024

  • Foreign ownership: 44.8% (compared to 40.7% in 2023)
  • Joint ventures: 19.6% (compared to 24.7% in 2023)
  • Domestic ownership: 35.6% (compared to 34.6% in 2023)

Sectoral Analysis of Projects (January-December 2024)

Expansion Projects (January-December 2024)

Total expansion projects: 51 projects across various sectors.

Sectors by Project Count

Total projects: 901 The document doesn't provide the exact number for each sector, but visually it appears manufacturing has the highest number of projects, followed by commercial buildings and services.

Jobs Created by Sector (January-December 2024)

Total jobs: 212,293 Top sectors for job creation:

  1. Commercial Building: approximately 125,760 jobs
  2. Manufacturing: approximately 45,883 jobs
  3. Economic Infrastructure: approximately 18,780 jobs
  4. Transportation: approximately 7,475 jobs
  5. Tourism: approximately 6,949 jobs

Capital Investment by Sector (January-December 2024)

Total investment: $9.3 billion Top sectors receiving investment:

  1. Manufacturing: approximately $2.19 billion
  2. Agriculture: approximately $1.89 billion
  3. Commercial Building: approximately $788.86 million
  4. Transportation: approximately $706.39 million
  5. Telecommunication: approximately $651.92 million

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Top 5 Sources of FDI in 2024

  1. China: $1,053.46 million
  2. Vietnam: $783.4 million
  3. Mauritius: $773.96 million
  4. UAE: $702.52 million
  5. United Kingdom: $394.30 million

Top 5 Sources of FDI in 2023

  1. China: $2,111.41 million
  2. India: $190.53 million
  3. Singapore: $143.29 million
  4. Hong Kong: $135 million
  5. Germany: $131.25 million

Permits, Licenses and Approvals (2024 vs 2023)

The document shows a significant increase in permits, licenses, and approvals issued in 2024 compared to 2023, though the exact numbers aren't clearly visible in the document. The figure shows increases across multiple institutions including Immigration (residence permits), Labor Office (work permits), TRA (approved lists of exemptions), NIDA (legal identity card/NIN), TIC (certificate of incentives), and Ministry of Lands (derivative rights).

Top 10 Regional Distribution (by Capital Investment)

  1. Dar es Salaam: 356 projects, 107,962 jobs, $4,440.97 million capital
  2. Pwani: 166 projects, 49,784 jobs, $1,243.87 million capital
  3. Ruvuma: 11 projects, 5,735 jobs, $597.64 million capital
  4. Mwanza: 37 projects, 4,395 jobs, $581.11 million capital
  5. Morogoro: 22 projects, 11,556 jobs, $446.17 million capital
  6. Shinyanga: 16 projects, 1,121 jobs, $415.21 million capital
  7. Arusha: 64 projects, 6,657 jobs, $213.06 million capital
  8. Dodoma: 47 projects, 6,540 jobs, $182.36 million capital
  9. Kigoma: 8 projects, 774 jobs, $155.62 million capital
  10. Tanga: 23 projects, 1,315 jobs, $137.66 million capital

This analysis shows Tanzania's continued growth in investment across various sectors and regions, with significant increases in both domestic and foreign investments over the five-year period.

Trend Analysis of TIC Investment Projects (2020–2024):

1. Massive Growth in Investment Activity

  • Project registrations rose 335% (from 207 to 901 projects).
  • Strong surges in 2023 (+79%) and 2024 (+71%) especially indicate a sharp acceleration in interest.
  • This suggests that Tanzania became a significantly more attractive investment destination over this period — possibly due to government reforms, better investment climate, infrastructure development, or global shifts.

2. Balanced Growth Between Domestic and Foreign Investments

  • Domestic projects grew 402%, while foreign projects grew 399%.
  • This shows that local investors are increasingly active, not just foreign investors — a positive signal of internal economic confidence and private sector development.

3. Joint Ventures Growing, But More Slowly

  • Joint ventures increased 184%, slower compared to domestic and foreign projects.
  • This may suggest a need to further encourage partnerships between Tanzanian and foreign investors.

4. Exceptional Job Creation

  • Jobs created rose from 17,385 in 2020 to 212,293 in 2024 — a 1,121% increase.
  • Shows investment projects are not just rising numerically, but also becoming larger and more labor-intensive, especially in sectors like commercial building and manufacturing.

5. Sharp Increase in Capital Investment

  • Capital investment jumped from $1.1 billion to $9.3 billion (+745%).
  • This signals larger-scale projects, and higher-value industries being targeted (not just quantity of projects but also quality/size).

6. Sectoral Insights

  • Manufacturing is the top sector by project count and by capital investment ($2.19 billion).
  • Commercial building dominates in job creation (125,760 jobs) but not necessarily in capital.
  • Agriculture attracted the second-highest investment ($1.89 billion), reflecting efforts to modernize and commercialize the sector.
  • Transportation and Telecommunications are emerging sectors — critical for logistics and digital economy growth.

7. Changes in Project Ownership Structure

  • Foreign ownership increased slightly from 40.7% (2023) to 44.8% (2024).
  • Domestic ownership also rose slightly, while joint ventures declined, suggesting investors may increasingly prefer to go solo rather than partner.

8. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Dynamics

  • China remains the leading source of FDI in 2023 and 2024, though its FDI declined from $2.1 billion (2023) to $1.05 billion (2024).
  • New strong entries in 2024 include Vietnam, Mauritius, and UAE — indicating diversification of Tanzania’s FDI sources.
  • Shows shifting global investment patterns towards Tanzania.

9. Administrative Improvements

  • A significant increase in permits, licenses, and approvals in 2024 suggests:
    • Greater activity and support from regulatory agencies.
    • Possibly better ease of doing business.
    • Tanzania’s institutions are responding to investment growth with better service delivery.

10. Regional Distribution

  • Dar es Salaam and Pwani regions dominate in project number, job creation, and capital — but other regions like Ruvuma and Mwanza also attract significant investments.
  • This suggests some beginning of investment decentralization, though still heavily urban/concentrated.

In Summary:

  • Tanzania’s investment climate significantly improved from 2020–2024, characterized by:
    • Higher number, size, and diversity of projects.
    • Increased domestic investor participation.
    • Massive job creation.
    • Sectoral diversification.
    • Geographic spreading (still early but visible).
  • Policy reforms, institutional strengthening, infrastructure improvements, and targeted promotion efforts likely played key roles.

Tanzania Investment Centre - Key Figures 2020-2024

Project Ownership Distribution (%)

Ownership Type20232024Change
Foreign40.7%44.8%+4.1%
Domestic34.6%35.6%+1.0%
Joint Venture24.7%19.6%-5.1%

Top 5 Sectors by Job Creation (2024)

SectorJobs Created
Commercial Building125,760
Manufacturing45,883
Economic Infrastructure18,780
Transportation7,475
Tourism6,949

Top 5 Sectors by Capital Investment (2024)

SectorCapital Investment (USD Million)
Manufacturing2,192.56
Agriculture1,891.42
Commercial Building788.86
Transportation706.39
Telecommunication651.92

Top 5 Sources of FDI

Country2023 (USD Million)2024 (USD Million)Change
China2,111.411,053.46-50.1%
Vietnam-783.40New
Mauritius-773.96New
UAE-702.52New
United Kingdom-394.30New
India190.53--
Singapore143.29--
Hong Kong135.00--
Germany131.25--

Top 10 Regional Distribution (2024)

RegionProjectsJobs CreatedCapital Investment (USD Million)
Dar es Salaam356107,9624,440.97
Pwani16649,7841,243.87
Ruvuma115,735597.64
Mwanza374,395581.11
Morogoro2211,556446.17
Shinyanga161,121415.21
Arusha646,657213.06
Dodoma476,540182.36
Kigoma8774155.62
Tanga231,315137.66

Macroeconomic Indicators (2024)

IndicatorValue
GDP Growth Rate5.4%
Inflation Rate3.1%
Total Population66,278,276
TSH/USD Exchange Rate (Buying)2,643.12
TSH/USD Exchange Rate (Selling)2,668.42

Subscribe to TICGL Insights

Stay informed and gain the crucial information you need to make strategic decisions in Tanzania's vibrant market.
Subscription Form
crossmenu linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram