The EU-Tanzania roadshow continued in Cesena, Italy, on October 1, highlighting investment opportunities in Tanzania's agro-processing, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure sectors. The event, part of the EU-Tanzania Investment and Business Forum 2026-2027 roadshows, brought together Tanzanian investment promotion agencies and Italian businesses. Presentations focused on rice, cashew, and coffee production, as well as power generation, transmission, and digital connectivity projects.
Marc Stalmans, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Tanzania, emphasized that the roadshow aims to bring European companies closer to Tanzanian investment opportunities before the main business forum in 2027. He outlined Tanzania's Vision 2050, which aims to quadruple GDP per capita over 25 years, leveraging the country's natural resources. Stalmans noted that the EU offers various financial instruments, including grants, guarantees, and loans, to support Tanzanian development.
Deputy Minister of State in the President's Office for Planning and Investment, Hon. Dr. Pius Stephen Chaya, presented Tanzania's investment case to Italian companies. He encouraged investments across agricultural value chains, from production to processing and export. Chaya highlighted opportunities in precision farming, digital market platforms, and renewable energy, citing an Italian Trade Agency study that valued Tanzania's packaging market at approximately $370 million in 2024.
Chaya invited Italian financial institutions to develop buyer-credit frameworks and urged investors to use Tanzania as a base to serve the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community, and the African Continental Free Trade Area. He emphasized priorities such as local value addition, job creation, technology transfer, and export growth. Chaya also welcomed Italian expertise in renewable energy generation, storage, transmission, and distribution.
The Tanzanian Ambassador to Italy, Mbarouk Nassor Mbarouk, announced that an Italian company plans to invest in a 50 MW solar power project in Tanzania. He also noted cooperation in coffee, including a planned Coffee Training Center in Moshi. Italian institutions, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, reported growing investment and business links with Tanzania.
Fabrizio Lobasso, Central Director for the Italian System and Investment, cited $8.6 billion in foreign investment registered in Tanzania in the last year, a 56% increase. He described the relationship as shifting from trade to productive partnerships in machinery, digitalization, and agricultural logistics. Italian companies, such as Leonardo and Sparkle, presented their interests in the afternoon sessions.
According to Chaya, Italy-Tanzania trade reached approximately $235 million in 2024. The 2025 business forum in Dar es Salaam brought together 48 Italian and 300 Tanzanian companies, generating nearly 500 B2B meetings. The EU-Tanzania Investment and Business Forum is tentatively scheduled for 2027 in Dar es Salaam, offering a platform for investors to explore opportunities in Tanzania's growing economy.
Key points
- Tanzania promotes investment opportunities in agro-processing, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure to Italian businesses.
- The EU offers various financial instruments to support Tanzanian development, including a $156 million grant package approved in July.
- Italian companies show growing interest in Tanzania's investment opportunities, with $8.6 billion in foreign investment registered in the last year.
