Accra: Tanzania’s export earnings surged by 40 percent in 2024, reaching 3.94 billion US dollars from African markets alone as the government intensified efforts to secure reliable markets for locally produced goods and unlock thousands of new jobs for young people. Speaking to the media this week, Minister for Industry and Trade Judith Kapinga said the strong performance reflects the growing impact of regional and global market access on Tanzania’s industrial and commercial sectors, saying that assured markets remain central to sustaining production and expanding trade.
According to Nam News Network, Kapinga highlighted that intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has been a major driver of the export surge. The growth was driven by increased exports of agricultural and industrial products, including coffee, tobacco, glass products, cereals, spices, and sisal fibres. Kapinga noted that AfCFTA has opened new markets for Tanzanian products in countries such as Nigeria, Moroc
co, Senegal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Algeria, Djibouti, and Guinea, creating fresh opportunities for exporters across multiple sectors.
On this basis, Kapinga encouraged young people to establish export-oriented businesses in agriculture, value addition, spices, food processing, clothing, and industrial products. She added that the government has already prepared and launched a National Strategy for the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area to ensure citizens are well-positioned to benefit from the continental market and to maximize gains for the national economy.
Beyond Africa, the minister said Tanzania continues to strengthen its presence in the European market. Exports to the European Union rose from 633.5 million US dollars in 2023 to 686.3 million US dollars in 2024, representing a 7.6 percent increase. This rise was largely driven by higher exports of avocados, cocoa, coffee, tobacco, and minerals. Turning to Asia, Kapinga stated that Tanzania earned 2.84 billion US dollars from exports
to Asian markets in 2024, compared to 2.92 billion US dollars in 2023.
Key products contributing to exports to Asia included cashew nuts, pulses, avocados, cotton, groundnuts, and goat meat. Kapinga emphasized that the availability of these markets provides a solid foundation for expanding export volumes and diversifying Tanzania’s trade portfolio. In this regard, the government is in the final stages of preparing a National Export Strategy that will deliberately place young people at the center of its implementation.
Kapinga underscored the importance of addressing structural challenges, particularly the need to accelerate the formalization of businesses and improve digital systems that support investors and entrepreneurs. She noted that the government has made progress in simplifying business registration and licensing procedures, while acknowledging that further improvements are needed. Regulatory institutions are being reoriented to play a facilitative role rather than acting as enforcement bodies.
The
minister mentioned that business registration and licensing services are now offered online through electronic platforms, such as the Online Registration System (ORS), the Tanzania National Business Portal (TNBP), and the Beneficial Ownership Portal (BO). These systems have improved service delivery by making processes faster and more accessible to stakeholders, and they are continuously being upgraded to enhance user-friendliness.
Kapinga also highlighted the integration of the ORS with 29 government and private institutions, enabling seamless access to information required at various stages of institutional operations and service delivery. To further strengthen service delivery, the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) established a Customer Service Call Centre receiving between 300 and 500 calls daily. This call centre has enhanced communication with customers and improved the speed at which challenges are addressed, with all calls recorded and archived to support accountability and continu
ous service improvement.