India and South Africa have become the leading importers of goods from Tanzania

India has now become the leading export destination for most Tanzanian products.

​The latest data from the Central Bank of Tanzania (BoT) referring to the 2023/24 fiscal year, the country’s exports recorded growth of around 7 percent, reaching a total of USD 7.87 billion.

In this context, two key partner countries stand out; these are India and South Africa.

Together, Johannesburg and Mumbai accounted for more than 43 percent of foreign exports from Dar-es-salaam.

India, which during the 2020/21 fiscal year represented only 9.8 percent of Tanzania’s shipment of exports, has now become the main destination of goods from this East African country.

The volume of trade between India and Tanzania was estimated to reach USD 7.9 billion by the end of the year 2023, but the figure should have grown even higher since then.

According to statistics from the Indian High Commission in Dar, Tanzania has also become India’s second-largest trade partner on the African continent, demonstrating the successful efforts of both governments.

The top ten Tanzania exports destinations include India (22 percent) South Africa (21.5 percent) UAE (7.9 percent) China (6.1 Percent), DR Congo (4.2 percent) and Uganda (3.9 percent).

Other importers of Tanzanian goods are Switzerland, Belgium, Kenya and Rwanda.

 With regard to imports, China remains the largest external supplier to this economy.

As far as the Bank of Tanzania is concerned, China accounts for nearly 30 percent (28.7 percent) of Tanzania’s foreign purchases, marking an increase of about three percentage points compared with the same period the previous year.

Tanzania seems to be buying almost 80 percent of trucks and buses from China, in addition to garments and electronics.

India which leads in importing goods from Tanzania, takes the second position when it comes to exporting the same to Dar-es-salaam, with 14.6 percent, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks third with 10.5 percent of exports to Tanzania while Japan, coming fourth with 3.9 percent, complete the group of main suppliers to Dar.

Exports from the Sub-Saharan African region, the East African Community and Tanzania currently  represents a mere 1.7 percent; 0.28 percent and 0.03 percent of global trade, respectively.