The 60 years of Sino-Tanzania cooperation: Across Magufuli bridge in Mwanza into Kilwa Fishing Port

Six Decades of China and Tanzania cooperation: Kilwa Fishing Port and Magufuli Bridge in Mwanza among notable projects to be soon unveiled.

Over the decades, Chinese enterprises have played a pivotal role in reshaping Tanzania’s infrastructure.

A statement from Beijing where the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), is taking place, lists one of the most recent examples being the Magufuli Bridge, which gets commissioned  in December 2024.

At 520 meters, it will be Africa’s longest low-tower cable-stayed bridge, linking the regions of Busisi and Kigongo across Lake Victoria.

For local resident Ngonyani, who has lived in Mwanza for over 20 years, the bridge is a game-changer.

This USD 265 Million worth of a bridge will cut travel time from over two hours by ferry to just four minutes.

It will transform how people in the area live and work.

Once operational, the bridge will serve more than a million people and facilitate trade between Tanzania and its neighbours, including Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.

But further south, along the Indian Ocean coastline, the Kilwa Fishing Port, due for completion in 2025, a facility which will modernize Tanzania’s fishing industry.

With an annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes, the port is set to improve storage and distribution, a long-standing challenge for local fishermen.

“Without refrigeration, much of our catch goes to waste,” said Saidi, a fisherman.

“Once the port is built, we’ll be able to preserve our fish and sell to wider markets.”

Beyond these flagship projects, China has also focused on improving the daily lives of Tanzanians. In northern Tanzania’s Geita region, 8,000 rural households were connected to the power grid in 2024, thanks to a project led by China Railway Construction Engineering Group.

The initiative brought electricity to 127 villages, providing power to homes, schools, and health facilities.

From securing clean water to improving healthcare in 2023, the Arusha New Water Supply System, built by the Power Construction Corporation of China, began providing clean water to over 400,000 residents. 

For Emanuel, a mother of four, the system has been life-changing.

“Before, I had to spend extra money to buy clean water for my children. Now we have safe water right next to our home,” she said.

Beyond infrastructure, Chinese contributions to Tanzania have extended to critical healthcare support, which began in 1964.

On August 27, 2024, Zanzibari President Hussein Ali Mwinyi awarded the 33rd batch of the Chinese medical team with medals and certificates to recognize their contributions to Zanzibar’s healthcare system.

Over the past year, the team treated nearly 40,000 outpatients and held 20 large-scale free clinics on the islands.

President Mwinyi praised the Chinese medical team for their hard work and selfless dedication, particularly for advancing minimally invasive laparoscopic technology, enabling local doctors to make a “qualitative leap” in medical capabilities.

At the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China, Tanzania, and Zambia are reaffirming their historic ties with the revitalization of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), a key symbol of regional cooperation.

This move underscores the enduring relevance of a project that has linked their nations since the 1970s.

As Tanzania reflects on 60 years of diplomatic relations with China, the recent agreement to revitalize the TAZARA railway, often called the “Friendship Railway” or “Freedom Railway,” highlights the continued strength of the partnership.

The TAZARA railway was constructed as part of China’s support for African liberation movements and regional development. Stretching 1,860 kilometers, it crosses mountains, valleys, and wetlands, connecting Tanzania with landlocked Zambia.

Since its completion in 1976, it has served as a vital artery for goods and passengers in East Africa.

Musafiri Omari, a caretaker at the Chinese Experts Cemetery in Dar es Salaam, where many Chinese workers involved in the railway’s construction are buried, reflected on their legacy. “These men were heroes.

Tanzania will never forget our Chinese brothers,” he said. Omari, who has cared for the graves for over a decade, described how the Chinese president paid tribute to these fallen workers during his 2013 visit, calling them “builders of the monument of China-Tanzania friendship.”

Beyond TAZARA: Changing lives through infrastructure The TAZARA railway was not China’s only contribution to Tanzania’s development.