Tanzania and Namibia have agreed to enhance efforts to boost economic cooperation by identifying effective strategies to increase trade and facilitate major investment projects between the two countries.
The agreement was reached during official talks in Dar es Salaam on 21st May 2025 between Tanzanian President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan and Namibian President Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who had been officially received by President Samia at the State House on 20th May 2025 as part of her two-day official visit to Tanzania.
The two leaders expressed their intention to expand cooperation in education, tourism, environment, livestock, fisheries, and energy, with a focus on attracting higher levels of private investment compared to current figures.
President Samia emphasized the role of the private sector in generating youth employment and reducing poverty and called for stronger engagement in this area.
She also noted that trade between Tanzania and Namibia grew from TZS 17 billion in 2019 to TZS 20 billion in 2023.
However, she added that the current level remains low relative to the available opportunities and urged business communities in both countries to seize these opportunities.
President Samia invited Namibian investors to partner with Tanzania in value addition for livestock and fisheries products and to explore opportunities in the tourism sector.
In education, President Samia announced plans for the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) to collaborate with Triumphant College of Namibia in teaching Kiswahili as a way to promote bilateral relations, friendship, and social cohesion.
President Samia also assured President Nandi-Ndaitwah that Tanzania will remain a close partner and reliable advisor in her leadership role, stating that the historical friendship between the two countries will continue to grow for the benefit of current and future generations.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah said that Namibia will soon send its Ministers of Trade and Industry to Tanzania to learn from its development programs and to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.
She also expressed gratitude for being invited to speak at the University of Dar es Salaam, where she plans to encourage students to pursue leadership opportunities.
The two presidents also agreed on the importance of promoting a diversified energy mix, including renewable energy and natural gas, to ensure a stable energy supply for industrial and social development in Southern Africa.
Tanzania–Namibia Bilateral Relations
Tanzania and Namibia maintain bilateral relations through diplomatic, economic, and regional cooperation frameworks.
Tanzania supported Namibia during its independence struggle and has hosted Namibian exiles and freedom fighters.
The two countries are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and have engaged in cooperation in sectors such as education, defense, and trade.
