By Business Insider Reporter
The Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) has vowed to step up efforts to place the private sector at the centre of delivering Dira 2050 following the launch of a new government-led domestic investment drive.
The initiative principally aims at moving domestic investors from the sidelines to the centre of national development.
The National Domestic Investment Promotion Campaign 2026 was officially launched on January 16, 2026, at a high-level breakfast meeting with strategic investors hosted by TISEZA and officiated by the Minister of State for Planning and Investment, Prof Kitila Mkumbo.
The campaign represents a decisive shift in Tanzania’s investment philosophy – recasting local investors from passive stakeholders into strategic partners and co-drivers of the country’s long-term economic transformation.
At its core, the initiative seeks to empower Tanzanian investors to play a leading role in building a Sh1 trillion economy by 2050, in line with the ambitions of Dira 2050.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch, TISEZA Director General Gilead Teri said the campaign is designed to mobilise, expand, and empower domestic investment as a key engine of Tanzania’s new development vision, whose implementation begins in the upcoming fiscal year.
“TISEZA has set ambitious targets under this campaign, including facilitating the implementation of 1,500 investment projects across priority sectors of the economy,” Mr Teri said.
He added that the drive will also focus on improving the overall investment climate by strengthening policy predictability, removing bottlenecks, and ensuring investors receive timely, coordinated, and effective support across government institutions.
Anchored on the ambitions of Dira 2050, the campaign underpins Tanzania’s broader national development objectives, including achieving sustained high growth and accelerating progress toward a Sh1 trillion economy within the next 25 years. The Government is also targeting economic growth of 10.5 percent by 2031.
According to TISEZA and other national development strategists, these goals are unattainable without a strong, confident, and actively engaged domestic private sector.
The launch of the campaign underscores a fundamental policy shift – from treating investors as stakeholders to recognising them as partners in national development.
Speaking during the launch, Prof. Mkumbo said the Government is redefining its engagement with the private sector to ensure investors are directly involved in shaping and implementing Tanzania’s long-term development agenda.
“Tanzania will no longer treat investors as mere stakeholders,” Prof Mkumbo said. “We are changing our approach. We want to work with you as partners – co-designing solutions and jointly driving the country’s transformation agenda.”
Under the 2026 campaign, TISEZA has been tasked with coordinating investor engagement, strengthening facilitation services, and aligning domestic investment with priority sectors identified under Dira 2050.
The initiative is also aimed at unlocking the full potential of local capital by encouraging Tanzanian businesses to expand, reinvest, and scale up their contribution to economic transformation.
According to Prof. Mkumbo, it is both economically unsound and developmentally irrational to pursue national prosperity without a deeply engaged private sector.
“The private sector is not an observer in our development journey – it is a co-driver,” he said, noting that the campaign is intended to move beyond consultations toward practical, problem-solving partnerships.
The initiative has been welcomed by private sector players.
Victor Byemelwa, Communications and Public Relations Manager at Kilombero Sugar Company, commended the Government and investment authorities for their continued efforts to address investor challenges, describing the campaign as a positive step toward building trust and confidence.
The National Domestic Investment Promotion Campaign 2026 was formally rolled out on January 17, 2026, across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. Its investor education and engagement programmes will focus on priority sectors outlined in Dira 2050, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to ensuring investment drives inclusive, sustainable, and long-term national development.
AT A GLANCE: NATIONAL DOMESTIC INVESTMENT PROMOTION CAMPAIGN
1. Positioning the private sector as a development partner
- The campaign marks a policy shift from treating investors as stakeholders to recognising them as strategic partners and co-drivers of Tanzania’s development agenda.
2. Unlocking domestic capital
It seeks to encourage Tanzanian businesses and individuals to:
- Expand existing investments
- Reinvest profits locally
- Invest in priority and productive sectors
This reduces over-reliance on foreign capital and strengthens economic resilience.
3. Aligning investment with Dira 2050 priorities
The campaign directs domestic investment toward sectors identified in Dira 2050, including:
- Industrialisation and manufacturing
- Agriculture and agro-processing
- Energy, infrastructure, and logistics
- Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
- Technology, innovation, and services
4. Improving the investment environment
Through TISEZA and other agencies, the campaign focuses on:
- Removing investment bottlenecks
- Improving regulatory predictability
- Enhancing investor facilitation and coordination
- Strengthening government–business dialogue
5. Supporting ambitious economic targets
The campaign underpins Tanzania’s goals to:
- Build a Sh1 trillion economy by 2050
- Achieve 10.5% economic growth by 2031
6. Nationwide rollout and investor education
The campaign has been rolled out across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar with:
- Investor education programmes
- Sector-focused engagement
- Awareness on incentives, opportunities, and reforms
