South African companies should explore opportunities in Tanzania’s roads, rail, and port infrastructure development projects, says South Africa’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Thami Mseleku.

Speaking at a business seminar in Dar es Salaam, on Thursday, the High Commissioner said South African companies must explore joint-venture opportunities that exist.

Mseleku said Tanzania stands at a crossroad because of its 6-7% growth rate and it has the potential to grow if certain strategic decisions are followed through.

“We must note that this is not only a growth point in itself but it is an entry point to the east African community here particularly because the country is strategically located in order to enable us to penetrate the markets of Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Uganda that are landlocked and are dependent on Tanzania’s port resources.

That is there reason why the Tanzanian government is focussing on the development of the Dar es Salaam port because it is not only of interest to Tanzania but to all the countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),” said Mseleku.

The High Commissioner’s comments come as the Department of Trade and Industry is currently leading 25 local businesses on an Outward Selling and Investment Mission (OSIM) to Tanzania.

Other opportunities that exist for South African companies are in the discovery of gas both onshore and off-shore. “About two days ago there was an announcement of the discovery of helium. So you can see that the country is on the move in terms of its potential,” he said.

Textile and leather industries

Other opportunities exist in the textile and leather industries. “So anyone who is in that area of interest, particularly in terms of industrialisation strategy is definitely on the right track. There is lots of talk about building local production, particularly the textile and leather industries. So if you are looking at developing partnerships in those sectors particularly shoes related matters there are plenty of emerging opportunities,” said Mseleku.

A representative from the Tanzanian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambrose Brixio Lugenge, said that the government of Tanzania will ensure that it supports any of the developments that result from the seminar.

“I want to encourage you to take full advantage of these interactions and make an undertaking with you that we will make sure we assist in any way possible to ensure that we create an enabling environment and that our laws make it conducive for you to partner with Tanzanian businesspeople,” said Brixio.

The OSIM is aligned to the DTI’s Trade and Investment South Africa’s (TISA) unit’s strategic outcome-oriented goal of building mutually-beneficial regional and global relations, to advance South Africa’s trade, industrial policy and economic development objectives.

The investment mission which began on Monday will conclude next Friday. –SAnews.gov.za