A high-level delegation from Tanzania, led by Minister for Minerals Anthony Mavunde, has been actively engaging with global mining stakeholders at the 2026 Mining Indaba, signalling the country’s determined push to attract significant foreign direct investment and solidify its role as a key player in the international minerals market.
Amid discussions on policy and investment, the East African nation is promoting its vast and increasingly valuable mining sector, which has become a cornerstone of its economic strategy.
The sector’s contribution to the national GDP is projected to reach 10 per cent by 2025, building on a surge of recent interest. In 2025 alone, Tanzania registered 915 investment projects totalling US$10.95 billion across its economy, with mining playing a pivotal role.
The government has set a bold target to more than double foreign direct investment to US$15 billion annually by 2026.
The country’s participation in the Indaba, which runs from February 9-12, is a strategic move to capitalise on the growing global demand for critical minerals essential for the clean energy transition.
READ MORE: Tanzania’s Mining Sector Revenue Surges Past Targets
According to the Ministry of Minerals, the event provides a platform to attract new partnerships and strengthen existing ones with key stakeholders from the United States, the European Union, and Canada.
Several major international companies are already heavily invested in the country. Key players include Barrick Gold, which invested over half a billion dollars in the first half of 2025; UK-based Lifezone Metals, which is developing one of the world’s largest high-grade nickel deposits at Kabanga; and Australian firm Volt Resources, which is advancing its Bunyu Graphite Mine.
During the conference, Australian officials reiterated their country’s view of Tanzania as a prime investment destination.
On February 10, Minister Mavunde held a series of high-stakes meetings with organisations, including the World Bank and prospective investors like South Africa’s Plantcor Mining.
These engagements underscore the government’s proactive approach, under the theme “Mining for Life and Wealth,” which prioritises in-country value addition and geoscience research to unlock the full potential of its mineral resources, including significant deposits of graphite, lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements.
