East African Mining News Unearthing Mining Opportunities in East Africa
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Tanzania is currently entering what experts describe as its most consequential mining expansion cycle in decades, driven by an insatiable global appetite for critical minerals and a refreshed domestic policy landscape. According to Ogi Williams of In On Africa, the nation has successfully positioned itself as a vital node in the global supply chain for battery and industrial minerals. This shift is evidenced by a staggering surge in investment commitments, which reached $10.95 billion in 2025 across nearly a thousand projects. While traditional gold mining remains a cornerstone, with Perseus Mining’s Nyanzaga project leading the way, the real momentum is found in the “green” sector. Projects focusing on graphite, nickel, and rare-earth elements such as the Kabanga nickel deposit and the Epanko graphite project are drawing Tanzania deeper into the architecture of the international electric vehicle and energy transition markets.
The current investment climate reflects a significant “policy reset” led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, which has effectively repaired the investor sentiment damaged during the regulatory disruptions of previous years. James Woods of GlobiQ International notes that this cycle is fundamentally different from those of the past because it is tied to structural global demand rather than fluctuating gold prices. However, this progress is not without its hurdles. Infrastructure deficits in remote regions and a heavy reliance on diesel power continue to pose operational challenges. Furthermore, while the state’s emphasis on mandatory participation and local ownership aims to ensure domestic benefit, these requirements, alongside recent licence revocations, remind international investors of the inherent policy risks and the need for long-term regulatory predictability.
Strategically, Tanzania occupies a unique and enviable position in the current geopolitical landscape. By maintaining a non-aligned stance, the country has managed to attract simultaneous investment from both Western and Chinese actors, allowing it to leverage global competition to its advantage. This strategic flexibility provides the Tanzanian government with the leverage to demand greater domestic beneficiation and value addition, such as the development of local processing plants. As the country navigates this complex expansion, the ultimate success of the “Samia reset” will depend on whether the government can maintain disciplined policy execution and ensure that this influx of capital translates into sustained, inclusive economic transformation for all Tanzanians.
“What distinguishes this investment cycle from previous surges is the structural nature of the demand driving it; Tanzania is no longer attracting capital on the back of gold prices alone, but is being pulled into the architecture of the global energy transition.”
