Germany enjoys good relations with Tanzania which have developed over many years. Since 1982, the Federal Foreign Office has been promoting projects related to colonial history via its Cultural Preservation Programme. The country’s economy is growing. Since 2020, it has held the status of a Lower Middle Income Country. Nevertheless, Tanzania continues to be one of the poorest countries in the world. Around a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line.

Tanzania has thus long been one of Germany’s most important partners for development cooperation projects in sub‑Saharan Africa. Since President Samia Hassan’s assumption of office in March 2021, the underlying conditions for German-Tanzanian cooperation have improved. The countries’ partnership focuses on biodiversity, water and energy supplies, good financial governance and healthcare. Germany is, alongside the United States, one of the largest donors to nature and environmental protection projects in Tanzania. Tanzania ratified the Paris Agreement in 2018 and submitted its first nationally determined contribution in July 2021. Since Hussein Ali Mwinyi, of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, took office as the President of Zanzibar, cooperation with Zanzibar, too, has intensified.

The volume of bilateral trade with Germany has remained stagnant for several years, at approximately 300 million euro. The German Chamber of Commerce Abroad opened an office in Dar es Salaam in April 2018 to support trade relations. The main imports from Germany are machinery, chemical products and food, and Tanzania’s main exports include drinks, tobacco, raw materials and food.

Economic development has been impacted by the COVID‑19 crisis. Because the economy is highly dependent on international tourism, which recently decreased approx. 40‑60%, income from tourism dropped sharply. Recently, though, this sector has been recovering.

Cultural cooperation with Germany is held in high regard. The focus is on academic exchange, which includes cooperation between universities and the awarding of DAAD scholarships, promoting German as a foreign language and numerous town twinnings. Another priority, arising from the two countries’ common history, is cultural preservation and cooperation in the museum sector.