President Tharman in Tanzania from June 8 to 10 for state visit
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam's visit is at the invitation of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
- President Tharman makes a historic state visit to Tanzania (June 8-10), marking 45 years of diplomatic ties and enhancing bilateral relations.
- Agreements will be signed to deepen cooperation in carbon markets, skills development, trade facilitation, and avoidance of double taxation.
- This visit aims to boost business and investment, facilitating Singapore's engagement with Tanzania and the broader East African Community.
AI generated
SINGAPORE - President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will be in Tanzania from June 8 to 10 for the first ever state visit by a Singapore head of state to the East African country.
His visit is at the invitation of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on June 1.
President Tharman will participate in an official welcome ceremony and meet the Tanzanian President in Dar es Salaam, where he will be hosted to a state banquet.
The two heads of states will also speak to the media together and witness the signing and exchange of several agreements.
The pacts expected to be inked during the visit will deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as carbon credits, capacity building, skills development and technical and vocational training.
President Tharman will also visit the University of Dar es Salaam and deliver a speech.
In addition, a Singapore-Tanzania joint business roundtable, co-organised by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), will be held to enable business leaders from both sides to network and explore opportunities for collaboration.
This visit comes as Singapore is stepping up ties with the Africa region - the second-fasting growing region in the world. In November 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visited Ethiopia, where he announced Singapore would open an embassy in its capital Addis Ababa.
Tanzania is a key node in East Africa as it is the headquarters for the East African Community, a subregional bloc that covers eight countries. Singapore intends to negotiate a free trade agreement with the grouping.
President Tharman will also make a stop in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous archipelago within Tanzania. He will meet Zanzibar’s President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who will also host a lunch.
Zanzibar has historically served as a commercial, maritime and cultural hub linking East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Europe.
The President will visit Darajani Souk at the edge of Stone Town, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. Since 1904, the market has served as the island’s primary trading hub.
Darajani Souk is a community rejuvenation public-private partnership project which includes Singapore agro-commodities company Nomanbhoy & Sons.
President Tharman will be accompanied by Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development Alvin Tan, as well as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
Others on the trip include some MPs, officers from the various ministries and as well as Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise. A business delegation from the SBF will also be on the visit. It will be led by Mark Lee, vice-chairman of the SBF and Nominated MP, who is taking over the duties of chairman Teo Siong Seng who is on leave of absence.
Tanzania is the second largest economy and second most populous country in East Africa. In 2025, Tanzania was Singapore’s 12th largest trading partner in Africa. Total bilateral trade in goods amounted to S$227.7 million in 2025.
Singapore’s commercial interests in Tanzania have been primarily in transport and logistics, trade, infrastructure and built environment, hospitality, and oil and gas sectors. Singapore companies operating in Tanzania include Pacific International Lines, Wilmar International, Gas Supply and Nomanbhoy & Sons.
Before his stop in Tanzania, President Tharman will make a working visit to the Republic of South Africa from June 2 to 8. He will have meetings with South African leaders in Cape Town and Johannesburg. These include with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Speaker of Parliament Thoko Didiza.
He will also chair a meeting of the World Bank Group’s High-level Advisory Council on Jobs (HLACJ). In his capacity as chair of the board of the Group of Thirty (G30), he will participate in a G30 plenary hosted by the Reserve Bank of South Africa and a joint HLACJ-G30 seminar.
