Minister for Minerals Anthony Mavunde has held a series of strategic meetings with international leaders, development agencies and global mining firms on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba Conference, as Tanzania steps up efforts to attract investment and accelerate growth in the mining sector.
The meetings were held on February 9, 2026, in Cape Town, where Mr. Mavunde is leading Tanzania’s delegation, accompanied by the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Msafiri Mbibo, and Tanzania’s Ambassador to South Africa, James Bwana.
In talks with Finland’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Sakari Puisto, the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation between the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) and the Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) through a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening technical capacity and improving the quality of geoscientific data.
The collaboration will focus on building the capacity of Tanzanian experts in analysing, interpreting and validating geoscientific information, enhancing laboratory operations to meet international standards, and undertaking joint research, including high-resolution geophysical surveys critical for modern mineral exploration.
Mr. Mavunde also met a delegation from the United States Government led by Thomas Hardy, Deputy Director and Head of Operations at the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).
Discussions centred on expanding cooperation in the exploration and value addition of critical and strategic minerals, the importance of advanced airborne geoscientific surveys, and progress on a nickel exploration project being implemented jointly by GST and the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO).
The minister underscored the need for comprehensive geoscientific research, noting that quality data is essential for unlocking large-scale mining projects.
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He called for sustained collaboration with GST to generate detailed information capable of supporting major investments in the sector, while emphasising domestic mineral value addition in line with the Mining Act, Cap 123.
In a separate engagement, Mr. Mavunde held talks with executives from Rio Tinto, a global mining company with more than 150 years of experience and operations in about 35 countries.
The company cited Tanzania’s modern infrastructure including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) as well as a stable policy and business environment, as key factors behind its interest in the country.
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Rio Tinto, which focuses on minerals such as copper, bauxite, aluminium and graphite, was encouraged to fast-track exploration activities and engage STAMICO, which holds exploration licences for several high-demand minerals.
Mr. Mavunde noted that Tanzania’s legal framework allows STAMICO to enter joint ventures with local and foreign investors, creating opportunities for strategic partnerships.
He added that the government is keen to attract investments that go beyond extraction to include mineral processing and value addition facilities within the country, in order to maximise economic returns and support industrial development.