President Tharman to make first state visit to Tanzania

01/06/2026 3 Views

SINGAPORE: Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will make a state visit to Tanzania from Monday (Jun 8) to Wednesday next week at the invitation of his counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Mr Tharman’s visit to Tanzania, the first by a Singapore president, comes as Singapore and the East African country mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Monday.

Mr Tharman will be in the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam, where President Hassan will host a state banquet.

Both presidents will witness a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) signing and exchange ceremony. Mr Tharman will also deliver a speech and engage with students at the University of Dar es Salaam.

As part of his state visit, he will also visit Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania.

He will meet Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who will host a lunch.

Mr Tharman will also visit Darajani Souk, a community rejuvenation project achieved through public-private partnership, including Singapore agro-commodities company Nomanbhoy & Sons.

In addition, a Singapore-Tanzania joint business roundtable, co-organised by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), will be held to enable both sides to network and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Before travelling to Tanzania, Mr Tharman will make a working visit to South Africa from Tuesday to next Monday.

While in South Africa, he will meet South African countepart Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, and Speaker of Parliament Thoko Didiza in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

He will also chair a meeting of the World Bank Group’s High-level Advisory Council on Jobs, and in his capacity as chair of the board of the Group of Thirty (G30), participate in a plenary hosted by the Reserve Bank of South Africa and a joint seminar.

Mr Tharman’s trip to Tanzania and South Africa comes just over six months after Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visited Ethiopia and South Africa in November 2025.

While in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, Mr Wong spoke about Singapore’s expanding links with Africa.

“We can’t just stick to familiar markets, we have to look at new areas. And these new frontier areas are in places like Africa,” he then said, noting that the 1.5 billion-strong population in Africa is still growing, which presents a sizeable market for Singapore businesses and enterprises.

Mr Tharman will be accompanied on his state visit to Tanzania by his wife Ms Jane Ittogi, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah, Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, MPs, as well as officials from the President’s Office, MFA, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Enterprise Singapore, and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise.

He will also be joined by a SBF business delegation, led by Mark Lee. The federation told CNA last month that chairman Teo Siong Seng’s duties would be assumed by vice-chairman and treasurer Mr Lee, following accusations in the US that Mr Teo conspired to restrict output and fix prices of dry containers.

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