President Tharman in Tanzania June 8 to 10 for state visit

The visit comes as Singapore steps up ties with Africa – the world’s second-fastest-growing region. In November 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visited Ethiopia, where he announced Singapore would open an embassy in the 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 President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who will also host him to lunch.

Zanzibar has historically served as a commercial, maritime and cultural hub linking East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Europe.

President Tharman 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 that includes Singapore agro-commodities company Nomanbhoy & Sons.

President Tharman will be accompanied by his spouse 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, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.

Others on the trip include some MPs, as well as officers from various ministries, Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise.

A business delegation from the SBF will also be part of the visit. It will be led by Mark Lee, vice-chairman of the SBF and a 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 $227.7 million in 2025.

Singapore’s commercial interests in Tanzania have primarily been 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, including 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 (G-30), he will participate in a G-30 plenary hosted by the South African Reserve Bank and a joint HLACJ-G-30 seminar.