Connecting Tanzanian investors to Mozambique’s provincial opportunities

WHEN the gates of the 61st Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM) closed recently, Tanzania left behind more than an exhibition pavilion. It left with a question that may be more important than the exhibition itself: How can Tanzania turn the relationships, market intelligence and investment opportunities identified in Mozambique into sustained economic engagement between the two countries? The question matters because FACIM demonstrated something important.

Mozambique is not simply a market for Tanzanian products. It can also be a destination for Tanzanian investment, technology, partnerships and regional expansion. This is where the next chapter of Tanzania’s economic diplomacy should begin.

FACIM as a starting point, not an endpoint. Trade exhibitions are traditionally associated with displaying products and finding buyers. But Tanzania’s experience at FACIM 2026 demonstrated the value of looking at such platforms differently.

The Tanzania Pavilion brought together public institutions and private companies working across agriculture, agro-processing, tea, technology, energy, logistics, the circular economy and trade facilitation. During the six-day exhibition, companies reported prospective customers, distributors, investors and strategic partners. More importantly, several engagements moved beyond the exchange of business cards.

Swaenergy, for example, was connected with officials from Mozambique’s National Directorate of Energy and Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), eventually reaching the official responsible for metering. The company is now expecting further technical discussions. On the final day, the company also established a pathway towards engagement with South Africa’s electricity sector.

This is a useful illustration of what economic diplomacy can achieve: Opening institutional doors that individual companies might otherwise find difficult to access. Perhaps the most important lesson from FACIM is that Tanzania should not look at Mozambique only through Maputo. Presentations by provincial leaders from Sofala, Manica and Tete during engagements surrounding the exhibition highlighted opportunities extending well beyond the capital.