Tanzanians Back Open Markets: 59% Reject Protectionism for Global Trade

Tanzanians are sending a clear message to policymakers: open the doors wider. According to the latest Afrobarometer survey, 59% of citizens prefer their government to focus on promoting trade with other countries, rather than protecting domestic industries from foreign competition. This marks a significant tilt toward liberal economic thinking in a country where state-driven development has historically been the dominant narrative.

The findings, released in August 2025, show that Tanzanians’ appetite for global economic engagement is growing. In 2021, only half of the respondents supported open trade. Today, nearly two-thirds see greater benefit in connecting to international markets than sheltering local producers behind protective barriers.

A structural shift in Tanzanian economic thinking

This change in public sentiment comes at a pivotal time. Tanzania is attempting to transition from a factor-driven economy, reliant on agriculture and extractive resources, to a more diversified industrial and service-oriented model. The country’s leadership has promoted industrialisation as a cornerstone of growth, with large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the Standard Gauge Railway, and investments in energy designed to power manufacturing.

Yet the survey suggests that citizens themselves are looking beyond borders. With 37% of GDP in 2023 derived from external trade, Tanzanians are already deeply tied to global markets, whether through cashew exports, gold sales, or growing service sectors like tourism.

The regional vs global dilemma

The data also reveal an important nuance. While 40% of Tanzania’s exports currently go to Africa, 65% of citizens favor trade with all countries globally rather than focusing exclusively on the continent. This reflects both opportunity and frustration: regional trade within the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) has grown—from $0.9 billion in 2004 to $3 billion in 2020—but barriers like non-tariff restrictions and customs inefficiencies remain.

Citizens appear to be saying that regionalism alone is not enough; global markets offer broader opportunities, especially in Asia and Europe, where Tanzanian goods already flow.

Lessons from history

The shift in public opinion is striking given Tanzania’s economic past. Under Julius Nyerere’s Ujamaa socialism, the country leaned heavily toward self-reliance, with trade viewed suspiciously as a potential tool of exploitation. Liberalization in the 1980s and 1990s opened Tanzania’s markets, but structural adjustment programs also left a mixed legacy, including weakened local industries.

Now, a new generation of Tanzanians—connected through mobile money, the internet, and cross-border exchanges—appear more confident in navigating global economic currents than their predecessors.

Policy implications

For the government, the message is double-edged. On one hand, Tanzanians support policies that reduce trade barriers, encourage exports, and attract foreign investment. On the other, promoting open trade must not come at the expense of protecting vulnerable domestic sectors like smallholder farmers and small-scale manufacturers.

Policymakers face the challenge of crafting an outward-looking trade policy while building the competitiveness of local industries. That means:

• Investing in logistics and infrastructure to reduce export costs.
• Supporting SMEs with access to finance, certification, and technology.
• Negotiating trade deals that give Tanzanian firms preferential entry into global value chains.
• Strengthening institutions to enforce fair competition, ensuring that global engagement does not simply entrench foreign dominance.

The global context

The survey also sheds light on Tanzanians’ perceptions of foreign partners. The EAC (61%) and China (61%) are seen as the most positively influential actors in Tanzania’s economy, while the US (47%) and EU (45%) lag behind. This highlights where Tanzanians see tangible benefits. However, the declining trust in China compared to 2021 suggests that expectations of trade partners are also rising—mere presence is not enough; citizens demand fairer, more sustainable engagement.

The road ahead

Tanzania’s future prosperity will depend not on insulating itself but on integrating more intelligently into the global economy. The survey confirms that ordinary Tanzanians understand this. They are ready for more trade, more markets, and more competition.

The question is whether their government can seize this moment—by lowering barriers, enhancing productivity, and embedding Tanzanian startups and industries into global value chains. If it does, open trade could become the engine that transforms Tanzania from a resource-dependent economy into one of Africa’s most dynamic emerging markets.