Japanese Business in Tanzania
Recently, the number of Japanese companies interested in doing business in Tanzania has been growing.
In fact, some companies have already established their bases in Tanzanian society.For example, Panasonic Energy Tanzania opened its factory in 1968, only a few years after the founding of Tanzania and has been producing dry cell batteries since then. Sumitomo Chemical has a joint venture with a local company A to Z in Arusha and produces mosquite net, a vital tool to protect people from malaria. Tanzania Cigarette Company Ltd (TCC), one of the largest contributors in tax payment and employment generation in Tanzania listed at the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, is a member of the JTI (Japan Tobacco International) Group of Companies.
Apart from such large-scale investments, other Japanese companies also engage in various business activities such as trade, construction, tourism, off-grid solutions, entertainment and many more. In July 2011, CCIJT (The Committee on Commerce and Industry of Japanese Society of Tanzania) was launched by Japanese business professionals who were keen to expand thier business in Tanzania. The purpose of CCIJT is to share information among members and develop the network necessary for doing business in Tanzania.
In 2016, 15 companies/organizations have full CCIJT membership and 13 others have associate CCIJT membership. As the interest of Japanese business community continues to grow in Tanzania, the number of CCIJT members is expected to increase in the coming years.
