President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will undertake Singapore’s first ever state visit to Tanzania from June 8 to 10, 2026, marking 45 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries [1, 2, 3, 4]. The trip comes at the invitation of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

During the visit, President Tharman will attend an official welcoming ceremony and meet President Hassan in Dar es Salaam. He will also join a state banquet hosted by the Tanzanian president. Both leaders will issue a joint media statement and witness the signing and exchange of several agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) [1, 2, 3, 4].

The agreements aim to deepen cooperation in areas including carbon credits and markets, capacity building, skills development, technical and vocational training, trade facilitation, and the avoidance of double taxation [1, 2, 3].

President Tharman will visit the University of Dar es Salaam to deliver a speech. A Singapore-Tanzania joint business roundtable, co-organized by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), will provide a platform for business leaders from both countries to network and explore collaboration opportunities [1, 2, 3, 4].

The visit will include a trip to Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. There, he will meet President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who will host a lunch. President Tharman will visit Darajani Souk in Zanzibar, a community rejuvenation project involving Singapore’s agro-commodities company Nomanbhoy & Sons [1, 2, 3, 4].

Tanzania is the headquarters of the East African Community (EAC), a subregional bloc of eight countries. Singapore plans to negotiate a free trade agreement with the EAC [1, 2, 3].

The state visit follows Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s trip to Ethiopia and South Africa in November 2025, where he announced plans to open a Singapore embassy in Addis Ababa. Wong said, "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" [1, 2, 3, 4].

Before traveling to Tanzania, President Tharman will make a working visit to South Africa from June 2 to 8. He will meet senior officials and chair events related to the World Bank and Group of Thirty (G30) [4].

President Tharman will be accompanied by his wife, Jane Ittogi, during the state visit to Tanzania [4].