Tech cooperation with China drives digital transformation: Tanzanian minister

Visitors try virtual reality devices at the "Experience China" High-Tech Fair in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, May 1, 2026. Tanzania is accelerating digital transformation through expanded cooperation with China, Minister for Information, Communications and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki said on Friday. (Photo by Emmanuel Herman/Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania is accelerating digital transformation through expanded cooperation with China, Minister for Information, Communications and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki said on Friday.

Speaking at the opening of the "Experience China" High-Tech Fair at the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center complex in Dar es Salaam, Kairuki highlighted tangible gains Tanzania has experienced from Chinese technology in connectivity, agriculture, healthcare, and clean energy.

"Over the past decade, our partnership has evolved from traditional infrastructure to advanced technological collaboration," Kairuki said, describing Tanzania as a model of South-South cooperation.

She noted that Chinese-supported initiatives, from 5G pilot projects to rural broadband expansion, are already improving access to markets, finance, and information, particularly for farmers and small businesses.

She called for deeper partnerships through memoranda of understanding to ensure sustainable outcomes, including job creation and local manufacturing capacity.

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian said technological innovation has become a key driver of productivity and improved livelihoods, noting China's global advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, digital infrastructure, and renewable energy.

She said Chinese enterprises have played a central role in building Tanzania's telecommunications backbone, including 4G networks and fiber-optic systems, laying the foundation for mobile internet, e-commerce, and digital services.

Increasingly, Tanzanians are benefiting from mobile payments, online education, and remote work enabled by these technologies, she said.

"Chinese technology is increasingly reaching Tanzania's fields, cities, and communities, bringing tangible benefits," Chen added.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation in science and technology, aiming to deliver inclusive and sustainable development while strengthening the longstanding China-Tanzania partnership.

Visitors try mobile phone products at the "Experience China" High-Tech Fair in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, May 1, 2026. Tanzania is accelerating digital transformation through expanded cooperation with China, Minister for Information, Communications and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki said on Friday. (Photo by Emmanuel Herman/Xinhua)

Tanzania's Minister for Information, Communications and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki delivers a speech at the opening of the "Experience China" High-Tech Fair in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, May 1, 2026. Tanzania is accelerating digital transformation through expanded cooperation with China, Minister for Information, Communications and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki said on Friday. (Photo by Emmanuel Herman/Xinhua)

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian delivers a speech at the opening of the "Experience China" High-Tech Fair in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, May 1, 2026. Tanzania is accelerating digital transformation through expanded cooperation with China, Minister for Information, Communications and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki said on Friday. (Photo by Emmanuel Herman/Xinhua)

A drone is demonstrated during the "Experience China" High-Tech Fair in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, May 1, 2026. Tanzania is accelerating digital transformation through expanded cooperation with China, Minister for Information, Communications and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki said on Friday. (Photo by Emmanuel Herman/Xinhua)