By Mary Isaac & Elaine Sheikh Bawazir
On the 12th September 2025, the Government of Tanzania, through the Minister for Minerals, issued amendments to the Mining (Local Content) Regulations, 2018, through the Mining (Local Content) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025, Government Notice No. 563 of 2025. The Amendments aim at strengthening local participation and oversight in the mining sector.
The key highlights include stricter joint venture requirements for non-indigenous companies, new sub-plans for banking and procurement, and publication of goods and services reserved exclusively for Tanzanian entities, as outlined below.
New definition – the amendments define ‘Tanzanian financial institution’ under Regulation 3 to mean a financial institution registered under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act. This clarifies the financial services eligible under local content requirements.
Joint venture requirements: Non-indigenous suppliers face stricter joint venture requirements under the substituted Regulation 8(6) of the new amendments. A non-indigenous company wishing to supply goods/services must:
Form a joint venture with an existing indigenous Tanzanian company that is 100% owned by Tanzanian citizens
Ensure the indigenous company owns a minimum of 20% equity participation
Exception: where the goods/services are exempted by a list published by the Mining Commission under a new Regulation 13A
Exclusivity for indigenous suppliers: the new amendments have added Regulation 13A, which introduces exclusivity for indigenous suppliers. Subsequently, the Mining Commission is now empowered to publish lists of goods and services that can only be provided by indigenous companies that are 100% Tanzanian-owned.
Return of the 50-day automatic approval for local content plans: The new amendments have brought back Regulation 11(8), allowing deemed approval of the revised local content plan, should the commission fail to notify the Applicant within 50 working days.
Additions of banking services and procurement sub-plans: It is now a requirement for the local content plan under Regulation 12 (3) to include a Banking Services sub-plan and a Procurement sub-plan.
New sole sourcing threshold: The commission under Regulation 16(1), must now receive written notification of proposed contracts or purchase orders for sole-sourced mining-related goods or services if the estimated value is above USD 10,000 (or its TZS equivalent),
Pre-qualification transparency: Part A to the Third Schedule has been replaced. It is now a requirement that, before issuing a pre-qualification notice to bidders, contractors must share with the commission: a description of the scope of work, pre-qualification criteria, and the number of days for submission of expressions of interest (a minimum of 7 days).
These reforms intend to reflect the Government’s ongoing policy to promote value retention within Tanzania’s economy while enhancing transparency and accountability in mining operations.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this legal update is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. For more information and professional legal counsel,
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