Unguja. Zanzibar is seeking to attract Chinese investors to establish factories producing hotel furniture, processed foods and other essential goods to serve the rapidly expanding tourism sector, with the government pledging a business-friendly investment environment.
Zanzibar’s Minister for Trade and Industrial Development, Mr Omar Said Shaaban, highlighted the opportunities during his address at the Yellow River Basin Enterprise Going Global and Comprehensive Services Exchange and Matchmaking Conference in Jinan, Shandong Province, China.
The conference brought together more than 700 industrialists and business executives from across the Yellow River Basin to promote the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and facilitate international expansion by businesses.
In a statement issued by the ministry’s communications unit, Mr Shaaban said Zanzibar received 917,000 tourists in 2025, demonstrating the growing market and increasing demand for locally manufactured products.
“The incentives offered by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, alongside our human resources, can be leveraged to boost production and drive economic growth,” he said.
He said investment opportunities also existed in manufacturing, trade and services associated with tourism and the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry.
During the conference, Shandong Province Vice Governor Wen Nuan outlined China’s strategies for stimulating economic growth through its Going Global initiative, describing the province as one of the country’s key industrial hubs.
Shandong is China’s third-largest provincial economy by gross domestic product (GDP), with its economic output projected to exceed 10 trillion yuan in 2025.
Mr Omar thanked the Vice Governor for agreeing to organise trade delegations to Zanzibar, allowing Chinese investors to assess first-hand the progress made in improving the islands’ investment climate.
10-day visit
Mr Omar is in China on a 10-day working visit, which began on October 26 and is scheduled to conclude on November 4, 2026, following an invitation from the Shandong Provincial Government and conference organisers.
During the visit, he is scheduled to hold talks with Jinan municipal government leaders, tour industrial parks and meet leading manufacturers as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation.
The visit has already generated interest, with several investors expressing willingness to explore opportunities in Zanzibar, particularly in manufacturing and services across the tourism value chain.