South Africa enjoys good bilateral relations with the United Republic of Tanzania, and both countries share a common foreign policy vision for peace, security and development on the African Continent. As a stable African country, Tanzania has and continues to play an important peace-building role in initiatives to broker peace and security in the region. South Africa has and continues to collaborate with Tanzania on numerous peace-building initiatives, including currently Peacekeeping missions in the Great Lakes Region, and brokering peace talks in South Sudan.

The United Republic of Tanzania is a strategic partner for South Africa and formal diplomatic relations were established in 1994, after attaining freedom. President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete paid a State visit to South Africa in July 2011.  During this visit the two Presidents signed an agreement on the establishment of a Bi-National Commission (BNC) which led to the elevation of the Presidential Economic Commission (PEC) into a BNC which was only inaugurated in 2017. President Cyril Ramaphosa undertook a State visit in August 2019 to Tanzania and visited Mazimbu, Morogoro, where the educational Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College (SOMAFCO), was established by the exiled ANC in 1978.

The United Republic of Tanzania holds dual membership of SADC and EAC and the High Commission is accredited also to the EAC who’s Head Quarters is in Arusha, Tanzania. The mission’s engagement with Tanzania thus also incorporates the strengthening of South Africa’s multilateral links with the AU, SADC, COMESA and the EAC.

South Africa-Tanzania relations are deeply rooted in history. These relations have strengthened over the past decades from the Presidency of its late first President Julius Nyerere in 1961; to late President Benjamin Mkapa in 1995 to President Jakaya Kikwete in 2005 to the late President John Magufuli. President Magufuli is the first President to pass away while in office at age 61.

Following the sad death of the late President John Pombe Magufuli, the then Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan was inaugurated as President of the United Republic of Tanzania. President Samia Suluhu Hassan nominated Dr Philip Mpango as Vice President. President Samia Suluhu Hassan is the first woman to occupy the Presidency in the United Republic of Tanzania and in the East African Community region.