By Jiang Yuntao, Chairman of CRJE (E.A) LTD and Chinese Enterprise Association (Tanzania)
On 3 October 2026, the Phoenix Global Development Forum for Enterprises–Tanzania was successfully held at the Johari Rotana Hotel in Dar es Salaam, co-organized by Phoenix TV and the Chinese Enterprises Association in Tanzania (CEAT). As the Chair member of CEAT, CRJE (E.A) LTD was involved in the preparation of the event from start to finish. The forum brought together about 100 guests from government, business and academia, to discuss how to seize new opportunities and pursue development together with Tanzania.
Hon. Prof. Kitila Mkumbo, Minister of State, President’s Office – Planning and Investment, Tanzania; Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara, UNDP Resident Representative in Tanzania; Her excellency Chen Mingjian, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Tanzania, attend for the forum and gave opening remarks as guests of honor.
CRJE’s story in Tanzania begins with the Tanzania–Zambia Railway (TAZARA). From 1969, China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG), CRJE’s mother company, dispatched 1,114 employees to take part in the construction of TAZARA, undertaking approximately 506,400 square meters of building works along the entire line — including 93 stations, two locomotive and rolling stock repair plants, a technical training school, depots and yards, hospitals, reception stations, canteens, offices and accommodation.
After TAZARA entered operation, CRCEG retained a small team responsible for maintenance works along the railway. In 2000, the CRCEG Tanzania Branch was formally registered in Dar es Salaam, and in 2013 we were renamed as CRJE (E.A) LTD resulting from the expanding business. It is worth noting that Tanzania launched its Vision 2025 in 2000, the same year we were officially registered. The past 25 years have been 25 years of rapid development for Tanzania — and for CRJE as well.
In July 2025, Her Excellency President Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan officially launched Tanzania’s National Development Vision 2050, setting out the goal of building Tanzania into “a prosperous, just, inclusive and self-reliant nation” by 2050. The vision translates this overarching goal into specific objectives across four directions: economic and social development; talent development and people’s wellbeing; environmental protection and sustainable development; and digital-driven development. In September 2025, the TAZARA revitalization project was formally signed, and in November 2025, China, Tanzania and Zambia jointly issued a statement on building the TAZARA Prosperity Belt, aimed at supporting the development of the three countries, unlocking regional potential, and creating a model of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa.
For decades, CRJE has stayed committed to growing together with Tanzania. At this new historical starting point, CRJE will continue to leverage its strengths and work hand in hand with partners from all sectors in Tanzania to support the realization of DIRA 2050.
We will consolidate the foundations of socio-economic development through infrastructure.
Our business covers housing and buildings, roads, airports, power, water, irrigation, ports and investment. We are a leading force in five-star hotel construction, having built a series of five-star hotels in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Zanzibar and other regions — including Kilimanjaro Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Gran Melia in Arusha and Park Hyatt in Zanzibar. We build roads, bridges, airports and ports to promote connectivity through infrastructure and drive the growth of industries. The Nyerere Bridge and its approach road, for example, ended the era of ferry crossings between Kurasini and Kigamboni. The Mtwara Port project improved the operating efficiency of Tanzania’s ports and boosted export trade in agricultural products and other goods from southern Tanzania. The Iringa Irrigation Project promoted agricultural development in the Iringa region. The Geita medium and low voltage electricity transmission line brought power to thousands of households in rural Geita. The Terminal 1 VIP building was delivered in just 75 days, setting a new benchmark for Tanzania’s diplomatic reception capacity. The Johari Rotana Hotel, which we invested and built, has raised the bar for high-end business conferences and events in Tanzania, while Victoria Nobel Center and Peninsula Noble Center have contributed to regional economic prosperity. The Arusha Stadium, currently under construction and a venue for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, will soon give a strong boost to the development of sport in Tanzania.
We will continue to focus on quality of life and wellbeing for all.
We are committed to local employment, with local workers accounting for more than 90 per cent of the workforce on our projects. We actively carry out mentor-apprentice training, using projects as practical sites to combine theory with practice, and have trained countless local talents. Last month, we launched the Chinese Workmanship for Tanzania Future Talent Development Program. We care for our local employees: we extend support at key moments such as marriages and the loss of relatives, and we organize team-building activities during Chinese and Tanzanian traditional festivals to promote mutual understanding and trust.
We will uphold the concept of green development.
The Kinondoni Composting Plant we built can process 50 tons of waste per day, effectively helping to beautify the community environment. In projects involving the ocean and grasslands, we adhere to green construction and protect biodiversity.
We are ready to actively introduce digital technology, digital solutions and smart construction.
We will contribute what we can to building a digitally driven society. In May, we participated in the CHINA HIGH-TECH exhibition with TBM, offering new possibilities and choices for Tanzania’s construction industry.
Times change, our business sectors change, and projects change — but CRJE’s original aspiration of developing hand in hand with Tanzania has never changed. We will continue to work hard and contribute all our strength to supporting the realization of DIRA 2050.
