Tanzania’s Identity Crisis: East African by Map, But Southern African at Heart 

Tanzania’s recent decision to ban foreigners – including fellow East Africans – from operating in 15 categories of small businesses has reignited tensions within the East African Community (EAC). 

Kenya  promptly lodged a protest, calling it a violation of the Common Market Protocol. 

But this isn’t just a protectionist policy. It’s a revealing reminder of Tanzania’s longstanding dual identity: Geographically East African, but politically and emotionally Southern African. 

Until 2022, when the DRC joined both blocs, Tanzania was the only country with full membership in both the EAC and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). 

This dual identity gave it leverage – and a shield. Whenever EAC integration demanded tough concessions – open borders, enforcement mechanisms – Tanzania could afford to push back, comforted by the political and economic cushion of SADC. 

That loyalty runs deep. Under the leadership of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Tanzania was a base for Southern Africa’s liberation movements – hosting, training, and arming fighters from Swapo in Namibia to South Africa’s ANC. 

For this historic role, Tanzania continues to be held in near-reverence across SADC. 

A PERSONAL GLIMPSE OF THE DIVIDE

As a Kenyan who studied in Namibia, I witnessed this divide – not in open hostility, but in quiet privileges Tanzanians enjoyed. 

At the University of Namibia, we shared meals, hostels, and our Kiswahili tongue. 

But come registration, lines told a different story. 

Tanzanian students joined SADC queues and paid lower tuition. I stood in the “international” line – paying significantly more, despite being from the same East African neighbourhood. 

That difference wasn’t just bureaucratic. It was symbolic. Southern Africa fully embraces Tanzanians. The rest of us are welcome – but not as family.

TWO PHILOSOPHIES, ONE CONTINENT

This divide is rooted in two contrasting regional models. SADC – with over 380 million people and a GDP of US$1.2 trillion – operates on historical trust and political consensus. 

The EAC, with its US$300 billion economy, relies on rules: Codified commitments on trade, movement, and shared governance. 

Tanzania prefers the warmth of SADC’s consensus over following EAC laws. 

That’s why, when EAC rules become inconvenient – such as allowing cross-border businesses – Tanzania often defies them. 

The ban on EAC-run salons, mobile money booths, and tour guiding sends a clear message: “We don’t owe the EAC anything – we have another home.” 

This isn’t new. Tanzania has frequently imposed sudden trade restrictions on EAC goods, delayed customs processes, and dragged its feet on key integration milestones like the EAC monetary union and open skies policy. 

What’s striking is the contrast: Tanzania is currently co-hosting Chan 2024 with Kenya and Uganda – a symbol of regional unity. 

Yet when it comes to trade openness, it doubles down on economic nationalism. 

This didn’t start with president Samia Suluhu. Her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli, was equally erratic on regional cooperation. 

Tanzania has long benefited from both blocs, without fully committing to either.

WHAT THIS MEANS

In Namibia, we hold deep admiration for Tanzania. Many of the liberation leaders passed through Tanzanian camps. 

That history matters. But Africa must now move beyond nostalgia. 

As we push ahead with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Tanzania’s selective regionalism sends the wrong signal. 

If one country cherrypicks which rules to follow, the entire project loses credibility. 

Trade suffers. Trust erodes. 

Even SADC may soon need to adopt firmer, rules-based enforcement. When that day comes, will Tanzania lean in – or pull back once again? 

Tanzania isn’t being irrational – it’s playing its cards. 

It knows where it’s admired and uses that soft power. But reverence built on past sacrifice must now be matched by present responsibility. 

Africa today is about building shared futures, not just honouring shared struggles. 

In Namibia, we’ve always welcomed Tanzanians – as students, colleagues and brothers. 

But true unity demands more than cultural closeness. It requires commitment and reciprocity. If Tanzania wants to be seen as a serious partner in Africa’s future, it must show loyalty, not just to memory— but to principle. 

– Elvis Mboya is president of the Namibia-Kenya Chamber of Commerce and a journalist Namibia and Kenya.

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