FirstRand Bank Loans USD 200 Million For Tanzania Commodities Trading

South Africa’s FirstRand Ltd. (FSR) has announced its plan to provide a USD 200 million loan from its investment-banking unit to the Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Limited (MeTL) Group to be applied towards a working-capital facility to trade commodities in and around East Africa.

According to a statement by the Rand Merchant Bank that was released to Bloomberg Businessweek, the facility is one of the largest that provides services to the East Africa region.

“The facility is syndicated with both local and international financial institutions and is one of the largest loan facilities provided for the trading of commodities in East Africa,” reads the statement.

Tanzania Investment Guide 2026 Free Edition

The MeTL Group currently employs more than 24,000 people in Tanzania with investments and interests across all key business sectors including trade, agriculture, manufacturing, energy and petroleum, financial services, telecommunications, infrastructure and real estate, transport and logistics, and distribution.

According to MeTL, the Group contributes 3.5% of the Tanzania GDP and is targeted to become a USD 5 billion Group by the end of 2015.

Want to know more about Trade in Tanzania? Our free overview of the Tanzania Business and Investment Guide 2026 covers Trade, plus key sectors and investment opportunities. The complete 141-page edition includes policies, taxation, key regulations, full macroeconomic data, and sources, and is also available at no cost upon completion of a short form.

Download Free OverviewGet the Full Edition for Free
Related Posts
Tanzania BOT economic update for the year ending August 2026, showing gold exports rising to USD 5.63 billion.
Read More

Tanzania Exports Grow 16.4% to USD 20.2 Billion in Year Ending August 2026, Led by Gold (+30%) and Manufactured Goods (+44%), Supported by Iron and Steel Products and Glassware

Tanzania’s exports of goods and services rose 16.4% to USD 20,216.2 million in the year ending August 2026, led by gold exports (+30.2%) and manufactured goods (+44.3%), including iron and steel products and glassware. Transport receipts rose 26.4%, while travel receipts increased 1.7% to USD 4,389.7 million.
EU-Tanzania Investment & Business Forum 2026-2027 Helsinki day 1
Read More

EU–Tanzania Roadshow Opens in Helsinki With Mineral and Digital Investment Pitches

At the EU-Tanzania roadshow in Helsinki, the EU and Finland said they want to invest in Tanzania's critical minerals and digital economy, backed by a new EUR 156 million EU package and by Finnish financiers Finnvera and Finnfund, which confirmed they are open to Tanzanian deals. Tanzania offered European companies entry into graphite, nickel and rare earths processing, including at a former gold mine converted into a mineral processing zone, as well as into data centres, submarine cables and broadband, backed by TZS 7 trillion in planned public spending.
TANZANIA ECONOMIC EXPORTS UPDATE YE JULY 2026
Read More

Tanzania Exports Grow 16.5% to USD 20 Billion in Year Ending July 2026, Led by Gold (+47%) and Manufactured Goods (+46%), Supported by Iron and Steel, Glassware, and Textiles

Tanzania's exports of goods and services grew 16.5% to USD 19,985.8 million in the year ending July 2026, led by gold exports of USD 5,670.7 million and manufactured goods, supported by iron and steel products, glassware, and textiles. Traditional exports rose 14.9%, while travel receipts rose 1.6% to USD 4,292.8 million.
Tanzania-Malawi Trade Investment Forum 2026 September TanTrade
Read More

Tanzania and Malawi Target Value Addition and Regional Supply Chains to Expand Bilateral Trade, Starting With Soy

Tanzania and Malawi are targeting value addition and regional supply chains to expand bilateral trade, with each country's investment authority opening projects to the other's investors at the 3rd Malawi-Tanzania Investment and Trade Forum in Dar es Salaam. Tanzania exports USD 89.46 million to Malawi against USD 15.169 million in imports, with USD 6 million of immediate export openings identified, 31% of bilateral export potential untapped, and Malawian soy processed by Tanzanian industry cited as the model value chain.