The government of Tanzania has stopped the importation of agricultural goods from both Malawi and South Africa with immediate effect. This decision was announced by the country’s Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, in response to recent trade actions taken by the two southern African countries against Tanzanian products.
Minister Bashe made the announcement in a video posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, where he said, “From this night, we won’t allow any agricultural products from South Africa in our country,” and added that the same measure applies to Malawi. He explained that Tanzania had no choice but to protect its own farmers and agriculture sector, especially after Malawi and South Africa failed to lift their own bans on Tanzanian goods.
Malawi had earlier banned products like maize flour, rice, ginger, and bananas from entering its borders from Tanzania. At the same time, South Africa stopped importing bananas that were shipped from Dar es Salaam. The Tanzanian government had given both countries a deadline to lift those bans, but that deadline passed without any changes. As a result, Tanzania decided to retaliate.
Apart from the direct ban on imports, Minister Bashe also said that Tanzania will no longer allow agricultural products from other countries to pass through its territory on their way to Malawi. Furthermore, he said Tanzanian fertilizer would no longer be exported to Malawi. These moves, he said, were necessary to protect Tanzania’s economic interests and show that the country would not allow others to take unfair actions against its farmers.
The Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticide Authority (TPHPA) also took action by banning the importation of soybeans and maize seeds from Malawi. According to Professor Joseph Ndunguru, the Director General of TPHPA, tests and risk assessments found that some of these seeds carried a dangerous plant virus known as the Tobacco Ringspot Virus (TRSV). This disease spreads quickly and can completely destroy soybean crops, causing farmers to lose all their harvest.
Professor Ndunguru said that the ban would also apply to any soybean or maize seeds coming from Malawi and passing through Tanzania to another country. He added that the ban was necessary to protect the growing soybean industry in Tanzania, which many local farmers depend on. He also raised concerns about genetically modified (GM) maize seeds coming from Malawi, saying the authorities were still assessing the risks of allowing such seeds into the country.
Meanwhile, Grace Mijiga-Mhango, who is the president of the Grain Traders Association of Malawi, said that Tanzania’s decision looked like a “trade war.” She explained that the trade tensions were growing and urged both sides to come together for peaceful discussions. According to her, many farmers and traders in Malawi had already been affected by the restrictions, and further tensions could cause more harm to the agriculture industry in the region.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional bloc that includes Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa, is now expected to step in and help resolve the trade impasse. Leaders from the affected countries have said they are open to continued talks, but so far, there has been no agreement.
This development is a clear sign of the growing tensions in regional trade relationships in Southern Africa. While each country wants to protect its farmers, the bans and restrictions are already affecting cross-border commerce, food supply chains, and diplomatic ties. Until both sides find a solution, farmers and traders in Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa may continue to face uncertainty.
