Australia’s outgoing envoy reflects on trade, mining, economic partnerships

As her diplomatic posting comes to a close, I sat down with Ms Da Rin sat down for an exclusive interview to discuss the achievements, challenges and lessons of her tenure, and to share her outlook on the future of Tanzania–Australia relations.

Looking back, Ms Da Rin described her three years in Tanzania as both professionally rewarding and personally memorable.

“It has been an incredible three years and a privilege to serve here,” she said.

She pointed to Australia and Tanzania’s long-standing partnership and said one of the most rewarding aspects of her role had been travelling across the country and meeting people transforming communities through research, enterprise and public service.

For her, some of the most important milestones came in mining and agricultural research.

Australia has supported exploration projects that are now beginning to mature, positioning Tanzania for future growth.

At the same time, collaboration in agriculture has focused on climate-resilient farming practices, improving water and fertiliser efficiency, and strengthening nutrition outcomes - areas she considers essential for Tanzania’s long-term development.

Mining, however, has emerged as one of the defining sectors during her tenure.

Australian investment in Tanzania’s extractive industry is estimated at more than $3 billion, with more than a dozen Australian companies active in the market and additional investors showing growing interest.

According to Ms Da Rin, one of the most significant developments was the launch of Tanzania’s first major new mining project in nearly two decades, led by an Australian company in the gold sector.

She sees this as a signal of renewed investor confidence and expects further activity as projects move from capital raising into full operations.

She also noted that mining’s contribution to Tanzania’s economy has grown strongly and has already exceeded the government’s target of contributing 10 percent of GDP.

But Ms Da Rin emphasised that mining’s value should not be measured by economic output alone.

She argued that Tanzania is strategically positioned to become an important supplier of critical minerals increasingly needed for global technologies including smartphones, renewable energy systems and electric vehicles.

At the same time, she said Tanzania’s policy direction has prioritised sustainable mining practices that balance environmental responsibility, local employment and the transfer of knowledge and technology.

Where Australian companies operate, she said, there are often visible community gains through employment, training opportunities and practical infrastructure investments including roads, electricity and water services, particularly in rural areas.

Yet one of the major questions facing the sector remains how Tanzania’s local content ambitions can match the technical demands of modern mining.

Ms Da Rin believes Tanzania has the long-term potential to build that capacity but acknowledged that the transition will require time and continued investment in people.

“These industries require technical skills,” she said, noting that Tanzania is already investing in developing expertise.

Australia has contributed through higher education opportunities, supporting Tanzanians pursuing master’s-level studies in areas including mining governance and mining economics.

Those graduates, she said, will return with knowledge that strengthens local participation in the sector.

She also argued that local content should not be viewed narrowly.

Regional frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), she suggested, could enable countries to share skills, equipment and services across borders while creating efficiencies and new trading opportunities.

The conversation then returned to the Pink Bajaji project - an initiative Ms Da Rin  spoke about with particular enthusiasm.

She described the project as an innovative local response to a global challenge: harassment and gender-based violence.

The visibility of the bright pink vehicles attracts attention, she said, but the real impact lies in creating economic opportunities for women.

Participants earn income, support their children’s education, gain financial skills and build confidence to advocate for safer public spaces.

The initiative has drawn international recognition, featuring at forums including the World Economic Forum and the Women Deliver conference in Australia.

Ms Da Rin said she hopes to see the model expand across Tanzania.

Still, she acknowledged that Bajajis represent only one segment of urban transport.

For that reason, she sees the initiative less as a complete solution and more as a starting point for broader discussions on safety across public transport systems including daladalas and Bus Rapid Transit services.

The interview also touched on governance and democracy. Reflecting on Tanzania’s 2025 general election and the violence that followed, Ms Da Rin spoke cautiously.

She noted that Australia had provided consular support to affected Australians and said existing inquiries and investigations should be allowed to proceed independently.

Without commenting directly on domestic politics, she reiterated Australia’s commitment to principles including peace, democratic participation, freedom of expression and the ability to vote freely.

She added that institutions such as the Commonwealth remain important spaces for cooperation and shared democratic values.

Climate diplomacy formed another major theme.

As Australia prepares to play a leading role in COP31 negotiations, Ms Da Rin highlighted the growing similarities between Australia and Africa in facing climate-related challenges.

She said Australia intends to use its leadership role to strengthen regional engagement and push for practical outcomes including improved climate finance, accelerated energy transition efforts and stronger adaptation measures.

African countries, she argued, must remain central to those discussions.

With 54 nations and rapidly growing economies, the continent is not only highly exposed to climate impacts but also increasingly important to future global development.

Trade remains another area where she sees untapped potential.

Although current trade flows favour Australia, Ms Da Rin believes there is room to increase Tanzanian exports, particularly in education services, tourism and commodities.

Australia’s trade representatives continue to work with government and private-sector partners to identify areas for growth.

She also expressed support for a stronger African voice in multilateral institutions, including expanded representation in bodies such as the UN Security Council.

Stronger international systems, she said, benefit all countries by creating stable frameworks for commerce, travel and cooperation.

As the conversation drew to a close, attention turned to what comes next. Ms Da Rin said she will return to Canberra to reflect and recharge after what she described as a remarkable diplomatic posting.

She leaves Tanzania with memories of partnerships across mining, agriculture, education, health and community development - and with optimism that the foundations laid over the past three years will continue to grow.

For now, she says, she is simply grateful for the opportunity to have been part of that journey.