Why Elsie Kanza is Tanzania’s quiet force in Washington

By Ben Kazora

When Dr Elsie Kanza arrived in Washington in 2021, few outside Africa’s diplomatic circles knew her. A career economist with no formal background in diplomacy, she stepped into the US capital as Tanzania’s ambassador at a time when bilateral trade between the two nations stood at just $380 million—a modest figure that barely registered in policy circles.

Four years later, trade has surged to $1.4 billion, nearly a fourfold increase. To put it in perspective, that growth alone is worth almost half of Seychelles’ entire GDP in 2024.

While Kenya, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast all saw healthy gains, Tanzania quietly outpaced them all. South Africa, once the region’s heavyweight, even slipped into decline.

So, what changed?

Some attribute it to shifting global markets. Others point to America’s rising appetite for Africa’s resources. But ask anyone closely watching, and the answer is clear: Tanzania’s quiet force in Washington has been its ambassador.

Even before setting foot in Washington, Dr Kanza was laying the groundwork. From her previous post in Switzerland, she was already mapping out an economic strategy for the US—not a ceremonial agenda, but a playbook rooted in clarity and urgency. Where most new ambassadors arrive with talking points, she arrived with a plan.

And while she lacked the pedigree of a traditional diplomat, she brought something more powerful: one of the sharpest economic minds in the global diplomatic corps.

From her first day, she hit the ground running. She built relationships in Congress and with the private sector, re-framed Tanzania as a trusted partner, and relentlessly shifted the narrative from aid to trade.

Those of us in the diaspora who have lived and worked in the US for decades cannot recall a moment since the Nyerere era when Tanzania commanded this much respect in Washington.

Her leadership dovetails seamlessly with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s push for economic diplomacy, which places commerce and investment at the heart of foreign policy.

It also aligns with the work of the Tanzanian American Chamber of Commerce (TACC) and the Tanzania Trade Office in Dallas, which together have become platforms for connecting Tanzanian opportunities with American enterprise.

The results are undeniable. In just four years, Tanzania has shifted from the margins of US trade statistics to the centre of the conversation.

American companies are now exploring opportunities in energy, healthcare, agriculture, and critical minerals. Policymakers no longer view Tanzania as simply another African market, but as an emerging strategic partner.

And this is not only about numbers—it is about perception. For the first time in decades, Tanzania’s name carries weight in boardrooms and policy circles alike.

Its voice in Washington is no longer faint; under Ambassador Kanza’s leadership, it has become clear, confident, and impossible to ignore.

Her influence now stretches beyond bilateral trade. She has been tapped for global advisory roles shaping investment and policy, ensuring Tanzania’s perspective is heard in spaces where it once had little to no presence.

Meanwhile, Tanzania is looking ahead with its Vision 2050—an ambitious roadmap to become a $1 trillion economy by mid-century, powered by innovation, infrastructure, education, and sustainability.

But Vision 2050 will not succeed on paper alone. It needs champions who can translate ambition into action and respect into results. In Washington, that champion has been Dr Elsie Kanza.

In the end, Tanzania’s advantage is not only in its resources or markets—it lies in leadership. It is the discipline to show up in the right rooms, deliver the right message, and back it with a clear strategy.

And in that regard, Ambassador Kanza has proven herself to be Tanzania’s quiet force in Washington—subtle, steady, and profoundly effective in rewriting the story of US–Tanzania relations.

She hasn’t just represented Tanzania in Washington—she has reintroduced Tanzania to the world.

Ben Kazora is President and CEO, Tanzanian American Chamber of Commerce