Supplying Medicines and Supplements to Tanzania
A practical guide for Tanzanian importers, wholesalers and hospital buyers who source from abroad, and for manufacturers and exporters worldwide selling into Tanzania.
Tanzania's regulator, TMDA, has operated at WHO maturity level 3 for medicines since 2018, and it leads the East African Community's joint assessment of dossiers. A Tanzanian registration is a good place to start for the wider region.
Two things shape the market for imports. Public buying puts locally made products first, and some products that are made locally carry a much higher import fee. Check both before you price a tender.
Tanzania at a glance
| Regulator | Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA), WHO maturity level 3 since 2018. Zanzibar has its own regulator, ZFDA |
|---|---|
| Registration | A CTD dossier, with a 180-day target for full review of imported products and shorter targets for priority products and reliance routes |
| Reliance | TMDA's July 2025 reliance guidelines: abridged review, verification, recognition and work-sharing, including the EAC joint assessment |
| Public buyer | The Medical Stores Department (MSD), which buys locally made products first when they meet quality standards |
| Watch out for | An import fee of 20% of FOB value, instead of the usual 2%, on large- and small-volume parenterals and on products made locally in enough quantity, when imported from outside the EAC |
How to supply medicines to Tanzania
- Work through a local technical representative. TMDA keeps a list of recognised local technical representatives, and foreign manufacturers usually apply through one. Import permits are signed by a registered pharmacist.
- Prepare the dossier and GMP evidence. A CTD dossier with a CoPP. The plant must be licensed by its home regulator. TMDA then inspects it, assesses it on paper if it meets the criteria, or accepts an EAC or SADC joint inspection. Labels can be in English, Kiswahili or both.
- Choose the route. Full review, a reliance route if the product is approved by a trusted regulator or prequalified by WHO, or the EAC joint assessment if you also want neighbouring markets.
- Supply. Private wholesalers and hospitals, or MSD tenders, where foreign bidders need the product registered and are usually represented by a local agent. Each consignment needs its own TMDA import permit.
Section 57 of the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Act lets TMDA authorise unregistered products for a specific purpose, usually when no registered alternative is available. See named-patient and special import and government tender supply.
Supplements
Since July 2019, foods have been regulated by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) rather than TMDA. Where a supplement sits depends on its ingredients and claims, so confirm the classification with TMDA or TBS before you print labels. We help brands get supplements made under their own label by GMP-certified contract manufacturers: see nutraceutical private label.
What people in Tanzania search for
Semrush does not track Google searches in Tanzania, so we cannot show local search data. On the supply side, 'pharmaceutical companies in Tanzania' and 'pharma companies in Tanzania' are each searched about 90 times a month in India, a sign of steady interest from exporters.
Supplements we can help you make
Medicines widely bought in Tanzania include antimalarials, antibiotics, deworming treatments and treatments for chronic diseases. Some examples we list:
Documents to ask your supplier for
- A Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) in WHO format.
- The plant's GMP evidence, such as a WHO-GMP, EU-GMP or PIC/S certificate, plus any inspection by your regulator.
- The registration dossier (CTD or ACTD), with bioequivalence data for generics where required.
- Stability data for hot climates.
- A Certificate of Analysis for every batch.
Not sure a supplier is genuine? Read how to verify a pharmaceutical supplier. For the neighbouring markets, see our Sub-Saharan Africa import guide.
Sourcing for Tanzania?
Send the product, strength, quantity and the documents your regulator needs. We will match you with GMP-certified manufacturers and suppliers who can serve your market, wherever they are based.
Send your requirement Talk to our team