Zanzibar Digital Governance Shift Targets

Monday 12th January 2026

By inAfrika Newsroom

Zanzibar’s Zanzibar digital governance shift is becoming a core competitiveness tool, especially where investors care most: land, permits, and predictable procurement.

A 2025 ICT policy document from Zanzibar’s Ministry of Finance and Planning references the Zanzibar Digital Government Strategy 2023–2027 and frames digital systems as an enabler for citizen-centric services and productivity growth. In addition, Zanzibar’s development plan for 2021–2026 identifies ICT as a core enabler of sustainable growth. Therefore, the policy direction is not new. What is changing is execution pressure.

One major execution signal came in October 2025. CRDB Bank said it, together with BPIFrance, had supported the Government of Zanzibar with TZS 115 billion for a land management system. The same CRDB update also pointed to broader infrastructure financing in Zanzibar. Consequently, land administration is now being treated as infrastructure, not paperwork.

What changed in 2025

The 2025 change was prioritisation of “systems that unlock the economy.” Land systems are one. Procurement is another.

A 2025 MAPS assessment of Zanzibar’s public procurement system noted that government did not have an e-GP strategy and roadmap, although it referenced digital government strategy commitments. That gap matters because procurement is where many investment and service projects slow down. Therefore, e-procurement is not a technical upgrade. It is a governance upgrade.

At the same time, the investment ambition is rising. The Citizen reported on January 5, 2026, that Zanzibar plans to register at least 150 investment projects each year through ZIPA as infrastructure and the business environment improve. Consequently, the islands will need faster approvals, cleaner records, and less friction.

Where the Zanzibar digital governance shift goes in 2026

In 2026, land digitisation can change outcomes quickly. When titles are clear and searchable, investors move faster. When records are trusted, banks lend with more confidence. Therefore, digital land management can reduce disputes and unlock real estate, tourism, and industrial projects.

Procurement digitisation also becomes urgent. If Zanzibar wants to deliver ports, schools, hospitals and markets at speed, procurement must become more transparent and trackable. Consequently, the question is whether Zanzibar will publish a clear e-GP roadmap and standardise processes across ministries and agencies.

Risks and opportunities

Digital reforms can fail if systems do not talk to each other. Moreover, staff training and cybersecurity must keep pace.

Yet, the opportunity is strategic. Zanzibar can turn governance into a product: faster permits, cleaner land records, and predictable procurement. Therefore, Zanzibar digital governance shift can become one of the islands’ most powerful investment messages in 2026.