By Nicholas F. Ncube
When Samia Suluhu Hassan stepped into the shoes of the late President John Pombe Magufuli in 2021, the world didn’t just gain its first female president from Tanzania it witnessed the rise of a leader who would prove that grace, firmness, and competence can coexist at the highest level of political power.
Affectionately known as “Mama Samia,” she inherited a country in transition, navigating both the grief of losing a sitting president and the economic aftershocks of a global pandemic. Many expected her to simply maintain Magufuli’s course. But what she has done instead is carry his vision forward with dignity, while adding her own thoughtful, pragmatic touch to Tanzania’s development story.
Tanzania’s economy is holding strong and Mama Samia’s leadership has everything to do with that. Under her watch, GDP growth has remained resilient, hitting 5.2% in 2023 and showing positive projections for 2025/26. Her government has worked to foster a more open and predictable business environment, encouraging foreign direct investment across sectors like mining, energy, and agriculture. She’s also taken a more diplomatic and cooperative approach to international relations, helping rebuild Tanzania’s global image as a stable and attractive destination for investment.
Rather than populist rhetoric or overpromising, Mama Samia has chosen a quiet, consistent style of leadership grounded in results. She listens. She consults. She executes.
One of her proudest achievements has been the continuation and expansion of major infrastructure projects. The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), a flagship project initiated during Magufuli’s tenure, is nearing completion expected to revolutionize regional trade and transport between Tanzania and its landlocked neighbors. Mama Samia has also invested in new roads, port upgrades, rural electrification, and water projects that are transforming daily life for millions of Tanzanians.
She understands that true development isn’t only measured in economic numbers it’s in how easily a mother can take her child to a clinic, how a farmer can move goods to market, and how youth can find work that gives them dignity.
What sets Mama Samia apart is not just her competence, but her character. She brings a human touch to leadership. Her public addresses often feel less like political speeches and more like conversations with the nation. She has shown courage in tackling difficult topics, from advocating for inclusive economic policies to addressing the realities of climate change.
And she has done all this while being a visible reminder to girls across Africa that they too can lead a nation—and do so with excellence.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan is not trying to outshine her predecessor; she is honoring his vision while quietly scripting her own. She has turned skepticism into admiration, and hesitation into confidence. Her tenure reminds us that leadership is not about gender it’s about service, results, and the ability to carry a nation’s hopes with humility and strength.
Tanzania is moving forward. And Mama Samia is leading from the front not with noise, but with purpose.
