Geological Survey Sees Massive 91% Revenue Jump

GST Revenue Surges by 91% as Mineral Sector Strengthens

DODOMA, March 29, 2025 — The Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) has recorded a remarkable 91.32 percent increase in its annual revenue, soaring from 1.25 billion Tanzanian shillings in 2021 to 2.39 billion shillings in 2024. This significant growth highlights the agency’s increasing impact on the mineral sector and its growing contribution to national revenue.

GST’s Acting Executive Director, Mr Nokta Banteze, announced the milestone during a press briefing held in Dodoma on Thursday. He credited the impressive revenue rise to a series of operational reforms and service enhancements that have streamlined the agency’s performance and service delivery.

“This achievement is a result of modernising our systems and expanding our capacity in critical areas such as laboratory testing and geological research,” Banteze noted.

The agency’s progress is not limited to revenue gains alone. Key advances have been made in mineral exploration, laboratory analysis, geological mapping, and capacity building—particularly for small-scale miners. One major development is the identification of 44 industrial minerals through extensive geological, geochemical, and geophysical surveys.

Further boosting its capabilities, GST expanded its laboratory capacity by acquiring cutting-edge testing equipment. As a result, the number of samples tested rose by 34.4 percent, from 19,184 in 2021 to 25,793 in 2023/2024.

Government support has been a cornerstone of GST’s growth. Funding allocated to the agency has risen dramatically—from an average of 10 billion shillings in 2021/2022 to 110 billion shillings in the 2024/2025 financial year, marking a 1,000 percent increase. These funds are being channeled into institutional development and key geological initiatives.

Among the most notable achievements is GST’s success in geological mapping, which has led to the discovery of significant mineral deposits, including gold, uranium, kaolin, limestone, clay, silica sand, heavy mineral sands, and rare earth elements across regions such as Lindi, Ruvuma, Coast Region, and parts of Dar es Salaam.

In Zanzibar, surveys have revealed deposits of limestone suitable for cement production, along with heavy mineral sands, silica, strontium, groundwater reserves, and areas of potential geological tourism.

Additionally, GST has conducted comprehensive research on helium gas reserves in Arusha, Manyara, Dodoma, Singida, and Shinyanga. The studies confirmed promising concentrations in hot springs surrounding Lake Natron and Lake Eyasi, positioning Tanzania as an emerging player in the global helium market.

To empower artisanal and small-scale miners, GST has provided training to 2,733 miners focused on sample collection techniques and geological site identification, ensuring greater inclusion and knowledge-sharing within the sector.