Introduction

Tanzania’s extractive sectors — from mining and oil to gas and power — sit at the crossroads of opportunity and regulation. They are governed by laws that do not merely permit, but require: clarity, compliance, and continuity.
At Sacra Ignis & Co., the Extractives Desk exists to support clients working within the country’s mineral, energy, and natural resource spaces — guiding them through legal frameworks that touch not only land and licenses, but people, policy, and the public interest.
We provide measured legal guidance across all stages of extractive activity, including licensing, joint venture structuring, land access, environmental obligations, and local content compliance.
We do not rush the process. We structure it with legal foresight and regulatory discipline.

Areas of Legal Support

We advise and assist clients across the following mandates:

▪️ Licensing & Regulatory Navigation

Applications and renewals of mining, oil, and gas licences

Electricity generation and distribution licensing (EWURA)

Legal review of permit obligations and licence conditions

▪️ Local Content & Tanzanian Participation

Interpretation of Local Content Regulations

Structuring of joint ventures with Tanzanian entities

Drafting local participation agreements and compliance strategies

▪️ Mineral Rights & Concession Due Diligence

Title verification and encumbrance reviews

Legal mapping of licence boundaries and overlaps

Concession vetting for corporate transactions or investment

▪️ Land Access & Community Engagement

Review and drafting of land access agreements

Legal support during Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) engagements

Negotiation advisory for village land, general land, and resettlement planning

▪️ Joint Ventures & Project Structuring

JV frameworks compliant with Mining Act or Petroleum Act

Shareholder rights, dispute clauses, and capital contribution terms

Legal governance of operating companies and project SPVs

▪️ Environmental Compliance

Legal analysis of ESIA obligations under the Environmental Management Act

Coordination with technical consultants for permitting and audit compliance

Representation in regulatory correspondence and environmental disputes

▪️ Dispute Resolution in the Extractives Context

Contractual and land-related dispute advisory

Legal response to licence revocation, community claims, or regulatory sanctions

Support in negotiation, mediation, and regulatory engagement

Key Regulatory Instruments We Work With

We provide legal guidance grounded in Tanzania’s regulatory landscape, including:

The Mining Act, 2010 (as amended)

The Petroleum Act, 2015

The Electricity Act, 2008

The Local Content Regulations applicable to mining and petroleum

Environmental Management Act, 2004 and ESIA Regulations

Land Act and Village Land Act (for land tenure and access)

Practice guidelines issued by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM), EWURA, NEMC, and relevant commissions

Who We Serve

Our clients include:

Holders of primary and secondary mining licences

Oil & gas companies with upstream or midstream operations

Renewable energy and electricity generation developers

Joint venture partners and local equity holders

Legal counsel for foreign investors and technical advisors

NGOs, landowners, and governance institutions

International development organisations supporting extractive governance

We are often engaged where law intersects with infrastructure, territory, and the expectations of both the regulator and the community.

How We Work
We are not generalists with a mining tab.
We maintain a dedicated desk because extractives law is a field of its own discipline — spanning statutory regimes, negotiated rights, and layered government oversight.

We work:

With discretion

With respect for institutional process

With an understanding of sector pace and policy volatility

And always in alignment with the long-term viability of a client’s legal position

We do not litigate first.
We seek resolution through structure, documentation, and regulatory clarity.