From Tunis to Tozeur, Tunisia is making a comeback in the hearts of French travellers! While the country still relies on ‘economic’ tourism, there are a growing number of initiatives to showcase the subtle charm of our Mediterranean neighbour. But to make the most of it, you need to know that administrative formalities are changing in 2025, and these changes came into effect on 1 January. From now on, all visitors must present a passport valid for more than three months after entry into Tunisia, reports France Diplomatie. There is no change to the visa requirement, however: it is not necessary for a stay of three months or less.

A consortium led by H2 Global Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tunisian government for the development of an ambitious green hydrogen production project. The initiative, with an estimated total investment of $6 billion, could make Tunisia a major exporter to Europe.
According to Hydrogen Insight, H2 Global Energy hopes to install between 1.5 GW and 1.8 GW of electrolysers. The project, which has yet to be named, could produce 180,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year for export to Europe.
‘This strategic project highlights Tunisia’s potential as a leader in the production of green hydrogen and ammonia,’ said Waleed AlHallaj, Commercial Director of H2 Global Energy.
In addition to its benefits in terms of energy transition, the project is expected to generate numerous jobs and stimulate economic growth in Tunisia.

On October 9, the construction of an industrial unit of the subsidiary ETILOG, European technological leader for packaging systems intended for the automotive and aerospace sectors, officially began in Sbikha, in the Kairouan region, center of Tunisia .
This new project, located in the Sbikha 2 industrial zone, covers an area of one hectare and should generate, in a first phase, 210 direct jobs .
The choice of Tunisia for the establishment of ETILOG’s first site outside Europe confirms the country’s position as an attractive destination for foreign investments, particularly in the automotive sector. Which also reflects the company’s confidence in the growth potential of the Tunisian market.
Of Swiss origin, Etilog is headquartered in Presov/Slovakia and has more than 250 employees based at its sites in Presov, Dunajska Streda and Svidnik in the Slovak Republic.

Founded in November 2007 in Kairouan, central Tunisia, Yura Corporation Tunisia, which currently employs 2,000 people, plans to increase its workforce to 6,000 by 2026, according to the company’s Korean managers, at a working session held on Wednesday with an official delegation representing the local authorities and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Yura Corporation is a world leader in its sector. It supplies major carmakers such as Hyundai, Kia Motors and Mercedes with electrical cables and components.

The manufacture of cables and electrical components for the automotive industry is booming in Tunisia. Driven by the boom in electric and connected vehicles, this sector benefits from a skilled and competitive workforce in Tunisia, making the country an attractive hub for investment in the automotive industry.

On Wednesday 25 September 2024, the German group Marquardt inaugurated its third plant in Tunisia for the manufacture of automotive components, located at NEOPARK El Fejja in the industrial zone.

The plant, which specialises in the manufacture of electronic and electromagnetic components for leading car brands on the international market, represents an investment of almost 200 million Tunisian dinars. It is expected to generate more than 1,000 jobs, making a significant contribution to the local economy.

‘This investment shows us that we are heading in the right direction, and that we are going to support this path with all our partners’, said the Minister of the Economy and Planning, Samir Abdelhafidh, at the inauguration ceremony, stressing the importance of partnerships with foreign companies such as Germany’s Marquardt.

Germany is one of Tunisia’s main trading partners. To date, German companies have invested around €2.3 billion in the country, creating more than 91,000 jobs through 310 companies.

For his part, Harald Marquardt, Chairman of the Group’s Board of Directors, was enthusiastic about this new expansion. ‘We’ve been here for 33 years, and this is our third plant in Tunisia. We believe in this country and its people,’ he said. He added that the Marquardt Group continues to strengthen its ties with Tunisia, building on a long-standing relationship with the Tunisian government and people.

Harald Marquardt also emphasised the quality of the Tunisian employees and the stability of the relationship between his company and Tunisia. ‘Looking at how many of our employees have been with us for more than 10, 15 or even 20 years, we think we are a good employer, and we have very good employees who achieve what we want.’

Tunisia, South Africa, Gabon, Mauritius and Ghana remain leaders in the implementation of e-government in their respective regions, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) e-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development. These countries already held the same rank in the 2022 survey.Tunisia retains its top position in North Africa, moving up one place in the continental ranking to third place, having been fourth in 2022.
These five countries stand out for their eGovernment Development Index (EGDI), which exceeds the African average of 0.4247 (on a scale of 1.0000). Their strengths lie in telecommunications infrastructure, human capital development and online services, which are close to the world average of 0.6382.
As regional leaders in e-governance, these countries are an example to other African countries. Their progress underlines the importance of investing in digital infrastructure, human capital and improving online services.

International investments in Tunisia reached the amount of 1,388.9 MTND* at the end of the first half of 2024, according to a report made public in mid-August by FIPA Tunisia. Compared to the last three years, these investments recorded variations of +13.8% compared to 2023, +34.2% compared to 2022 and +42.0% compared to 2021.

The flow of non-energy FDI recorded during the first half of 2024 made it possible to carry out 610 investment operations with a total value of 1,057.2 MTND, creating 4,820 new jobs.

Among these investment projects:

• 34 (6%) are related to creation projects worth 77.2 MTND (7%) allowing the creation of 783 (16%) new job positions, and
• 576 (94%) are related to extension projects worth 980.0 MTND (93%) which made it possible to create 4,037 (84%) new job positions.

The distribution of incoming flows by country-of-origin places France in first position with 344.2MTND, or more than 32% of total FDI excluding energy. Italy is in second position with 141.3MTND, Germany third with 115.3MTND, Spain fourth with 79.6MTND and Qatar in fifth position with 72.5MTND.

• 1TND = 0.30 euro as of 8/16/2024
• 1TND = 0.32 US dollars as of 8/16/2024

Tunisia is increasingly emerging as an IT investment destination for the EU. With its multilingual human potential and 10,000 graduates a year in various digital professions, Tunisia is the leading innovative economy in Africa according to the Bloomberg Innovation Index. DATAXION has already installed the largest data centre in Africa, while the SOFRECOM Group is delighted that its Tunisian subsidiary has one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings. The French, Belgians, Dutch and Americans have not hesitated to head for Tunis, the 7th best city in the world in which to launch a start-up according to the American magazine Forbes. Be among the thousands who have crossed the Mediterranean to give their companies the benefit of ‘European know-how at lower costs’.

On 27 June 2024, Tunisia will host for the first time the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Investment Forum (CIF 2024), with the participation of 21 African States and international organisations.
Organised by the COMESA Regional Investment Agency Agency (COMESA RIA), the forum will be attended by a number of African Tunisian and international organisations and parties, including the European Union delegation and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as well as the Ministries of the Economy and Planning, Trade and Export Development and the Tunisian Union of Industry, Commerce and Handicrafts (UTICA), and the Investment Promotion Agency, according to a press release issued by COMESA RIA.
The Director General of the COMESA RIA, Hiba Salama, said that this forum, organised this year for the first time in Tunisia following its accession to COMESA in 2018, aims to encourage trade and investment between the COMESA States, and to inform Tunisian businessmen of the investment and trade opportunities in the COMESA countries, in particular the advantages offered by the organisation and its member companies in the field of investment and trade.
COMESA, Africa’s largest regional economic community, comprises 21 member states with a population of over 640 million and a combined GDP of $1 trillion. Notified as a Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) to the World Trade Organisation in 1995, COMESA continues to work towards becoming a fully-fledged economic community, promoting both internal and external trade.
COMESA member states are Tunisia, Egypt, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Union of Comoros, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

NextProtein, a company founded by two Tunisians, Syrine Chaalala and Mohamed Gastli, last week signed a partnership agreement that will enable it to expand its activities in Latin America. The investment, worth 655 million pesos (around 120 MTND), will enable the company to set up five plants across the country, create 400 jobs and recycle around 200 tonnes of organic waste a year. Thanks to this partnership, the company will have access to out-of-date vegetable and fruit waste from Central de Abasto, the Mexican capital’s main wholesale market. This waste will then be used to breed flies, which are transformed into a number of products used in the manufacture of protein-rich animal feed. NextProtein was founded in 2015 and, although it is currently based in France, it continues to operate two plants in Tunisia. The company says that, thanks to its process, it is able to create as much protein in a 100m² area as a 100-hectare field of soya. The company plans to accelerate its expansion in Latin America over the coming years, with investments of 430 million dinars over the medium term.