Welcome, This is the Tanzanian Fintech Premier League. It’s fast. It’s technical. It’s strategic. Some play for global scale. Others play to dominate home turf. Some are all about infrastructure. Others live for the fans. Every team (read: fintech) has a different formation, a different trophy in mind — and a different way of playing the game. Just like the English Premier League, not every team is chasing the same title — Some want to be the most loved. Some want to win the infrastructure war. Some want the biggest fanbase, the slickest product, the highest valuation, the most regulation-proof…

Tanzania is on track to become East Africa’s largest economy, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projecting it will overtake Kenya in GDP within the next few years. However, what many fail to realize is that Tanzania has already surpassed Kenya in several critical areas—silently, quickly, and sustainably. In 2024, President Ruto of Kenya commended Tanzania for surpassing Kenya as Uganda’s biggest exporter, yet what often goes unnoticed is that Tanzania has already become the largest exporter to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Moreover, Tanzania has already outpaced Kenya in government technology adoption (GovTech) and Tanzania introduced mobile money interoperability in 2014—while…

Over the past decade, Africa’s startup ecosystem has seen substantial growth, largely due to foreign funding. The continent’s young population, emerging digital infrastructure, and untapped markets have attracted global players, from USAID to Mastercard and major venture capital (VC) firms. These entities helped African startups scale in some cases without requiring ownership dilution by offering non-dilutive funding, grants, and loans. However, the landscape is changing and we see the number of investors supporting African start-ups has been shrinking over the past few years. As global economic pressures mount, this influx of external funding is beginning to dwindle. Even those investors…

The African fintech landscape is booming, with digital finance, cryptocurrencies, AI-powered banking, and cross-border payments offering new opportunities for growth and innovation. Yet, the challenges we face are not small—especially when it comes to regulation, taxation, and market access. Many African nations are grappling with the question of how to regulate digital assets, ensure consumer protection, and foster innovation. As the continent’s fintech players push boundaries, the time has come for the entire ecosystem to unite and take charge of its own destiny. As key players in the industry, we must recognize that some of the most important regulatory initiatives—such…

In today’s digital era, three fintech pioneers stand out as category winners in their regions: Nubank in Latin America, Revolut in Europe, and M-Pesa in Africa. Each has redefined financial services—whether through high-margin lending, diversified fee-based revenue, or transformative mobile money—and all are evolving toward becoming comprehensive super apps that integrate banking, payments, remittances, e-commerce, insurance, and more. They’re different, they win differently and their business models are not the same, While Nubank earns interest like a typical bank, M-pesa earns fees like a Payment Service Provider and Revolut make of their money from FX and cards. Despite their diverse origins and business models, these fintech…

While Flutterwave expands into Asia with new remittance service and doubles down on its larger business of enterprise payments like Stitch in South Africa, MoniePoint in Nigeria and Selcom in Tanzania are deepening their foothold in their African home markets by launching neobanks for consumers. They’re leveraging their success with merchants and agency banking services to offer better solutions to fee-sensitive customers in markets dominated by giant incumbent banks and mobile money. Africa has long been a breeding ground for fintech innovation, with solutions that have revolutionized how millions of individuals and businesses access financial services. From remittances to credit access, African fintechs have demonstrated how technology can leapfrog traditional…

Before writing this article, I tried to estimate the size of payments market in Tanzania, I ended up with a figure that is between $70 Billion and $120 Billion which includes remittances, mobile money and bank payments. So I went like, look, what is the size of Africa payments as a whole, that would be more interesting. Africa is a collection of countries with small and big opportunities, According to World bank and GSMA, Africa leads the world in mobile money payments, Over the years we have heard Africa is big, Africa payments are growing fast, Since we know the…

Leading from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania is rapidly emerging as one of Africa’s rising stars in the fintech space, leveraging its global prominence in the mobile money revolution. While celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes—Mount Kilimanjaro, the paradise-like Zanzibar, and the iconic Serengeti National Park—the country is increasingly gaining recognition for its expanding financial technology (fintech) ecosystem. The true opportunity lies ahead, projected to reach $200 billion across both consumer-led and business-led segments. It is proven to be a lucrative market for mobile money, profitable for fintechs and even banks are making billions in fees and charges, This dynamic economy, fueled by Tanzania’s strategic location and growing…

Fintech is, at its core, a business of compliance—especially as you grow and scale your operations. When you’re just starting out, you might fly under the radar, but as your volumes increase, every regulator and politician will start asking questions. In Africa, securing a license to ground or expand your fintech isn’t just a matter of compliance—it’s a strategic necessity. Let’s set the record straight: there’s no such thing as a “fintech license” in Tanzania, or in most other countries, for that matter. Fintech companies may be licensed as banks, microfinance institutions, or, more commonly, as payment service providers (PSPs).…

In the heart of East Africa, Tanzania stands on the brink of a financial revolution. Despite the widespread adoption of mobile money services for personal transfers, a staggering 97% of point-of-sale (POS) transactions in Tanzania still rely on cash. This article dives deep into the pressing challenges hindering the adoption of digital payments and presents a practical, clear roadmap to transform Tanzania’s payment landscape using mobile money, fintech apps, and banks. Tanzania, with its widespread adoption of mobile phones, mobile money and mobile money agents, presents a unique footprint to propel digital payments forward. While digital infrastructure and interoperability challenges…

While a few lucky startups have hit the funding jackpot, for most, securing cash remains a bit of a treasure hunt. Early-stage founders, juggling the demands of building their empires, often feel like they’re running on fumes. They’re desperate for a map, a compass, anything to guide them through the local funding maze and towards the financial and technical resources they need to take off. Unfortunately, the existing local funding support system is more like a dusty old map with missing pieces and questionable directions. With more than 100 startups covering insurtech and fintech to IOT and electric vehicles, Tanzania promises a…

Introduction: In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, partnerships between traditional banks and fintech companies are proving to be instrumental in driving innovation and expanding access to financial services. These collaborations enable banks to tap into the agility and innovation of fintech startups, while fintechs gain access to the established infrastructure and customer base of banks. Together, they are reshaping the way financial services are delivered, offering a wide array of solutions ranging from remittances to digital payments and beyond. In this context, evaluating the top banks for fintech partnerships becomes crucial, considering factors such as collaboration capabilities, technological readiness, and commercial…

Today we are super excited and we are proudly introducing our first version of “Startups Map Of Tanzania 2024” This list is by far the most comprehensive list of startups in Tanzania available on the internet today, it stands out as an invaluable resource, meticulously curated and continually (monthly) updated by the team led by Reuben Mwatosya at Cofounders Notebook. Why do we do this, Why now? We wanted to see change, we wanted to see startups from a centralised database, we needed to create a place where you can discover new startups even if they are very early stage so that you…