Author: Reuben Mwatosya, Cofounder & Chief Operating Officer at Tembo

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…