Country guides

Launching mobile money in Tanzania

Tanzania has several large mobile money operators and full interoperability between them. The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) licenses e-money issuers and runs the national instant payment system, TIPS.

This guide is also available in:English Français العربية Kiswahili

Interoperability is already part of daily life, so any new service must send and receive across networks and banks from day one.

Swahili is the main language of daily life. A service that is fully in Swahili, on apps and USSD, feels local from the first screen.

The rules in brief

Regulator: Bank of Tanzania (BoT)
Main texts: National Payment Systems Act, 2015, and its regulations on licensing and e-money
Licence routes: Electronic money issuer licence; or a partner bank
Minimum capital: Set by the BoT regulations: confirm the current amount with the BoT
Interoperability: TIPS, the Tanzania Instant Payment System run by the BoT
KYC and limits: Tiered KYC with limits set by the BoT
Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS)

Summary of published texts, checked on 2026-10-16. Rules change: confirm the current text with the regulator or your lawyer before you apply.

Payment rails to connect

Mobile money: 5 main operators
Banks
National instant payments

TanzaniaCurrency: TZS

Methods in Tanzania

Mobile money
The country's mobile money networks
Adapter ready
Cards
Debit and credit cards through your acquirer
Adapter ready
Wallet
Your own wallet (with our mobile money product)
Adapter ready

Payouts to: mobile money · bank account

Each row is a method type; the networks behind it are set up in your back office as you connect them. Cards go through the acquirer you choose. The list grows as you sign rails.

Launching with PesaBridge, step by step

Choose your licence route: your own licence, a partner bank or e-money issuer, or a licensed aggregator.

Build your proposal online: countries, payment rails and plan, in 10 minutes.

We set up the platform, your brand and the payment rails while you finish the licence file.

Test with a pilot group of customers, agents and merchants, and with the regulator where required.

Go live, recruit agents and merchants, and add services and countries as you grow.

Questions

Can we connect to TIPS?

Yes. TIPS is one more rail in PesaBridge; we build the connection once you are a participant.

Can the whole service run in Swahili?

Yes: the apps, their messages and receipts.

Can a bank launch a wallet?

Yes. Banks use PesaBridge for wallets, agents and merchant payments next to their core banking system.

Bank of Tanzania: payment systems

Get a proposal for Tanzania

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