Tanzania: Mobile Money Reshapes Economy

What the report says

Tanzania’s mobile-money sector is expanding rapidly, with digital payment flows becoming a bigger part of everyday commerce, according to a Daily News report distributed by AllAfrica. Citing the Bank of Tanzania’s National Payment Systems Annual Report 2025, the article says mobile-payment transaction value rose 28.3% in 2025 to 255.1tri/- as digital payments spread across the country.

The report says this growth reflects both more users and more frequent use. Active mobile-money subscriptions increased to 63.21 million in 2024, while the agent network grew to 1.48 million, helping extend services into rural and underserved areas. Person-to-business payments also accelerated, rising to 2.30 billion transactions worth 37.52tri/- in 2025, and the number of merchants accepting digital payments more than doubled to 2.79 million.

The article frames mobile money as moving beyond simple person-to-person transfers and becoming a broader payments system linking consumers, businesses, banks and government. It notes the role of interoperable platforms such as the Tanzania Instant Payment System and Tanzania Quick Response Code in connecting transactions across providers.

More broadly, the piece argues that the importance of mobile money lies less in replacing cash than in changing how money moves through the economy. It can lower transaction costs, speed up settlement, improve records and widen access to formal finance, while also raising the need for stronger payment reliability, cybersecurity and regulation.