Electronic Money Issuer — Tanzania

The Tanzania category mapped to e-money issuance.

Electronic Money Regulations 2015 under the NPS Act 2015; float held in trust with a licensed bank. Licence restricted to banks/MNOs since a Dec-2020 BoT circular.

Maintained: this official source is re-checked on a weekly schedule — last checked 2026-08-24.

Source recency: Bank of Tanzania's official list is dated 2025-12-31 — the most recent official publication; verify current status directly with Bank of Tanzania. Entries below are as reported by that list — not a statement of current status.

Licensed providers

6 entities

#	Provider	Status (as reported)	Source	Source date
1	Airtel Money Tanzania Limited	licensed	Bank of Tanzania	2025-12-31
2	AzamPesa Tanzania Limited	licensed	Bank of Tanzania	2025-12-31
3	HONORA Tanzania Mobile Solutions Limited (also written Tigo Pesa)	licensed	Bank of Tanzania	2025-12-31
4	M-Pesa Limited	licensed	Bank of Tanzania	2025-12-31
5	TTCL Pesa Limited (also written T-Pesa)	licensed	Bank of Tanzania	2025-12-31
6	Viettel Ecommerce Limited (also written Halopesa)	licensed	Bank of Tanzania	2025-12-31

Licence requirements

What it takes to hold this licence, as stated in the cited official instruments. Capital and fees are shown in the currency the statute itself uses.

Requirement	As published	Source	Source date
Minimum capital	TZS 500,000,000 ("Five Hundred Million"), maintained at all times Verbatim “An electronic money issuer shall maintain at all times a minimum capital as set out in the First Schedule … Electronic money issuer … Minimum Capital: Five Hundred Million … Five Hundred Million”	The Electronic Money Regulations, 2015 (GN under the NPS Act 2015; made under s.56)	not dated
Local presence / incorporation	Separate legal entity required for a non-bank/non-FI issuer; certificate of incorporation; trust/special account in a bank in Tanzania Verbatim “A payment system provider, who is a non-bank or a non-financial institution, shall establish a separate legal entity for issuance of electronic money … copy of certificate of incorporation”	The Electronic Money Regulations, 2015 (GN under the NPS Act 2015; made under s.56)	not dated
Timeline	Processing: grant/reject within 30 days of a complete application; certificate within 7 days of licence-fee receipt. Validity: co-terminous with the provider's PSP licence. Verbatim “The Bank shall, within thirty days following receipt of an application … either grant or reject … … remain valid for the duration of the service provider's licence unless suspended or revoked”	The Electronic Money Regulations, 2015 (GN under the NPS Act 2015; made under s.56)	not dated
Local ownership	No such requirement: No local/citizen shareholding percentage in the Regulations	The Electronic Money Regulations, 2015 (GN under the NPS Act 2015; made under s.56)	not dated
Fees	Licence Fee TZS 2,000,000; Renewal TZS 2,000,000. A "non-refundable application fee" is referenced but not itemised as a figure. Verbatim “proof of payment of a non-refundable application fee provided in First Schedule … Electronic money issuer — Licence Fee: Two Million · Licence Renewal Fee: Two Million”	The Electronic Money Regulations, 2015 (GN under the NPS Act 2015; made under s.56)	not dated
Ongoing obligations	Funds held 1:1 in a trust account in a bank; e-money issued in TZS; trust deposits >TZS 500m split to a second bank; a bank may not hold trust deposits >50% of its core capital; AML/CFT; monthly returns (Form G); renewal ≥6 months before expiry; prior BoT approval to change shareholding Verbatim “amount of electronic money in circulation … equivalent to the funds deposited in the trust account or special account … Electronic money shall be issued in Tanzania Shillings … A bank shall not hold trust account deposits that exceed fifty per cent of its core-capital … at least six months before the expiration”	The Electronic Money Regulations, 2015 (GN under the NPS Act 2015; made under s.56)	not dated

Requirements as published in the cited instruments — not legal or compliance advice. Where a value is located but not yet verified, we show that it exists but don't publish the figure. Verify directly with the regulator.

The equivalent in other markets

Categories mapped to the same normalized activity — fintech:EMONEY_ISSUE:

Cross-border rules for Tanzania →