Tanzania Witnesses Surge in Mobile Money Transactions, Advances in Broadcasting and Digital Connectivity

Mobile money transactions in Tanzania increased by 30 percent between September and December 2023 and by 44 per cent last year January to December 2023, reflecting exponential growth of financial inclusion in the country, which has adopted more strategies for universal broadcasting services, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) current statistical report has revealed.

TCRA Director General, Dr Jabiri K. Bakari says in that the Authority’s October-December 2023 quarterly performance report that mobile money accounts transactions increased from 51,369,347 which made 549,529,470 transactions in September to 52,875,129 accounts, with 549,529,470 transactions in December 2023. 

There were 42,120,445 accounts, with 380,561,622 transactions in January. 2023.

TCRA assigns and licences the shortcodes such as *150*# used for financial transactions and other value–added services. The Bank of Tanzania regulates the financial sector. These institutions have a memorandum of understanding on digital financial services.

 Dr Bakari said a programme on universal broadcasting services is underway to improve broadcasting infrastructure in remote mountainous areas with harsh terrain.  

TCRA and the Universal Communications Service Access Fund (UCSAF) have identified ten areas where broadcasting infrastructure would be developed, through subsidies, he added.

The move is in tandem with the programme to launch Tanzania’s first satellite for broadcasting services. The country secured an orbital position for the satellite at the World Radio-communication Conference (WRC23) held in Dubai in December 2023, Dr Bakari said.

The deployment of a broadcasting satellite will overcome the limitations of terrestrial systems affecting the reception of radio content in topographically- challenged areas such as Rombo in Kilimanjaro region.

Tanzania was also awarded additional frequencies in the 3600-3800 MHz range, set to push the fifth generation of mobile technology (5G). These frequencies have the potential to transform internet speed significantly, enhance the reach of the mobile network, and drive economic growth by fostering digital communication advancements.

The report shows that basic mobile phones enabling voice calls and messages (second generation or 2G) have penetrated 98 per cent of the population, while devices with voice, messaging and data capabilities (third and fourth generation, respectively) have reached between 79 and 86 per cent of the population. 

The report shows a sharp drop in fraudulent mobile calls and messages from two (2) per cent of registered SIM cards in September 2022 to 0.1 per cent in December 2023, indicating the effectiveness of the TCRA-led campaign on responsible use of communications services. 

The report paints two pictures of the performance of the postal sector, with reported increases in parcels and items handled by the public postal operators – the Tanzania Posts Corporation (TPC) and private courier companies. The volume of items posted abroad increased from 239, 239 to 243,199 and those received from abroad fell from 616,225 to 261,983.