Our goal is for all Tanzanians to derive value
from the regular use of financial services
Driving the financial inclusion agenda to overcome persistent exclusion among marginalised groups
Great strides have been made in improving formal financial inclusion from 11% of the adult population in 2006 to 65% in 2017, attributed to innovative strategies among financial service providers and regulators, the rapid evolution of mobile solutions and the expansion of access points across the country.
11%
of the adult population in 2006 to 65% in 2017, attributed to innovative strategies among financial service providers and regulators
Challenges
The results are promising, but evidence shows that there is more work to be done to reach key groups who remain financially excluded, namely women, youth, rural dwellers, farmers and small business enterprises.
61%
Only 61% of Tanzanian women are financially included
3 in 10
unbanked are between the ages of 15 and 24
79%
of those who are financially excluded live in rural areas
10%
Only 10% of farmers use formal financial services
4%
of small businesses are formally registered
Our commitment to the groups we serve
The challenge going forward is to close the demand-supply gap among these groups through public-private partnerships, innovative policy and customer-led financial service provider strategies.
We work to overcome information asymmetry on the supply side which limits appropriate, customer driven innovation, as well as legislative barriers and rigid requirements for customer registration.
On the demand side, we collaborate across the sector to recognise the needs of marginalised groups to inform appropriate, cost-effective provision of financial products and services.
WOMEN
Making up over 50% of the population and workforce and owning over half of the country’s micro and small enterprises, the gender gap in accessing formal financial services remains at 10%. It is clear that women face considerable challenges in becoming financially included due to their lack of literacy and numeracy, a wide range of social, cultural and economic challenges and a lower level of mobile phone ownership.
YOUTH
A dynamic and diverse group, but with the highest levels of financial exclusion among socio-demographic groups, Tanzanian youth is considered a difficult market to serve in terms of financial service provision. Challenges include the stringent Know-Your-Customer requirements and the perceived high costs of acquisition of youth as customers, compared to the expected value on the accounts.
Rural dwellers
Rural dwellers make up 70% of the Tanzanian population but, despite the rise in mobile money agents across the country, they remain excluded from the full range of financial solutions due to their lack of formal education and barriers to distribution.
Farmers
Nearly 80% of the households in Tanzania engage in agriculture, but less than 60% of farmers have taken up formal financial services. Many farmers have opened mobile accounts, but the seasonality of their incomes and the lack of targeted products and services have led to low levels of usage within this group across the formal sector.
Enterprises
The small business sector has the potential to make a significant contribution to the economy of Tanzania, but without formal registration, there are millions of business owners who are unable to access financial solutions to develop and grow their business.
Bill Gates in Dar es Salaam this week to support financial inclusion and the future of digital financial services in Tanzania
14 Aug 2017
This week, Bill Gates was in Dar es Salaam to support Tanzania’s financial inclusion agenda, among other BMGF projects. Joining leaders from government, financial service providers, mobile network operators and digital financial service providers, he took part in roundtable discussions to explore the potential contribution of digital financial services in improving livelihoods and enterprise productivity across the country.