Financial Services

Tanzania has a well-developed and diverse financial services sector, with large domestic and multinational lenders present, and a rate of financial inclusion that exceeds that of most other large economies in Africa. However, in line with major markets elsewhere on the continent, just five bodies account for roughly half of total assets. The...

For the government, boosting the proportion of the population with access to financial services is a strategic priority. According to a 2016 IMF report, financial inclusion rose by 42 percentage points to 58% of the population between 2009 and 2013 – a surge which the IMF attributes almost entirely to new distribution channels, such as mobile...

The government’s process of economic reform is having far-reaching effects on various entries on banks’ balance sheets. Many reform measures, such as the more rigorous implementation of the tax code, are being felt indirectly by the banking sector in the form of rising non-performing loans and slower loan growth. However, a recent decision...

The slowing growth rate of credit to the private sector has emerged as a key industry issue in 2016 and 2017. After expanding at a rate in excess of 20% throughout most of 2015, central bank data shows that in January 2016 growth began to decline sharply. By October 2016 credit expansion to the private sector had fallen beneath the 10% level,...