Tanzania fintech sector poised for growth
Dar es Salaam: TANZANIA has tremendous potential in fintech and digital finance, with the country’s evolving regulatory environment creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors and technology companies, Africa Blockchain Festival (ABF) Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Olubunmi Fabanwo has said.
Mr Fabanwo said the country’s growing fintech sector and efforts to establish a clearer regulatory framework for virtual assets could strengthen Tanzania’s digital economy and attract greater investment.
“What is happening in Tanzania is important. Regulation provides clarity, and clarity can give serious entrepreneurs, investors and technology companies greater confidence to build,” he said.
Against this changing regulatory landscape, Mr Fabanwo said Tanzanian fintech companies, developers, entrepreneurs and investors should take advantage of opportunities to engage with developments taking place across Africa.
He was speaking ahead of the Africa Blockchain Festival (ABF) 2026, scheduled for October 15–17 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
The organisers are seeking to attract a strong Tanzanian delegation to the three-day gathering, which will bring together innovators, investors, policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, entrepreneurs and developers from Africa and international markets.
Mr Fabanwo said the event would provide Tanzanians working in fintech, digital payments and emerging technologies with an opportunity to understand how regulation, investment and innovation were developing across different African markets.
“For Tanzanians working in blockchain, this is the time to be part of the conversation. As Tanzania moves towards a clearer regulatory environment for virtual assets, entrepreneurs need to understand what is happening elsewhere in Africa, meet investors, engage policymakers and build relationships with companies operating across different markets,” he said.
He said Nairobi’s geographical proximity to Tanzania made the gathering particularly relevant to Tanzanian technology companies and entrepreneurs.
“One should not necessarily have to travel to Dubai, London or the United States to access global conversations around blockchain and digital assets. We are bringing investors, policymakers, founders and technology leaders to East Africa. For the Tanzanian blockchain community, Nairobi is next door,” Mr Fabanwo said.
He said one of the objectives of the 2026 festival was to promote greater collaboration between African technology ecosystems.
“We want to see founders from Dar es Salaam meeting investors from Lagos, developers from Tanzania exchanging ideas with developers from Nairobi, and Tanzanian companies showcasing technologies that could potentially scale across Africa,” he said.
The festival will be held under the theme “Capital, Code and Continuity: Building Africa’s Permanent Digital Economy.”
Mr Fabanwo said the value of attending the gathering extended beyond discussions about cryptocurrencies, noting that emerging technologies were increasingly being applied in areas such as cross-border payments, digital identity, supply chains, trade, tokenisation and financial services.
The festival will therefore provide Tanzanian founders and technology companies with opportunities to meet investors and potential partners, understand developments in other African markets, explore regional expansion and showcase locally developed solutions to an international audience.
