Tanzania pledges to deepen ties with the private sector at the launch of the Azampesa service
ARUSHA: THE Tanzanian government will continue to collaborate with the private sector, financial institutions and other stakeholders to ensure that digital payment systems continue to improve and be beneficial to citizens and visitors visiting the country, the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Hamad Hassan Chande said today ,February 14, 2026.
Chande made this known in Arusha during the launch of the Azampesa service in collaboration with Visa for digital payments for international tourists and called on other organizations to be creative in designing better and modern ways in providing services to tourists visiting the country in order to provide employment opportunities for tourists and the growth of the national economy.
“This service will bring great benefits, including enhancing the experience of tourists visiting Tanzania by providing them with easy, secure and modern payment services, empowering local businesses, stimulating the growth of the digital economy, increasing transparency and efficiency in financial transactions, while strengthening national revenue collection” He explained.
Chande added that the Azampesa service has come at an opportune time when the tourism sector has been rapidly improving.
Between 2021 and 2025, the number of domestic tourists has increased from 788,933 in 2021 to 3.6 million in 2025, while international tourists increased from 922,692 to 2.2 million in the same period as a result of the Royal Tour and Amizing Tanzania films.
In another step, Chande has directed service providers, despite using a foreign language in the registration system, to also use the Kiswahili language to honour and appreciate our nationality.
In addition, he has urged them to educate the community on the importance of the service and strengthen the protection and security of systems in parallel with planning well to serve visitors during the 2027 AFCON Championship, a period when we expect to have many visitors in the country.
For his part, AzamPesa Chief Executive Officer, Firas Ahmad said digital payments aim to enable tourists to make transactions easily across Tanzania without the need for cash, ATMs or the use of physical cards, where the service is a payment solution for tourists in Tanzania.
The Vice President and General Manager of Visa East Africa, Chad Pollock, explained that through the partnership with AzamPesa, Visa will enable Visa cardholders to make payments like locals via their mobile phones
Top 10 Unhappiest Countries in 2024 (World Happiness Report)
Afghanistan (Lowest score, 1.72)
Lebanon (High economic instability)
Lesotho (Social/security challenges)
Sierra Leone (High poverty)
Congo, Democratic Republic of (Poverty, instability)
Zimbabwe (Economic hardship)
Botswana
Malawi
Eswatini
Zambia
Key Factors for Low Happiness
War & Conflict: Afghanistan and Yemen (a top least-peaceful country) face severe, ongoing conflicts.
Economic Collapse: Lebanon and Zimbabwe are suffering from hyperinflation and economic mismanagement.
Poverty & Disease: Countries like Malawi and Sierra Leone struggle with extreme poverty and health crises.
Countries with Highest Total Dependency Ratios (High Fertility/Childhood Dependency)
These nations have a high proportion of children (0–14) relative to the working-age population (15–64).
Central African Republic: 105.18% (2023)
Niger: 98.16%
Somalia: 97.02%
DR Congo: ~95-100%
Chad: High child dependency
Uganda: 86.8%
Tanzania: 86.8%
Burkina Faso: 86.1%
Mozambique: 85.5%
Nigeria: 85.3%
Afghanistan: ~82.7% (notably the only non-African country in the top 30)
Countries with Highest Old-Age Dependency Ratios (Aging Populations)
These countries face high dependency due to a shrinking workforce and a large elderly population.
Japan: Highest globally, with an old-age ratio exceeding 50% (2+ workers per elderly person).
Italy: ~37%
Finland: ~37%
Key Trends
Child Dependency: Africa holds the highest ratios due to large, young populations.
Old-Age Dependency: Europe and Japan have high dependency due to aging.
Global Average: The global dependency ratio is roughly 58%
Several countries offer free or nearly free tuition at public universities for residents, EU/EEA citizens, and sometimes all international students. Top countries include Germany, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Iceland, and Slovenia. While tuition is free, students often pay nominal semester fees (e.g., €100–€350 in Germany).
Key Countries with Free/Low-Cost Higher Education:
Germany: Public universities are generally free for all students, including non-EU nationals, with only small administrative fees.
Norway: Public higher education is free for all students, including those from outside the EU/EEA.
Finland: Free for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens; doctoral-level studies are often free for all.
Sweden: Free for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, with PhD programs often free for all.
Denmark: Free for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens.
Austria: Free for EU/EEA students at public universities, with low fees for non-Europeans.
Iceland: Public universities are generally tuition-free for all students, requiring only an registration fee.
Czech Republic: Free for all, provided the program is taught in the Czech language.
Greece: Free for EU/EEA students, with low-cost options for others.
France: Public universities have very low, subsidized fees for all students.
Several countries and specific regions offer free or nearly free land to attract residents, investors, or agricultural development. Key locations include Botswana (for citizens), Tanzania (for industrial investors in Dodoma), Pitcairn Island, and parts of the USA (such as Iowa and Minnesota). These programs often require building a home within a specific timeframe or investing in the local economy.
Botswana: Citizens can receive free land for residential use.
Tanzania: The government offers free land for investors in building/construction materials. Specific industrial plots are available in Dodoma.
Pitcairn Island: Offers free land to individuals willing to settle in this remote Pacific location, provided they build a home.
Italy: Various towns offer abandoned homes for €1 ($1), such as in Maenza, requiring renovation within a few years.
USA:
Marne, Iowa: Offers free plots for residential construction.
Manila, Iowa: Provides free lots for building homes.
Claremont, Minnesota: Offers free lots for working families to build homes.
Buffalo, New York: Offers parcels for $1, requiring 3+ years of residency.
Canada: The Yukon territory has agricultural programs, and the rural municipality of Pipestone, Manitoba, has offered land for a very low cost ($10).
Congo-Brazzaville: Offered 99-year free leases to farmers for agricultural development.
Japan: Offers, and in some cases gives away, abandoned, rural homes (Akiya) to combat aging populations.
Top 10 Unhappiest Countries in 2024 (World Happiness Report)
Afghanistan (Lowest score, 1.72)
Lebanon (High economic instability)
Lesotho (Social/security challenges)
Sierra Leone (High poverty)
Congo, Democratic Republic of (Poverty, instability)
Zimbabwe (Economic hardship)
Botswana
Malawi
Eswatini
Zambia
Key Factors for Low Happiness
War & Conflict: Afghanistan and Yemen (a top least-peaceful country) face severe, ongoing conflicts.
Economic Collapse: Lebanon and Zimbabwe are suffering from hyperinflation and economic mismanagement.
Poverty & Disease: Countries like Malawi and Sierra Leone struggle with extreme poverty and health crises.
Countries with Highest Total Dependency Ratios (High Fertility/Childhood Dependency)
These nations have a high proportion of children (0–14) relative to the working-age population (15–64).
Central African Republic: 105.18% (2023)
Niger: 98.16%
Somalia: 97.02%
DR Congo: ~95-100%
Chad: High child dependency
Uganda: 86.8%
Tanzania: 86.8%
Burkina Faso: 86.1%
Mozambique: 85.5%
Nigeria: 85.3%
Afghanistan: ~82.7% (notably the only non-African country in the top 30)
Countries with Highest Old-Age Dependency Ratios (Aging Populations)
These countries face high dependency due to a shrinking workforce and a large elderly population.
Japan: Highest globally, with an old-age ratio exceeding 50% (2+ workers per elderly person).
Italy: ~37%
Finland: ~37%
Key Trends
Child Dependency: Africa holds the highest ratios due to large, young populations.
Old-Age Dependency: Europe and Japan have high dependency due to aging.
Global Average: The global dependency ratio is roughly 58%
Several countries offer free or nearly free tuition at public universities for residents, EU/EEA citizens, and sometimes all international students. Top countries include Germany, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Iceland, and Slovenia. While tuition is free, students often pay nominal semester fees (e.g., €100–€350 in Germany).
Key Countries with Free/Low-Cost Higher Education:
Germany: Public universities are generally free for all students, including non-EU nationals, with only small administrative fees.
Norway: Public higher education is free for all students, including those from outside the EU/EEA.
Finland: Free for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens; doctoral-level studies are often free for all.
Sweden: Free for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, with PhD programs often free for all.
Denmark: Free for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens.
Austria: Free for EU/EEA students at public universities, with low fees for non-Europeans.
Iceland: Public universities are generally tuition-free for all students, requiring only an registration fee.
Czech Republic: Free for all, provided the program is taught in the Czech language.
Greece: Free for EU/EEA students, with low-cost options for others.
France: Public universities have very low, subsidized fees for all students.
Several countries and specific regions offer free or nearly free land to attract residents, investors, or agricultural development. Key locations include Botswana (for citizens), Tanzania (for industrial investors in Dodoma), Pitcairn Island, and parts of the USA (such as Iowa and Minnesota). These programs often require building a home within a specific timeframe or investing in the local economy.
Botswana: Citizens can receive free land for residential use.
Tanzania: The government offers free land for investors in building/construction materials. Specific industrial plots are available in Dodoma.
Pitcairn Island: Offers free land to individuals willing to settle in this remote Pacific location, provided they build a home.
Italy: Various towns offer abandoned homes for €1 ($1), such as in Maenza, requiring renovation within a few years.
USA:
Marne, Iowa: Offers free plots for residential construction.
Manila, Iowa: Provides free lots for building homes.
Claremont, Minnesota: Offers free lots for working families to build homes.
Buffalo, New York: Offers parcels for $1, requiring 3+ years of residency.
Canada: The Yukon territory has agricultural programs, and the rural municipality of Pipestone, Manitoba, has offered land for a very low cost ($10).
Congo-Brazzaville: Offered 99-year free leases to farmers for agricultural development.
Japan: Offers, and in some cases gives away, abandoned, rural homes (Akiya) to combat aging populations.