TANZANIA’S TELECOMS SECTOR: A POWERFUL FORCE FOR POSITIVE ECONOMIC CHANGE

The scale of technological change continues to unfold at a dramatic pace. Today, many of the advances in mobile-assisted technology would have not been imaginable at the beginning of the 21st century.

As these advances take place, it is not surprising that the overall data traffic is on the rise and is set to continue to increase in years to come. For example, research released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development suggests that global data traffic is set to increase from 46,000 GB per second in 2017 to 150,700 GB per second by 2022.

Given Africa’s young and growing population, it is easy to see how these countries’ citizens will play a significant part in the upward trajectory of global data traffic.

For Tanzania specifically, it is fair to say that digitalization has emerged a key trend for a number of years now. Indeed, the country has seen its digital landscape grow from strength to strength as more and more people seek to take advantage of the benefits that digital tech affords.

For example, this summer, the TCRA announced that the overall use of mobile money in Tanzania continues to rise, with the total number of registered accounts rising from over 27 million in April to 29 million by the end of June.

This growth shows that mobile money has become an essential tool for how people manage their finances.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that this is also the result of the efforts made by the country’s telecoms sector to invest in services and technology that suit the needs of their customers.

One good example is Tigo Tanzania. Tigo’s mobile money service – Tigo Pesa – has provided its customers with a fast and reliable method for depositing and transferring money.

In addition, Tigo Pesa removes the need for customers to make regular trips to the banks, meaning customers can keep track of their finances simply through the click of a button.

Services like Tigo Pesa provide countless customers with a new way of managing their finances.

Tanzania’s telecoms sector has shown that it is a powerful force for positive change.

Going forward, it is now more important than ever that stakeholders come together to provide the necessary support for the sector through sensible regulation and mutual cooperation. This will not only help ensure telecoms operators can better serve future customers, but also ensure that positive impacts of the sector continue to be enjoyed for years to come.

Ndechao Sangawe, 

UDBS.