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| NBC Managing Director Theobald Sabi (holding the microphone) speaks during a special webinar organised by the bank in collaboration with key stakeholders in the financial sector. The webinar aimed to encourage Tanzanians to take advantage of opportunities available in the country’s capital and stock markets, particularly through mobile technology. Seated at the high table from left are Ibrahim Nzutu, Head of Business Advisory, NBC (Webinar Moderator); Peter Nalitolela, Chief Executive Officer, Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE); Theobald Sabi, Managing Director, NBC; Emmanuel Akaro, Director of Financial Markets, Bank of Tanzania (BoT); and CPA Alfred Mkombo, Director of Research, Policy and Planning, Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA). |
DAR ES SALAAM, September 16, 2026 — National Bank of Commerce (NBC) has called for greater participation by Tanzanians in the country’s capital markets, highlighting the growing role of digital financial services in making investment opportunities more accessible to ordinary citizens.
The call was made during a webinar hosted by NBC to provide the public with practical information on how individuals can use banking services and digital platforms to access opportunities in the capital and stock markets.
The webinar, broadcast live from NBC’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam, brought together representatives from key financial sector institutions, including the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA).
Banks Can Be Gateways to Investment
Speaking during the webinar, NBC Managing Director Theobald Sabi said financial institutions should increasingly be viewed not only as places to save and borrow money, but also as important gateways to investment opportunities and financial education.
He said technological developments were enabling banks to connect customers more easily with capital market products, allowing people with different levels of income to participate in investment.
“This is why, as a bank, we are investing more in systems that enable our customers to participate in capital market investments. A bank is now more than a place to save and borrow; it is also an important link to financial education and services that provide access to capital and stock markets,” Sabi said.
Sabi cited NBC Kiganjani, which is integrated with DSE Kiganjani, as one of the platforms enabling customers to access investment opportunities digitally.
Investment platforms operated by UTT and iTrust have also been integrated with NBC Kiganjani, while additional services are being considered for integration.
He urged Tanzanians with surplus or idle funds to consider investment opportunities that can potentially generate value, including shares and government securities.
Sabi also encouraged more Tanzanians to embrace formal financial services as a gateway to broader investment opportunities.
DSE: Investment Is Not Only for Those With Millions
DSE Chief Executive Officer Peter Nalitolela said technological advancements had significantly simplified the process of investing in capital markets, allowing individuals to access investment services through mobile phones while also obtaining investment guidance through bank branches.
He said the number of investors in Tanzania’s capital markets had grown to approximately 900,000, but noted that there remained significant room for broader participation given the country’s population of more than 70 million.
Nalitolela stressed that participation in capital markets should not be viewed as an opportunity reserved for people with large amounts of money.
“I continue to encourage citizens not to view investment as something that requires millions of shillings. Anyone can start with a small amount, including Sh5,000 or Sh20,000, depending on the investment product and its requirements,” he said.
His remarks highlighted the potential role of digital platforms in lowering some of the traditional barriers that have limited participation in investment markets.
CMSA Emphasises Investor Protection
CPA Alfred Mkombo, Director of Research, Policy and Planning at CMSA, said the authority continued to strengthen oversight of the capital markets while promoting investor protection and ensuring that investors had adequate information before committing their funds.
He urged investors to diversify rather than concentrate their money in a single investment.
Mkombo said investors could consider a combination of investment options, including government securities, collective investment schemes, property and housing, and fixed-term bank deposits, depending on their financial objectives and risk considerations.
He also emphasised the importance of financial education in helping more Tanzanians understand both the opportunities and risks associated with capital market investments.
BoT Highlights Opportunities for Mobilising Idle Funds
Emmanuel Akaro, Director of Financial Markets at the Bank of Tanzania, said the central bank was implementing reforms aimed at widening participation in Tanzania’s capital markets by both domestic and foreign investors.
He said substantial financial resources remained outside productive economic activity, creating a need for deliberate measures to encourage their mobilisation into investment opportunities such as government securities, banks and collective investment schemes.
Akaro said changes introduced in July had further opened the capital account, enabling foreign investors, including Tanzanians living abroad, to participate in the government securities market.
He said the reforms also provide an opportunity for Tanzanians in the diaspora to invest in government bonds, including in circumstances where their children do not hold Tanzanian citizenship.
NBC Expands Financial Education Programme
NBC Director of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Sarah Laizer Sumaye said the webinar formed part of the bank’s ongoing financial education programme designed to help customers better understand available financial and investment opportunities.
She said the initiative brought together experts from NBC, DSE, CMSA and BoT to explain to ordinary Tanzanians how they can use banking services to access capital markets and make investments aligned with their financial goals.
“We will not stop at savings and loans. We want to provide our customers with a range of opportunities, including sustainable investment opportunities,” Sumaye said.
She said NBC would continue the initiative through its Compliance Advocacy Program, extending financial education beyond capital markets to areas such as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Data Privacy and Business Ethics.
The programme, she added, is intended to strengthen customers’ understanding of financial services while highlighting the broader opportunities available to them beyond traditional savings and lending products.
A Push for Broader Investment Participation
The discussions during the webinar underscored the increasing convergence between banking, digital technology and capital markets.
With digital platforms making investment services more accessible, financial institutions and market regulators are increasingly focusing on financial education, investor protection and the mobilisation of domestic savings into productive investments.
For Tanzanians, the message from the financial sector was clear: understanding available investment products, assessing risks and making informed financial decisions are important steps towards participating in the country’s growing capital markets.
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