What Vodacom Tanzania does

Vodacom Tanzania PLC is a publicly listed telecommunications and digital financial services operator headquartered in Dar es Salaam, founded in 2000 and majority-owned (75%) by South Africa's Vodacom Group Limited. The company operates as an integrated telco-fintech, delivering mobile voice and SMS, 4G/5G mobile data, Fixed Wireless Access broadband, and enterprise ICT services through its Vodacom Business division, alongside the M-Pesa mobile money platform and adjacent financial products (M-Koba for group savings, M-Kulima for agriculture, M-Pesa Global Payment for cross-border transfers, and Tap-to-Pay contactless payments).

Its technology stack centers on the M-Pesa mobile money platform (76.5 million accounts in Tanzania as of December 2025, up 21% year-on-year), which was upgraded at a cost of $28 million from a legacy G2 system to a next-generation fintech infrastructure with tokenized virtual card capabilities. The company's network footprint was expanded through the $28.18 million acquisition of Smile Communications Tanzania, adding 20MHz of 800MHz and 20MHz of 2600MHz spectrum, and a broader $100 million modernization programme that upgraded over 1,800 sites and added 347 new 4G/5G sites. Distribution combines Vodashops across all 31 regions of Tanzania, an extensive M-Pesa agent network, and digital self-service via USSD, the M-Pesa SuperApp, and the MyVodacom portal.

Revenue is generated through a mix of subscription voice/SMS bundles (TZS 500–TZS 50,000), usage-based data plans, M-Pesa transaction fees, enterprise managed services, 5G FWA home internet (starting TZS 120,000/month), and device sales (e.g., Samsung Galaxy S25 at TZS 1,900,000). Q4 2025 service revenue reached TZS 477.5 billion (up 19.8% YoY) across 26.01 million customers (up 18% YoY), while FY ending March 2025 net profit was TZS 90.51 billion (up 69.4% YoY). Strategic partnerships with Visa, Paymentology, Thunes, Alipay, MTN Uganda, TCB Bank, AWS Educate, Starlink, and the Tanzania Cooperative Development Commission extend the platform across payments, banking, agriculture, and digital skills.

Name

Vodacom Tanzania

Legal name

Vodacom Tanzania Public Limited Company

Website

https://vodacom.co.tz

Company type

Public

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Vodacom Tanzania PLC is a Dar es Salaam-based mobile network operator and fintech serving 26 million customers with voice, 4G/5G data, and the M-Pesa mobile money platform (76.5 million accounts), targeting Tanzanian consumers, cooperatives, and enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Telecommunications

NAICS

Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Carrier Billing & Telco Mobile Money (FSAMAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Voice Calling (VoIP) Apps (BPAMACAC), Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAE)

Keywords

• Mobile telecommunications
• Mobile money services
• Digital financial services
• Mobile network operator
• Enterprise ICT solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar Es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Mobile Voice and SMS Services: Traditional voice and SMS services generating revenue through airtime sales, voice bundles, and per-second or per-message billing. Bundles range from TZS 500 (1-day validity) to TZS 50,000 (30-day validity with data inclusions).
2. Mobile Data Services: Mobile data packages sold as bundles (daily, weekly, monthly validity) and usage-based plans. Data bundles range from TZS 500 for 246MB daily to TZS 50,000 for 24.6GB over 30 days. 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) home internet plans start at TZS 120,000.
3. M-Pesa Mobile Money: Mobile money transaction fees including person-to-person transfers, cash-in/cash-out through agents, bill payments, and airtime purchases. Additional revenue from float management and enterprise payment solutions. M-Pesa Global Payment enables cross-border transactions to China and Uganda.
4. Vodacom Business Enterprise Services: ICT solutions for enterprise customers including managed connectivity, cloud services, IoT solutions, and enterprise digital transformation services targeting business customers.
5. Spectrum and Infrastructure Services: Network infrastructure and spectrum services derived from expanded 4G/5G network following Smile Communications acquisition, enabling enhanced connectivity for both consumer and enterprise segments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vodacom Tanzania provides mobile telecommunications services including 4G/5G voice, SMS, and data connectivity, alongside the M-Pesa mobile money platform which enables peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, savings, microloans, and cross-border payments. The company also delivers enterprise ICT solutions (managed connectivity, cloud, IoT) through its Vodacom Business division, supplemented by smartphone/device retail and content services (VTV video, Ting music, Vodatube).

Product overview

Vodacom Tanzania operates as a telecommunications and fintech company offering a unified portfolio of mobile connectivity services and digital financial products. The core offering centers on M-Pesa, Tanzania's dominant mobile money platform (76.5 million accounts), which serves as the foundation for financial inclusion products including M-Koba (group savings), M-Kulima (agriculture), M-Pesa Global Payment (cross-border), and tap-to-pay functionality. Connectivity services span 4G and 5G fixed wireless access, voice/SMS bundles, and device sales. The portfolio also includes video streaming (VTV), music (Ting), digital skills training (Vodacom Digital Skills Hub), and enterprise solutions (Vodacom Business).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• M-Pesa: Mobile money and digital financial services platform enabling payments, transfers, savings, and loans for both banked and unbanked customers
• VTV
• Ting
• M-Koba
• M-Pesa App

Products and services

• M-Pesa Mobile Money Platform Tanzania's dominant mobile money platform with 76.5 million accounts as of December 2025, enabling peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, savings, microloans, and cross-border payments for both banked and unbanked individuals.
• M-Pesa Global Payment Cross-border digital payment platform enabling Tanzanian customers to make international transactions to merchants in China, Uganda, and Dubai via tokenized Visa cards and partner wallets.
• M-Pesa Tap-to-Pay Contactless mobile-money Tap-to-Pay feature enabling M-Pesa customers with Android phones to make payments at any Visa-enabled point-of-sale terminal using tokenized virtual card technology.
• M-Koba Group Savings Service Digital group savings, micro-lending, and social fund management service for Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), VICOBA, SACCOs, and family groups, operated with TCB Bank for regulatory oversight.
• M-Kulima Agricultural Platform Digital agriculture platform for cooperative societies and smallholder farmers enabling digital onboarding, member registration, payments, savings, and loan services; registered over 3.2 million farmers and processed TZS 88 billion in payments.
• 5G Fixed Wireless Access Internet Fixed wireless access broadband service providing superfast 5G connectivity for homes and offices with unlimited data options, starting at TZS 120,000 per month.
• Voice and SMS Bundles Voice call and SMS packages ranging from TZS 500 (1-day, 30 minutes + 20 SMS) to TZS 50,000 (30-day, 1,200 minutes + 500 SMS + 19.9GB data), with auto-renewal options on select tiers.
• Vodacom Business Enterprise Solutions Enterprise ICT solutions including managed connectivity, cloud services, IoT, enterprise mobility, and digital transformation services delivered through a dedicated business division for corporate and government clients.
• VTV Video Streaming Live streaming and video content platform offering access to television channels and on-demand content including World Cup matches for Vodacom subscribers.
• Ting Music Streaming Music streaming service integrated with data bundles allowing Vodacom subscribers to enjoy music content with free access tied to bundle purchases.
• Device Sales Retail sales of smartphones and devices including Samsung Galaxy S25 (TZS 1,900,000), Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (TZS 1,900,000), Nokia 5G CPE (TZS 950,000), and Samsung A36 (TZS 810,000), with data bundles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 76.5 million mobile money accounts as of December 2025, a 21% increase from 63.2 million in 2024
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Tanzania Cooperative Development Commission (TCDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Vodacom Tanzania signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TCDC to drive digital transformation of cooperative societies across Tanzania using the M-Kulima platform. The partnership includes handover of 35 laptops to TCDC to support the Commission's digital operations. M-Kulima has already registered over 3.2 million farmers and processed more than TZS 88 billion in payments.
• ThunescoreTechnology or Integration · 5 May 2026Thunes partnered with Vodacom Tanzania to power M-Pesa Global Payment solution enabling Tanzanian customers to make real-time cross-border payments to merchants in Uganda (via MTN MoMo) and China (via Alipay) directly from their mobile phones. The solution leverages Thunes' Direct Global Network to address challenges of costly, slow, and insecure traditional payment methods for Tanzanian traders engaging with key trading partners.
• Starlink (SpaceX)strategicTechnology or Integration · 23 March 2026Vodacom uses Starlink satellite infrastructure as backhaul for isolated base stations in areas where traditional connectivity infrastructure is unavailable, signaling a strategic pivot from competition to collaboration. This complements the company's 4G/5G network expansion following the Smile Communications acquisition.
• VisacoreTechnology or Integration · 17 March 2026Visa partnered with Vodacom Tanzania and M-Pesa Africa to enable Africa's first mobile-money Tap-to-Pay contactless payment feature. M-Pesa customers with Android phones can make contactless payments at any Visa-enabled point-of-sale terminal worldwide using tokenized virtual card technology embedded in the M-Pesa SuperApp.
• PaymentologycoreTechnology or Integration · 17 March 2026Paymentology, a global issuer-processor, powered Africa's first mobile-money Tap-to-Pay feature launch in Tanzania in partnership with Vodacom Tanzania, M-Pesa Africa, and Visa. Paymentology provides the issuer-processing infrastructure enabling tokenized contactless payments, building on prior collaboration with M-Pesa in Kenya.
• AlipaycoreTechnology or Integration · 27 November 2025Alipay integrated into M-Pesa Global Payment service enabling Tanzanian customers to make payments to merchants in China, supporting bilateral trade which reached $8.8 billion in 2024 (China has been Tanzania's largest trading partner for eight consecutive years).
• AWS (Amazon Web Services) EducatestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerVodacom Digital Skills Hub partnered with AWS Educate to provide free cloud computing courses including Introduction to Cloud 101. The programme aims to upskill 1 million young people across Africa by 2027, with AWS providing accessible and streamlined fundamental content for new-to-cloud learners.
• TCB BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerM-Pesa Limited operates M-Koba digital group savings service in partnership with TCB Bank, enabling Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), VICOBA, SACCO, and family/friends groups to manage digital savings, micro-loans, and social funds. TCB Bank provides the banking infrastructure and regulatory oversight for M-Koba group accounts.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Safaricom: Kenya's leading mobile network operator and co-creator of the M-Pesa platform alongside Vodacom. Direct peer given shared M-Pesa technology stack, similar business model combining mobile telecom with dominant mobile money, and overlapping product portfolio including M-Kulima-style agricultural and group savings services.
• Airtel Tanzania: Direct competitor in Tanzania's mobile telecommunications and Airtel Money mobile money markets. Offers comparable voice, data, and mobile money services targeting the same Tanzanian consumer and SMB base across overlapping distribution networks.
• Yettel Tanzania (formerly Tigo): Direct competitor in Tanzania's mobile market offering voice, data, and mobile money services (formerly Tigo Pesa). Same target customer segments and overlapping retail and agent networks across Tanzania.
• Halotel Tanzania (Viettel): Vietnam-backed mobile network operator competing in Tanzania with voice, data, and Halo Pesa mobile money. Direct peer for low-ARPU customer segments and rural coverage, with comparable prepaid and mobile money product offerings.

Broad incumbents

• MTN Group: Africa's largest mobile network operator across multiple markets. Comparable through MTN MoMo mobile money platform (integrated with Vodacom's M-Pesa Global Payment for the Uganda corridor) and a similar telecom-plus-fintech business model across the continent.
• Airtel Africa: Pan-African mobile operator with presence in 14 African markets including Tanzania. Comparable through the Airtel Money mobile money platform and similar integrated telecom and fintech business model serving both consumer and enterprise customers.
• Orange Money: Pan-African mobile money platform operated by Orange across multiple African markets. Comparable as a competing mobile money ecosystem and an enabling partner/competitor in cross-border remittances, though Orange has limited direct presence in Tanzania.

Others

• M-Pesa Africa: Joint venture between Vodacom Group and Safaricom that operates the M-Pesa platform across multiple African markets. Sister entity to Vodacom Tanzania's M-Pesa service, sharing technology, roadmap, and cross-border payment infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Wave (mobile money): Fast-growing mobile money operator in West Africa (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Uganda). Comparable as an emerging mobile money pure-play with a similar low-fee transfer model, though primarily focused on West Africa rather than East Africa.

Regional players

• Econet Wireless Zimbabwe: Regional African mobile operator with mobile money (EcoCash) operating primarily in Zimbabwe and other Southern African markets. Comparable through an integrated telecom and mobile money business model serving unbanked populations, though serving a different geography than Tanzania.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vodacomtanzania
• Facebookfacebook.com/tzvodacom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vodacom-tanzania
• Instagraminstagram.com/vodacomtanzania

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vodacom Tanzania