What FINCA Microfinance Bank does

FINCA Microfinance Bank (legal entity: FINCA Tanzania M.F.C Limited) is a Tanzanian microfinance institution founded in 1998 and headquartered in Dar es Salaam. It operates as part of the FINCA Impact Finance global network, which spans 15 countries, and serves small business owners, farmers, low-income households, informal-sector workers, parents, and education providers in Tanzania — a cumulative customer base of over 1 million since inception. The institution is regulated by the Bank of Tanzania and operates 20+ branches and sales points across the country, including agent banking (FINCA Express) and USSD mobile banking (FINCA Mobile, *150*19#) that functions without internet connectivity.

The product suite comprises six loan products (Pamoja group loans, individual loans, school fees loans up to 12-month repayment, Bajaj vehicle loans for three-wheelers, Sokoni market trader loans, and education provider loans up to TShs 150,000,000 over 36 months), five savings account types (Fixed Deposit, Mipango goal-based, Mtoto children's, Hakika, and Mkwanja transactional with TZS 1,770 monthly fee), and service offerings spanning insurance brokerage, TISS domestic money transfers (capped at TZS 10,000 per transaction), and MoneyGram international remittances. The technology stack is infrastructure-led: USSD mobile banking, agent networks, RTGS integration via TISS, NIDA-based identity verification, and MoneyGram remittance rails — without disclosed AI or ML capabilities. Distribution is omnichannel, combining physical branches, agent banking, mobile USSD, and partner-mediated transfers.

Revenue is generated primarily through interest income on the microfinance loan portfolio, float from savings deposits, transaction and service fees (TISS, MoneyGram, account maintenance), and commission income from insurance product distribution. In March 2026, the bank expanded into housing microfinance via a strategic partnership with Tanzania Mortgage Refinance Company (TMRC) and Habitat for Humanity International, with Bank of Tanzania regulatory approval — adding a new lending vertical targeting Tanzania's estimated 200,000+ unit annual housing deficit among low-income and informal-sector borrowers.

Name

FINCA Microfinance Bank

Legal name

FINCA Tanzania M.F.C Limited

Website

https://finca.co.tz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

FINCA Microfinance Bank is a Tanzanian microfinance institution founded in 1998 that provides loans, savings accounts, money transfers, and insurance to small business owners, farmers, and low-income households through 20+ branches, agent banking, and USSD mobile banking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microfinance Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agricultural & Rural Microfinance (FSAKAGAG), Microfinance, Financial Inclusion & Inclusive Markets (BPAGABAM), Microfinance & Community P2P Lending (FSAKAHAD)

Keywords

• Microfinance banking
• Group lending
• Savings accounts
• Agent banking
• Mobile banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar Es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Microfinance Lending: Interest income from providing various loan products including individual loans, group loans (Pamoja), education/school fees loans, Bajaj loans, and Sokoni loans to small business owners and low-income households.
2. Savings and Deposit Services: Collection of savings deposits through various accounts (Hakika, Mkwanja, Mtoto, Mipango, Fixed deposit) generating float income and building loanable funds.
3. Transaction and Service Fees: Fees from money transfer services (MoneyGram, TISS), agent banking transactions, and other banking services.
4. Insurance Services: Commission income from offering insurance products including motor, domestic package, goods transit, fire/business insurance, credit life, and life insurance through partner providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FINCA Microfinance Bank Tanzania is a microfinance institution providing credit facilities (individual loans, group loans, education loans, Bajaj loans, and market trader loans) and savings accounts (fixed deposit, Mipango, Mtoto, Hakika, Mkwanja) to small entrepreneurs, farmers, and low-income households. Services are delivered through 20+ branches, an agent banking network (FINCA Express), USSD mobile banking (FINCA Mobile), and partner channels for money transfers (TISS, MoneyGram) and insurance.

Product overview

FINCA Microfinance Bank Tanzania operates as a diversified microfinance institution offering a comprehensive suite of financial products and services. The company provides multiple loan products including group-based lending (Pamoja Group Loan), individual loans, and specialized financing for education, Bajaj vehicles, and market traders (Sokoni). On the savings side, it offers various account types including Fixed Deposit, Mipango, Mtoto, Hakika, and Mkwanja accounts. The bank distinguishes itself through multiple service delivery channels including FINCA Mobile (mobile banking via USSD), FINCA Express Agent Banking (branchless banking network), domestic money transfers via TISS, and international remittances through MoneyGram. Additional services include insurance products covering life, vehicle, property, and business risks. The institution serves small business owners, farmers, and low-income households, with recent expansion into housing microfinance through partnerships with TMRC and Habitat for Humanity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving over 1 million customers since inception
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, general and regulatory.

• Tanzania Mortgage Refinance Company Limited (TMRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026TMRC, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, launched Retail and Wholesale Housing Microfinance products approved by the Bank of Tanzania. FINCA Microfinance Bank was one of the pilot partners (along with National Bank of Commerce) for these housing microfinance products targeting low-income households and informal sector workers to address Tanzania's housing deficit of over 200,000 units annually. TMRC provides wholesale capital to FINCA for on-lending as housing microfinance loans.
• Habitat for Humanity InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026Habitat for Humanity International partnered with TMRC to launch housing microfinance products in Tanzania. The partnership aims to enable low-income households to access affordable financing for housing construction, improvement, or expansion. As a wholesale lender, TMRC provides capital to participating financial institutions including FINCA to offer housing microfinance loans while maintaining financial sustainability.
• MoneyGramgeneralChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMoneyGram international money transfer services are available at 18+ FINCA branches across Tanzania, allowing customers to send and receive international transfers through MoneyGram's global network of 350,000+ service points in 200+ countries.
• Bank of TanzaniaregulatoryOthersAs the central bank and regulatory authority, the Bank of Tanzania provides regulatory approval and oversight for FINCA's operations, including the recent approval for housing microfinance products via TMRC.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• National Bank of Commerce (NBC Bank Tanzania): Major Tanzanian commercial bank serving retail, SME, and corporate customers across branches and digital channels. Was the co-pilot with FINCA in the TMRC housing microfinance pilot, and competes head-on with FINCA in small-business and consumer lending.
• CRDB Bank: One of Tanzania's largest commercial banks with broad retail, SME, and agricultural lending, agent networks, and mobile banking. Overlaps heavily with FINCA on group lending, microfinance, and small-business credit, but operates at much broader scale and product breadth.
• Equity Bank (Kenya, with regional expansion): Major East African bank founded on financial inclusion principles, serving MSMEs and low-income customers with mobile and agency banking. Operates much more broadly than FINCA but represents the scaled-incumbent model of microfinance-banking convergence in the region.

Direct peers

• BRAC Tanzania (BRAC Maendeleo Microfinance): BRAC's Tanzanian microfinance entity provides group-based lending and small entrepreneur finance to underserved communities, mirroring FINCA's Pamoja model and target micro/small-business customer base.
• PRIDE Microfinance (Tanzania): Tanzanian microfinance institution offering group and individual microloans, SME loans, and savings products to underserved populations, similar in customer segment, product mix (group-based Pamoja-style lending), and community-driven distribution to FINCA.
• Opportunity International: Global microfinance network providing small business loans, savings, and insurance to clients in developing markets across Africa, including East Africa. Closely comparable to FINCA's mission, product suite (group lending, individual lending, savings), and end-customer focus on financial inclusion.
• National Microfinance Bank (NMB Bank Tanzania): State-owned Tanzanian commercial bank that is the largest microfinance-focused bank in the country, serving smallholders, SMEs, and individual borrowers via branches, agents, mobile, and USSD channels—directly comparable in customer base, product suite, and distribution model to FINCA.
• Akiba Microfinance Tanzania (Akiba Commercial Bank): Tanzanian microfinance-turned-commercial-bank providing credit, savings, and money transfer services to small entrepreneurs and informal sector workers. Direct peer in target market, regulatory classification (microfinance bank), and channel approach (mobile + agent banking).

Regional players

• Letshego Africa Holdings: Sub-Saharan African inclusive finance group offering micro-lending, salary-backed loans, and savings products across multiple African countries. Comparable business model to FINCA, focused on financially underserved employees and SMEs, but operating across multiple African markets rather than a single country.

Emerging players

• Tigo Pesa / Vodacom Tanzania (M-Pesa/VodaPay): Tanzania's leading mobile money platforms, providing deposit, transfer, and increasingly credit services to mass-market and unbanked customers. Compete directly with FINCA Mobile and FINCA Express on basic transactions, and increasingly on small loans via mobile wallet credit products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FINCATz
• Facebookfacebook.com/FINCAMicrofinanceBankTz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/finca-microfinance-bank-tz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about FINCA Microfinance Bank