Akiba Commercial Bank

What Akiba Commercial Bank does

Akiba Commercial Bank PLC is a Tanzanian commercial bank headquartered on Ohio Street in Dar es Salaam, founded in 1997 and operating as a privately held Bank PLC. The bank serves retail customers, salaried employees, micro-entrepreneurs, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through an 18-branch network concentrated in Dar es Salaam (13 branches) with regional locations in Moshi, Arusha, Dodoma, Mbeya, and Mwanza. Its product set spans four pillars: deposits (savings, current, and time deposit accounts), loans (Biashara, Micro, Salaried, and Overdraft facilities), insurance lines (motor, fire, life, goods in transit, burglary, domestic package, and fire business, plus Insurance Premium Finance), and other services including VISA Classic and Gold cards, mobile banking via Akiba Mobile (USSD *150*10#), internet banking, ATM access through the Umoja Switch national network, and agent banking under the Akiba Wakala brand. The bank also operates a Chinese Desk for international business relationships and offers international remittance via Western Union, TISS, and SWIFT.

The bank's revenue model draws primarily from interest income on its loan portfolio, supplemented by deposit account fees, ATM and VISA card transaction fees (e.g., TZS500 per ATM withdrawal), insurance premium finance commissions, and remittance commissions. Distribution combines a traditional branch-led go-to-market with self-serve digital channels (mobile and internet banking) for retail and SMB customers, plus agent banking for last-mile reach into informal communities. Partnerships with VISA, Western Union, and Umoja Switch are core to the operating model, providing card issuance, cross-border payments, and ATM interoperability.

Akiba's competitive positioning centers on financial inclusion for underbanked populations — SMEs, salaried workers, and micro-entrepreneurs — through flexible lending requirements, VICOBA/group accounts, salary-tied loan products, and a dedicated Chinese-customer business channel. The bank's stated differentiators include specialized SME lending, Islamic-banking-compliant Akiba Wakala deposits and financing, and the Chinese Desk, supported by infrastructure that includes a call center (0800 750 336), a whistle-blowing hotline, and downloadable tariff guides. Revenue is not publicly disclosed in the available sources, and no parent company, institutional investors, or public listing has been identified.

Name

Akiba Commercial Bank

Legal name

Akiba Commercial Bank PLC

Website

https://acbbank.co.tz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Akiba Commercial Bank PLC is a Tanzanian commercial bank operating 18 branches across Dar es Salaam, Moshi, Arusha, Dodoma, Mbeya, and Mwanza, serving retail customers, salaried employees, micro-entrepreneurs, and SMEs with deposits, loans, insurance, mobile and internet banking, VISA cards, and remittance services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Commercial Banking (522110), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021), State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSABABAA

General SME & Middle-Market Commercial Banking

Financial & Insurance/Banking (Commerical, Retail & Consumer)/Commercial Banking (SME & Middle Market)

SECONDARYFSABABAB

SME Business Lending (Term Loans, Lines of Credit, Overdrafts)

Financial & Insurance/Banking (Commerical, Retail & Consumer)/Commercial Banking (SME & Middle Market)

SECONDARYFSABABAC

SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs)

Financial & Insurance/Banking (Commerical, Retail & Consumer)/Commercial Banking (SME & Middle Market)

SECONDARYFSABABAD

SME Cash Management & Payments (Merchant, ACH/Wires, Payroll)

Financial & Insurance/Banking (Commerical, Retail & Consumer)/Commercial Banking (SME & Middle Market)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Commercial lending
• Digital banking
• Microfinance services
• Money transfer services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar Es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Interest earned on loan portfolio including Biashara Loans, Micro Loans, Salaried Loans, and Overdraft Facilities
2. Deposit Account Fees: Fees charged on current accounts, savings accounts, and time deposits
3. ATM and Card Fees: Transaction fees including TZS500 per ATM withdrawal, card issuance fees
4. Insurance Premium Finance: Financing of insurance premiums for motor, fire, goods in transit, and other insurance products
5. Remittance Services: Money transfer services through TISS, SWIFT, and Western Union

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Akiba Commercial Bank PLC is a Tanzanian commercial bank that provides deposit products (savings, current, and time deposit accounts), credit products (biashara business loans, micro loans, salaried loans, and overdraft facilities), insurance products, and payment/remittance services. The bank delivers these services through 18 branches, Akiba Mobile, Akiba Wakala agent banking, ATMs, VISA cards, and Western Union/SWIFT/TISS remittances.

Product overview

Akiba Commercial Bank PLC is a Tanzanian financial institution offering a comprehensive banking portfolio organized into four main categories: Deposits (savings, current, and time deposit accounts), Loans (business loans including Biashara Loans, Micro Loans, Salaried Loans, and Overdraft Facilities), Insurance products (premium financing, motor, fire, life, goods in transit, burglary, and domestic coverage), and Other Services (mobile banking via Akiba Mobile, ATM services, VISA cards, agent banking via Akiba Wakala, and money transfer services through TISS/SWIFT and Western Union). The bank operates 18 branches primarily in Dar es Salaam with expansion in Moshi, Arusha, Dodoma, Mbeya, and Mwanza.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Akiba Mobile: Mobile banking application enabling balance checks, transfers, bill payments, airtime top-ups, and SMS alerts.
• Akiba Wakala
• VISA Classic

Products and services

• Savings Accounts

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VISAcoreTechnology or IntegrationAkiba Commercial Bank issues VISA Classic and VISA Gold cards enabling customers to make secure payments domestically and internationally. Cards available for both USD and TZS accounts.
• Western UnioncoreTechnology or IntegrationMoney transfer services enabling customers to receive international remittances through the bank's branch network.
• Umoja SwitchcoreTechnology or IntegrationNational ATM switching network enabling cardholders to withdraw cash from ATMs across Tanzania.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CRDB Bank PLC: Tanzania's largest listed commercial bank by branch network and one of Akiba's most direct competitors. Offers a similar full-service retail, SME, and corporate banking franchise and competes for the same deposit base and SME borrowers across Dar es Salaam and regional Tanzania.
• Stanbic Bank Tanzania: Subsidiary of Standard Bank Group operating in Tanzania with personal, business, and corporate banking products including VISA cards and digital banking. Overlaps with Akiba on retail savings, SME lending, and corporate banking services.
• Exim Bank Tanzania: Tanzanian commercial bank focused on trade finance, SME lending, and retail banking. Competes with Akiba on similar product categories including overdrafts, business loans, and deposits in Dar es Salaam.
• KCB Bank Tanzania: Subsidiary of Kenya's KCB Group, offering retail and SME banking across Tanzania with a comparable branch footprint and digital channel offering. Targets similar SME and salaried segments in Dar es Salaam and regional cities.
• DCB Commercial Bank: Tanzania-based commercial bank offering personal, SME, and corporate banking products with branch presence in Dar es Salaam. Comparable mid-sized competitor for retail deposit and SME loan products in the same geographic market.
• Bank of Africa Tanzania: Tanzania subsidiary of Bank of Africa Group (BOA), offering personal and SME banking services across multiple branches in Dar es Salaam and other cities. Directly comparable mid-sized competitor for retail and SME accounts.
• NMB Bank PLC: Tanzania's largest bank by customer count, listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. Competes directly with Akiba in retail deposits, microfinance/VICOBA-style products, and SME lending across both Dar es Salaam and regional branches.
• National Bank of Commerce (NBC): Tanzanian commercial bank majority-owned by Absa Group providing retail, SME, and corporate banking. Operates branches across Tanzania including Dar es Salaam and competes for the same salaried-loan and SME segments as Akiba.

Emerging players

• Amana Bank Tanzania: Tanzania's dedicated Islamic bank offering Sharia-compliant deposit and financing products directly comparable to Akiba's Akiba Wakala offering. A niche competitor for the Muslim retail and SME segments Akiba targets.
• Vodacom M-Pesa Tanzania: Dominant Tanzanian mobile money platform that competes with traditional banks for deposits, P2P transfers, and small-business payments. Represents a major substitute rather than a direct peer, but materially shapes the competitive environment for Akiba's retail franchise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Akiba Commercial Bank