Tanzania Mercantile Exchange

What Tanzania Mercantile Exchange does

Tanzania Mercantile Exchange PLC (TMX) is the first and only licensed commodity exchange in Tanzania, incorporated on 25 August 2014 as a public-private partnership and commencing commercial operations in 2018. The exchange operates an organized marketplace that connects smallholder farmers and Agricultural Market Cooperative Societies (AMCOS) — which aggregate, store, and transport produce to licensed warehouses — with traders, exporters, and large-scale buyers, providing trading, clearing and settlement, warehousing oversight, and market data services for agricultural commodities including raw cashew nuts, sesame seeds, cocoa, green grams, chickpeas, pigeon peas, lentils, and cotton.

TMX's technology stack centers on a web-based Online Trading Platform that supports spot exchange and auction-based trading, integrated with an Automated Clearing and Settlement System linked to settlement banks, a Trade Surveillance System that monitors for manipulation and insider trading via real-time price and volume alerts, and a Warehouse Receipt System integration with the Warehouse Receipt Regulatory Board (WRRB) for quality certification, weighing, and storage management. The exchange has stated plans to extend the platform to futures exchanges and futures options. Operational coverage currently extends across multiple producing regions through AMCOS and licensed warehouses supervised by WRRB.

TMX's business model is structured as a regulated exchange with transaction-based economics (commissions and fees on traded volume, plus ancillary services such as warehousing oversight and market data), though specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The exchange is regulated by the Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA) under the Commodity Exchanges Act, 2015, and has a government-aligned ownership and governance structure, with founding shareholders including the Treasury Registrar, TIB Development Bank, Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF), and Tanzania Federation of Cooperatives (TFC), and board representation from ministries, the Bank of Tanzania, and other public institutions. Revenue figures, participant counts, and financial performance are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Tanzania Mercantile Exchange

Legal name

Tanzania Mercantile Exchange PLC

Website

https://tmx.co.tz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Tanzania Mercantile Exchange PLC (TMX) is Tanzania's first and only licensed commodity exchange, operating an organized marketplace connecting smallholder farmers, cooperatives, traders, and exporters via a web-based trading platform integrated with warehouse receipts for agricultural commodities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commodity Exchange Services

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Exchanges (52321), Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210)

SIC

Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural Commodities Exchanges (Grains, Oilseeds, Livestock) (FSAFAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commodity Electronic Trading Platforms (Energy/Metals/Agriculture) (FSAFANAF), Commodity Derivatives Exchanges (Futures & Options on Commodities) (FSAFAMAG)

Keywords

• Commodity exchange
• Agricultural trading
• Warehouse receipts
• Spot trading
• Clearing and settlement

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar Es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tanzania Mercantile Exchange PLC operates a regulated commodity exchange platform that facilitates the trading of agricultural commodities such as cashews, sesame seeds, cocoa, green grams, chickpeas, lentils, pigeon peas, and cotton. It provides electronic trading, centralized clearing and settlement, trade surveillance, and integration with the Warehouse Receipt System to link trade execution with licensed warehousing for price discovery and quality assurance.

Product overview

Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) operates as a first commodity exchange in Tanzania, offering an integrated platform comprised of multiple interconnected modules: the Online Trading Platform for executing commodity trades via auction and spot models, the Clearing & Settlement System for processing transactions and fund transfers, Trade Surveillance for market integrity monitoring, and Warehouse Receipt System Integration for quality assurance and storage. The exchange facilitates trading of agricultural commodities including sesame seeds, cocoa, raw cashew nuts, green grams, chick peas, lentils, pigeon peas, and cotton, connecting farmers, traders, exporters, and buyers within a regulated ecosystem supervised by the Capital Markets and Securities Authority.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TMX Online Trading Platform Web-based electronic trading platform that enables spot trading of agricultural commodities such as cashews, sesame seeds, cocoa, green grams, chickpeas, lentils, pigeon peas, and cotton. Designed for farmers, traders, exporters, and buyers participating in the Tanzanian commodity market.
• Clearing and Settlement System Automated clearing and settlement service that processes matched trades on the TMX platform, ensuring timely delivery and payment between buyers and sellers while reducing counterparty risk.
• Trade Surveillance Surveillance system that monitors trading activity on the exchange to maintain market integrity, detect anomalies, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements under CMSA supervision.
• Warehouse Receipt System Integration Integration with the Warehouse Receipt System that links traded commodities to licensed warehouses, enabling quality assurance, traceability, and access to inventory-based financing for traders and farmers.
• TMX Commodity Exchange Marketplace Centralized marketplace service that connects sellers (farmers, cooperatives, aggregators) with buyers (traders, exporters, processors) for the trade of agricultural commodities on the TMX platform.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Tanzania Federation of Cooperatives (TFC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2014Tanzania Federation of Cooperatives was one of the first four shareholders. TFC represents cooperative interests important for farmer aggregation through AMCOS in the exchange ecosystem.
• Warehouse Receipt Regulatory Board (WRRB)coreTechnology or IntegrationWRRB supervises licensed warehouses and operates the Warehouse Receipt System (WRS). WRS is directly linked to TMX Online Trading Platform for trade session preparation. Managing Director of WRRB serves on the TMX Steering Committee.
• Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMSA is the regulatory authority for TMX under the Commodity Exchanges Act, 2015. CEO of CMSA serves on the TMX Steering Committee.
• Ministry of FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Finance is represented on the TMX Board of Directors. Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance serves on the TMX Steering Committee.
• Ministry of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Agriculture is represented on the TMX Board of Directors. Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives serves on the TMX Steering Committee.
• FSDT (Financial Sector Deepening Trust)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSDT collaborates with TMX on training and capacity building programs for farmers, AMCOS, and stakeholders on the Online Trading System and Warehouse Receipt System.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tmx_tz
• Facebookfacebook.com/tmxtz1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tmxtz

Compliance1 record

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 Tanzania Mercantile Exchange