Tanzania’s transition towards a cashless economy is gaining momentum, with Stanbic Bank Tanzania and global payments company Visa recording strong growth in digital card usage following a campaign aimed at promoting secure electronic payments.
The initiative, which encouraged customers to use Stanbic Visa Cards for international transactions, online purchases and other digital payments, recorded a 113 per cent increase in card transaction volumes and a 201 per cent rise in transaction value.
Card activation also registered significant growth, increasing by 3,082 per cent in transaction volume and 449 per cent in transaction value, reflecting growing confidence among customers in digital financial services.
The campaign comes as Tanzania continues to expand digital payment adoption through government initiatives and the implementation of the National Financial Inclusion Framework (2023–2028), which seeks to increase access to affordable and secure financial services.
The partnership between Stanbic Bank and Visa focused not only on increasing card usage but also on educating customers about the benefits of digital payments, including improved security, convenience and wider acceptance locally and internationally.
Speaking on the results, Stanbic Bank Tanzania Head of Personal Banking, Emmanuel Mahodanga, said the growth demonstrated a shift in customer behaviour towards safer and more efficient payment solutions.
“These numbers show that Tanzanians are increasingly ready to embrace secure digital payments. Our partnership with Visa is about more than issuing cards; it is about enabling customers to participate fully in a digital and connected economy,” Mr Mahodanga said.
He said the bank would continue investing in solutions that provide customers with reliable payment options for travel, education, business and everyday transactions while supporting financial inclusion.
Visa Tanzania Country Manager Victor Makere said collaboration between banks and global payment providers was critical in accelerating the country’s digital transformation.
“The growth recorded through this campaign reflects increasing trust in digital payments and the important role these solutions play in building a more financially inclusive economy,” Mr Makere said.
Stanbic Visa Cards allow customers to make secure payments across millions of merchants worldwide, supporting activities such as international travel, overseas education payments, online shopping and cross-border business transactions.
The bank and Visa said they plan to expand customer awareness programmes, improve access to digital payment benefits and use data-driven solutions to provide more personalised financial services.
The continued growth of digital payments is expected to strengthen Tanzania’s financial ecosystem by improving transaction security, widening financial access and enabling more citizens and businesses to participate in the global digital economy.
