Visa Expands Presence in Tanzania by Setting Up Digital Payments Regional Headquarters
Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has launched a new office in Tanzania, marking a significant step in its regional expansion. The office, inaugurated during the first-ever Visa Day Tanzania 2025, will serve as a regional hub overseeing operations in Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.
The vibrant small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector in Tanzania is a key factor in Visa's regional strategy for digital transformation and financial inclusion in East Africa. Under the leadership of Victor Makere, a Tanzanian national with extensive experience in the financial sector, the new office is expected to drive innovation, build partnerships, and expand access to secure and convenient digital payment systems.
In line with its commitment to East Africa, Visa is rolling out tokenisation technology to enhance digital transaction security in Tanzania. This technology is aimed at protecting users' sensitive payment data, thereby fostering confidence in digital payments.
Visa's strategy in Tanzania includes closing financial access gaps for underserved populations and integrating mobile money into its global payments network. The company is collaborating with government agencies to digitize payments for public services and enabling digital solutions for visa payments, access to national parks, and travel insurance in Zanzibar.
The event brought together stakeholders from the financial services ecosystem, including banks, fintech firms, mobile network operators, government agencies, and development partners. This gathering served as a platform to shape the future of payments in Tanzania and foster collaboration to support the evolution of digital financial services.
One of the key collaborative partnerships is with the African Confederation of Co-operative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA) to expand digital financial services in Tanzania and Kenya, targeting underserved populations.
Visa is also supporting fintech innovation and startups through its Africa Fintech Accelerator program. This program provides mentorship, training, and funding access to startups across Africa, including East African fintechs that focus on small-business digitization, cross-border payments, and AI-powered solutions.
The establishment of Visa's regional office in Dar es Salaam reinforces its long-term commitment to supporting East Africa's transition to a digital economy. By fostering partnerships, building local capacity, and promoting inclusive innovation, Visa aims to contribute meaningfully to the economic resilience and financial empowerment of communities across the region.
The new Visa office in Dar es Salaam is expected to drive innovation, particularly in fintech, aiming to contribute significantly to the digital transformation of regional SMEs in Tanzania and surrounding countries. Victor Makere, the office's Tanzanian lead, will oversee operations in Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.
To ensure security in digital transactions, Visa is implementing tokenization technology in Tanzania to safeguard users' sensitive payment data. This is part of their commitment to East Africa and fostering confidence in digital payments.
The company is also focusing on closing financial access gaps for underserved populations by integrating mobile money into its global payments network. Collaborations with government agencies and fintech firms are essential for digitizing payments for public services and enabling digital solutions for travel insurance and visa payments in Zanzibar.
Visa's long-term commitment to East Africa includes supporting fintech innovation and startups through its Africa Fintech Accelerator program. This program offers mentorship, training, and funding access to African fintechs, promoting small-business digitization, cross-border payments, and AI-powered solutions.
