A Rwanda–Tanzania payments pilot scheme and a new digital trade portal aim to reduce transaction costs, paperwork and cross-border delays.
Tanzania is advancing two digital initiatives designed to address practical barriers to regional commerce, linking efforts to improve cross-border payments with reforms intended to simplify trade documentation.
The country is working with Rwanda on an instant payment connection while also introducing a national platform through which businesses can obtain certificates of origin, report non-tariff barriers and access other trade services.
Rwanda–Tanzania Payment Pilot Moves Forward
Experts from Rwanda and Tanzania met in Zanzibar this month to advance a proof of concept linking the Tanzania Instant Payment System with Rwanda’s RSwitch national payment platform.
According to reports, the proposed integration is intended to enable secure, affordable and real-time cross-border transactions. The initial phase will focus on person-to-person transfers while technical, operational and regulatory requirements are finalized.
The project forms part of the East African Community Cross-Border Payment System Masterplan and is expected to provide a model that could later be expanded to other EAC countries.
Building a Regional Payments Network
The initiative began moving into technical implementation in November 2025, when the EAC announced discussions to connect bank accounts and mobile-money wallets in Rwanda and Tanzania.
“This preparatory work marks a pivotal milestone in our regional payment system integration agenda, moving us closer to a single regional instant payment ecosystem that will facilitate secure, affordable, and real-time transactions across borders,” EAC Principal Information Technology Officer Daniel Murenzi said in the official EAC announcement.
According to Bank of Tanzania official Fabian Ladislaus Kasole, Assistant Manager, Oversight and Policy, National Payments Directorate, Bank of Tanzania, the partners remained committed to creating the technical and operational framework required to connect their national retail payment systems, “As a region, we remain committed to establishing a robust technical and operational framework that will ensure the successful interlinking of our national retail payment systems, ultimately enhancing cross-border payment efficiency and financial inclusion across the region,” he said.
Tanzania Launches Digital Trade Portal
Alongside the payments project, Tanzania has launched the Tanzania Chamber Portal, a platform hosted by the Tanzania National Chamber of Commerce.
The portal allows businesses to apply for trade services, track applications, report non-tariff barriers and obtain certificates of origin through a central online system, according to TradeMark Africa.
“This platform is not simply a digital tool. It is part of a broader effort to make trade services more accessible, more efficient and more responsive to the needs of businesses across the country,” Minister for Industry and Trade Judith Kapinga said.
Linking Trade Documents with Customs Systems
A central feature of the portal is its integration with the Tanzania Revenue Authority Single Window System. This is intended to support the electronic exchange of documents between government agencies and border authorities while improving the processing and verification of certificates of origin.
TradeMark Africa Acting Country Director for Tanzania Solomon Michael said: “Trade facilitation is about what businesses experience in practice – how quickly they can obtain services, how easily they can resolve barriers and how confidently they can participate in trade.”
Taken together, the two initiatives show how regional trade integration increasingly depends on the systems that sit behind the border. Faster payments, digital documentation and more efficient verification can help reduce the everyday friction faced by businesses trading across East Africa. While the impact of both projects will depend on implementation and wider regional adoption, Tanzania’s approach points towards a more connected trade environment built on practical digital infrastructure rather than policy commitments alone.
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