Dodoma, Tanzania: The Tanzanian government has issued a sweeping ban on foreigners operating in at least 15 business sectors traditionally reserved for locals, in a move aimed at protecting indigenous entrepreneurs.
The directive, officially titled The Business Licensing (Prohibition of Business Activities for Non-Citizens) Order, 2025, was signed by Minister of Industry and Trade Selemani Jafo and takes immediate effect.
Among the business activities now restricted to Tanzanian nationals are wholesale and retail trade (excluding supermarkets and specialty product outlets), small-scale mining, mobile money transfer services, ownership and operation of radio and TV stations, gambling machine operations outside casinos, tour guiding, real estate brokering, and clearing and forwarding services.
“Upon coming into effect of this order, licensing authorities shall not issue or renew a licence for a non-citizen to carry out any of the business activities prohibited under this order,” the Ministry of Trade and Industry stated.
The ban follows a surge in complaints from local traders, especially in busy commercial zones like Dar es Salaam’s Kariakoo market, who accused foreigners—particularly Chinese nationals—of dominating small-scale businesses and edging Tanzanians out of survival sectors.
The move positions Tanzania among a growing list of African nations taking bold steps to reserve parts of their informal and lower-tier economies for locals. South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Zambia, and Botswana have all rolled out similar protectionist measures in recent years.
Economists say the order could bolster local entrepreneurship by creating space for Tanzanian citizens in competitive sectors. However, critics argue that the ban may hurt investor confidence, particularly among small-scale foreign operators already embedded in the economy.
The government has not disclosed how it intends to handle foreign nationals currently holding licences in the banned sectors, but enforcement is expected to be stringent given the public pressure that preceded the directive.
Below is the full list of the 15 business activities that foreigners are now prohibited from operating in under The Business Licensing (Prohibition of Business Activities for Non-Citizens) Order, 2025 issued by the Tanzanian Ministry of Industry and Trade:
- Wholesale and retail trade (excluding supermarkets and outlets for specialized products)
- Small-scale mining
- Mobile money transfer services
- Ownership and operation of radio stations
- Ownership and operation of television stations
- Operation of gambling machines outside casinos
- Tour guiding
- Real estate brokering
- Clearing and forwarding services
- Tattoo and body piercing services
- Beauty salons and barbershops
- Shoe-shining and repair businesses
- Second-hand clothes (mitumba) trade
- Food vending (including street food stalls and kiosks)
- Local transportation services (such as boda-boda, tuk-tuks, and daladala operations)
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