Tanzania Bans Kenyans and Foreigners From Operating 15 Businesses

The Tanzanian government has banned non-citizens from operating 15 small-scale businesses, including mobile money shops, in a move that affects many Kenyan traders.

Tanzania's Industry and Trade Minister Selemani Jafo made the announcement via a gazette notice dated July 28, 2025.

The Business Licensing (Prohibition of Business Activities for Non-Citizens Order) 2025  also prohibits Kenyans from engaging in tour guiding, repair of mobile phones and electronics, and operating gambling machines.

Equally, Kenyan entrepreneurs will now be banned from operating wholesale and retail shops. However, supermarkets were excluded from the list.

Other businesses that will only be run by Tanzanian locals include home and office cleaning, small-scale mining, postal activities, and parcel delivery.

Operation of museums or curio shops, brokerage or agency in businesses and real estate, clearing and forwarding services, and on-farm crop purchasing operations were also named in the list.

Additionally, Kenyans and foreigners will be banned from owning and operating micro and small industries.

The ban also prevents Kenyans from opening radio and TV stations in the neighboring country.

The move by the Tanzanian authority is set to affect many Kenyan entrepreneurs, especially those who run shops along the Kenya-Tanzanian border.

Some of the common shops run by Kenyans at the border are mobile money shops.

"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," read the statement in part.

However, those who have existing licences will be given a transition period before the order is implemented.

In this case, upon the lapse of the existing licenses, the Tanzanian government will not renew them.