Accelerating Financial Inclusion in Tanzania Through Scalable Digital Infrastructure
Building secure, compliant, and impact-driven financial systems for banks, SACCOS, and underserved communities.
The Problem
This initiative aligns with Tanzania’s National Financial Inclusion Framework III and supports digital transformation priorities set by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) and the National Identification Authority (NIDA). Despite progress, significant gaps remain:
Addressing these gaps requires scalable digital infrastructure that is regulatory-aligned, interoperable with national systems, and designed for inclusion of women, youth, and rural populations.
Our Approach: System-Level Digital Financial Infrastructure
We deliver compliance-ready, API-based digital financial infrastructure that is interoperable with banks and mobile networks and supports inclusive finance ecosystems. Focus is on system outcomes, not feature lists.
- Core banking and national infrastructure integrations — RTGS, TIPS, GePG, NIDA for identity and payments
- Reconciliation engines — Multi-channel reconciliation for SACCOS and MFIs; audit-ready reporting
- Risk and credit — Risk scoring and decision support for lending; alignment with BoT and sector standards
- KYC/AML support — NIDA-integrated verification, digital onboarding, and compliance workflows
- Mobile-first architecture — Access via USSD, mobile apps, and agent networks for last-mile reach
The architecture is designed to scale across institutions while maintaining data protection, audit trails, and regulatory alignment.
Impact Model: Theory of Change
Our impact measurement framework follows a clear pathway from inputs to impact, with measurable outputs and outcomes.
We track gender inclusion metrics (e.g. share of female members and loan officers), youth inclusion, and—where relevant—climate financing potential (e.g. green loans, agricultural finance). Monitoring and evaluation is built into the platform and reported transparently to partners.
Governance & Risk Management
Governance, compliance, and risk management are central to our delivery model:
- Data protection compliance — Alignment with applicable data protection and privacy requirements; secure handling of personal and financial data
- Audit logging — Full audit trails for transactions and system access; support for regulatory and internal audits
- Regulatory alignment — Bank of Tanzania standards, NIDA usage guidelines, and sector-specific regulation (e.g. TCDC for SACCOS)
- Cybersecurity architecture — Secure APIs, encryption, access controls, and security testing
- Business continuity plan — Redundancy, backup, and recovery procedures to ensure service continuity
- Transparent reporting — Regular reporting to funders and partners on progress, risks, and impact indicators
Traction & Readiness
ZIMA has existing deployments and integrations that demonstrate scale readiness:
- Banking and payment infrastructure integrations (RTGS, TIPS, GePG, NIDA) in production use
- SACCO and microfinance management systems deployed; TCDC-aligned where applicable
- Mobile money and digital collection solutions in use by financial institutions
- Ongoing engagement with banks, SACCOS, and development partners for pilots and scale
We can provide UAT evidence, pilot results, and institutional partner references under confidentiality as part of partnership discussions.
Funding & Partnership Model
We are seeking strategic grant support, technical assistance, and—where appropriate—blended finance or co-investment to scale impact. Specifically:
- Grant funding — To deploy and scale digital financial inclusion infrastructure (e.g. to 150+ SACCOS over 24 months)
- Technical assistance — Capacity building, M&E design, and policy dialogue support
- Pilot support — Funded pilots in selected regions or segments (e.g. women-led SACCOS, youth savings)
- Co-investment — Where funders seek matched investment; we can structure co-investment and sustainability plans
Budget range, timeline, and sustainability plan (including post-grant revenue model) are detailed in the Concept Note. We are happy to align proposal structure with funder requirements (e.g. EU, FSDT, UNCDF formats).
Sustainability & Exit Strategy
Post-funding sustainability is planned from the start:
- SaaS model — Subscription fees from SACCOS, MFIs, and banks using the platform
- Transaction-based revenue — Optional transaction or volume-based fees where commercially and ethically appropriate
- Institutional contracts — Multi-year contracts with financial institutions and government entities
The system is designed to operate without ongoing grant dependency once deployment and adoption targets are met. Exit strategy and handover options can be agreed with funders.
ESG Alignment & SDG Mapping
This initiative contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals:
Gender Strategy
We target improved access for women as savers, borrowers, and agents; gender-disaggregated data in our M&E framework; and product and process design that reduces barriers for women.
Monitoring & Evaluation Framework
M&E is built into the platform: key indicators (reach, savings, credit, gender, youth) are collected and reported. A data dashboard sample and reporting templates can be shared with interested funders.
Technical Architecture
High-level system architecture: secure integration layer, core platforms, and data flow with clear security boundaries.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ EXTERNAL SYSTEMS │
│ BoT RTGS/TIPS │ GePG │ NIDA │ MNOs (M-Pesa, Airtel, Tigo) │ Banks │ Core │
└───────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ APIs (TLS, auth, rate limit)
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ZIMA INTEGRATION LAYER │
│ API Gateway │ Identity (NIDA) │ Payments (TIPS/GePG) │ Reconciliation │
│ Audit logging │ Encryption at rest/transit │ Access control │
└───────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CORE PLATFORMS │
│ SACCO/MFI Core │ Loan Management │ Collections │ Mobile/USSD/Agent │
│ Reporting & M&E dashboard │ Compliance (KYC/AML, BoT reporting) │
└───────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ END USERS │
│ SACCOS │ MFIs │ Banks │ Members (rural/urban, women, youth) │ Agents │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Trust & Compliance
ZIMA Solutions Limited is a registered Tanzanian company. We maintain:
Next Steps
To request the full Concept Note, discuss partnership options, or align with your funding criteria, please get in touch.
Contact Us