Compare business loans in Tanzania

By the Rateweb editorial team · How we rate · Product details checked 2 Aug 2026

Compare SME funding from banks and licensed lenders in Tanzania on amount, term and requirements. Compare the total cost of credit before you commit.

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6 results

CRDB SME Loan

CRDB's main lending product for established small and medium businesses, covering working capital and investment, with repayment structured around your cash flow. It requires a CRDB Biashara business account.
★★★★☆
4.1/5 · How we rate
SME term and working capital lending
Loan Type
Licensed bank on the Bank of Tanzania register of licensed institutions
Licence
Businesses with at least three years' trading history and documented cash flow
Best For
bank
Type
Pros
  • Wide range: CRDB states TZS 50,000,000 to TZS 5,000,000,000
  • Instalments are set against your cash flow projections rather than a fixed template
  • Advisory services on business skills and management are bundled with the facility
Cons
  • The three-year trading requirement rules out newer businesses despite the 'start-up' framing on the page
  • Repayment is capped at 24 months, which is short for an investment-sized facility
  • Interest rates and fees are not published — you cannot compare against another bank without applying
Fees, eligibility & documents
Fees
Interest rateNot published — CRDB states only that rates are competitive. Request a written offer
Loan size and termTZS 50,000,000 to TZS 5,000,000,000 over 6 to 24 months, per CRDB's page
Eligibility
  • Aged 18 or over with at least three years' experience in the same or a similar business
  • Steady demonstrable cash flow, business premises owned or rented, and a valid business licence or permit
  • Must open or maintain a CRDB Biashara Account
Documents needed
  • Valid business licence or permit
  • Business bank statements and cash flow projections
  • Proof of business premises (title or tenancy agreement)
Visit CRDB Bank
Smaller tickets

CRDB MSE Loan

CRDB's facility for micro and small enterprises, formal and informal, starting at far smaller amounts than the SME loan and needing only six months' trading history. It requires a Hodari business account.
★★★★☆
4.0/5 · How we rate
Micro and small enterprise working capital and micro-investment lending
Loan Type
Licensed bank on the Bank of Tanzania register of licensed institutions
Licence
Small traders and young businesses that cannot meet the SME loan's three-year rule
Best For
bank
Type
Pros
  • Starts at TZS 500,000, so genuinely small businesses are served
  • Only six months in the same business sector is required
  • CRDB states non-traditional securities can be accepted as collateral, which helps informal traders
Cons
  • You need to be located near a CRDB branch to qualify
  • Rates and fees are not published, so the cost is unknown until you apply
  • A 24-month cap keeps instalments high on the larger amounts
Fees, eligibility & documents
Fees
Interest rateNot published — CRDB states only competitive rates and affordable terms. Ask for a written offer
Loan size and termTZS 500,000 to TZS 50,000,000 over up to 24 months, per CRDB's page
Eligibility
  • Aged 18 or over with at least six months in the same business sector
  • Steady cash flow and business premises owned or rented, located near a CRDB branch
  • Must open or maintain a CRDB Hodari business account
Documents needed
  • Proof of business activity, such as a licence or trading records
  • Business or personal bank statements showing cash flow
  • Proof of business premises
Visit CRDB Bank

Stanbic Bank Tanzania Business Lending

Stanbic offers term loans, business overdrafts, revolving credit and structured finance alongside its Mpambanaji SME transactional account, with dedicated relationship managers and a Biashara Direct team.
★★★★☆
3.9/5 · How we rate
Term loans, overdrafts, revolving credit and structured finance
Loan Type
Licensed banking institution under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act 2006, registration CB A 0006
Licence
Established SMEs that want a relationship manager rather than a branded loan product
Best For
bank
Type
Pros
  • Overdraft and revolving credit sit alongside term loans, so you can match the facility to the need
  • Mpambanaji is positioned as an affordable transactional account for SMEs to sit underneath the lending
  • Africa-China trade solutions and foreign exchange are available for importers
Cons
  • No amounts, rates or fees are published for any of the lending products
  • Facilities are relationship-assessed, so approval and pricing depend on negotiation
  • Smaller branch network than the largest local banks, which matters for cash-heavy businesses
Fees, eligibility & documents
Fees
Interest rateNot published — pricing is set per facility. Request a written term sheet
Arrangement and facility feesNot published on the business pages — ask what is charged at drawdown
Eligibility
  • A registered Tanzanian business with a trading history
  • Business banking relationship with Stanbic, typically a business current account
  • Security or structure as agreed with the relationship manager
Documents needed
  • Certificate of incorporation and business licence
  • Audited or management accounts and bank statements
  • Directors' identification and proof of business address
Visit Stanbic Bank Tanzania

Absa Bank Tanzania Business Lending

Absa's business range includes business loans, commercial mortgages, commercial asset finance and a merchant finance facility described as a 30-day unsecured loan based on your POS sales. Absa states it is regulated by the Bank of Tanzania.
★★★★☆
3.8/5 · How we rate
Business loans, commercial mortgage, asset finance and POS-based merchant finance
Loan Type
Absa states Absa Bank Tanzania Limited is regulated by the Bank of Tanzania; on the BOT licensed list
Licence
Retail and hospitality businesses already taking card payments through an Absa POS
Best For
bank
Type
Pros
  • Merchant finance is underwritten on POS sales performance, which suits businesses without conventional collateral
  • Asset and commercial mortgage finance available from the same bank
  • A dedicated SHE Business Account for women in business sits alongside the lending
Cons
  • Merchant finance is a 30-day facility — short-dated credit, so check the shilling cost carefully
  • No rates, fees or limits are published for any business product
  • POS-based lending ties your borrowing to keeping card volumes with Absa
Fees, eligibility & documents
Fees
Interest rateNot published on Absa's business pages — request a written offer
Merchant finance chargeNot published; the facility is described as a 30-day unsecured loan based on POS sales performance. Ask for the total shilling cost over 30 days
Eligibility
  • A registered Tanzanian business with an Absa business account
  • Merchant finance: an established Absa POS sales record
  • Security required for mortgage and asset finance products
Documents needed
  • Certificate of incorporation and business licence
  • Business bank statements or POS settlement records
  • Directors' identification and proof of business address
Visit Absa Bank Tanzania
Microfinance

FINCA Microfinance Bank Tanzania Business Loans

A microfinance bank lending to small business owners and farmers since 1998, with group lending (Pamoja), individual loans and sector products including school-fee, education-provider, Bajaj and Sokoni loans across 20-plus branches and sales points.
★★★★☆
3.9/5 · How we rate
Group and individual microfinance business lending, plus sector-specific products
Loan Type
Presented as a microfinance bank; no licence statement appears on its own site — see notes
Licence
Micro and small businesses, market traders and school proprietors outside mainstream bank criteria
Best For
mfi
Type
Pros
  • Group lending reaches borrowers who cannot offer conventional collateral
  • Sector-specific products, including an education-provider loan FINCA states runs to TZS 150 million over 36 months
  • Long operating history in Tanzania and a savings range alongside the lending
Cons
  • Microfinance lending is typically priced well above commercial bank rates, and FINCA publishes no rates
  • Group lending means joint liability — you can be pursued for a fellow member's default
  • 20-plus branches and sales points is far narrower coverage than a commercial bank
Fees, eligibility & documents
Fees
Interest rateNot published on FINCA's site — ask for the total shilling cost of the loan, not just the monthly instalment
Education provider loanUp to TZS 150 million over 36 months, per FINCA's own site
Eligibility
  • An operating micro or small business, or membership of a Pamoja lending group
  • Business activity within reach of a FINCA branch or sales point
Documents needed
  • Valid ID
  • Evidence of business activity or a business licence
  • Group membership records where borrowing through Pamoja
Visit FINCA Tanzania
Agriculture only

Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB)

The government's agricultural development bank, financing the value chain from inputs and production through storage, processing and market access. It lends directly for larger projects and through partner banks for smallholders under a guarantee fund.
★★★★☆
3.8/5 · How we rate
Agricultural and agribusiness finance, direct and via partner banks
Loan Type
State-owned development bank under the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, working with the Bank of Tanzania and the Ministry of Finance
Licence
Farmers, cooperatives and agribusinesses that mainstream banks treat as too risky
Best For
bank
Type
Pros
  • Its Smallholder Farmers Guarantee Fund lets partner banks lend to farmers who lack collateral
  • Finances the whole value chain, not just planting — including storage, processing and market access
  • Works through NMB, CRDB, Uchumi Commercial Bank and Tanzania Commercial Bank, so access is not limited to TADB branches
Cons
  • Agriculture only — no use to a business outside the value chain
  • Smallholders generally borrow through a partner bank, so the partner's own terms and pricing apply
  • No rates, fees or loan sizes are published on TADB's site
Fees, eligibility & documents
Fees
Interest rateNot published on TADB's site — terms depend on the facility and, for guaranteed lending, on the partner bank
Guarantee arrangementsSmallholder lending is delivered through partner banks under TADB's Smallholder Farmers Guarantee Fund; the partner bank sets its own charges
Eligibility
  • Farming, agribusiness or cooperative activity within the agricultural value chain
  • Smallholders normally apply through a TADB partner bank rather than directly
Documents needed
  • Valid ID and evidence of farming or agribusiness activity
  • Cooperative or group registration where applying as a group
  • Project or business plan for direct project finance
Visit TADB

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