The Tanzanian shilling (TZS) is the official currency, introduced in 1966 replacing the East African shilling at par. The Bank of Tanzania issues coins in denominations of 50, 100, 200, and 500 shillings, and banknotes in 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, and 10,000 shilling denominations. Exchange rates fluctuate but have ranged between 2,300 and 2,500 TZS per US dollar during 2023-2024. The currency code is TZS and the symbol is TSh or occasionally /=. Coins below 50 shillings remain legal tender but have disappeared from circulation due to inflation. The 10,000 shilling note, introduced in 2010, features Mount Kilimanjaro and Julius Nyerere. Counterfeiting affects lower denominations and vendors frequently reject torn or heavily worn notes, particularly in rural areas outside Dar es Salaam and Arusha.
US dollars circulate widely in tourist sectors and some businesses price services exclusively in dollars, particularly safari operators, hotels in Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and dive operations on Mafia Island and Zanzibar. The dollar acceptance creates a dual-price structure where locals pay in shillings and visitors pay in dollars for identical services. Tour operators and national park entry fees require dollars, with Tanzania National Parks Authority pricing all gate fees in USD. Mount Kilimanjaro climbing permits cost $800 per person for non-residents, payable in dollars. Many lodges quote rates exclusively in dollars and decline shilling payment. Dollars must be recent series post-2013 as earlier series, particularly pre-2009 notes with small portrait designs, face widespread refusal. Some businesses reject $50 and $100 bills entirely due to counterfeit concerns. Exchange rates for dollar cash transactions favor clean, crisp bills over worn ones, with money changers in Stone Town and Dar es Salaam offering rates 2-5% lower for damaged notes.
ATMs operate in Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Moshi, Zanzibar City, Tanga, and Mbeya. CRDB Bank, NMB Bank, Stanbic Bank, and Equity Bank maintain ATM networks accepting Visa and Mastercard. Daily withdrawal limits range from 400,000 to 1,000,000 shillings depending on bank and card type, equivalent to roughly $160-$400. Transaction fees charged by Tanzanian banks range from 5,000 to 10,000 shillings per withdrawal, separate from foreign transaction fees imposed by issuing banks. Power outages affect ATM availability, particularly during evening hours in secondary cities. ATMs inside bank branches offer better security than standalone street units. Serengeti National Park, Ruaha National Park, and Katavi National Park have no ATMs within or near park boundaries. Arusha's Shoppers Plaza, Kilimanjaro International Airport, and Zanzibar's Malindi Road district concentrate multiple ATM options. Machines dispense only shillings and frequently run empty during weekends and public holidays.
Foreign exchange bureaus operate in all regional centers and offer rates 3-8% better than commercial banks. Bureaus in Dar es Salaam's Kariakoo district and along Zanzibar's Kenyatta Road provide competitive rates and faster service than banks, processing exchanges without paperwork below $1,000. Banks require passport presentation for all exchanges and some impose minimum amounts. Official exchange receipts prove necessary for re-exchanging shillings to foreign currency at departure, though enforcement varies. Black market currency trading exists but offers minimal rate advantage over licensed bureaus while carrying legal risk, as currency exchange outside licensed premises violates the Bank of Tanzania Act of 2006. Major hotels exchange currency at rates 10-15% below bureau rates.
Credit cards see acceptance in upscale hotels, safari lodges, shopping malls in Dar es Salaam and Arusha, and some restaurants in tourist zones. Visa dominates over Mastercard, while American Express and Discover find almost no acceptance outside international hotel chains. Many establishments add 5% surcharges to card transactions to offset processing fees. The Slipway shopping center in Dar es Salaam, Arusha's Blue Plaza, and Stone Town's Serena Hotel accept cards reliably. Card readers frequently malfunction due to intermittent internet connectivity. Rural areas, local restaurants, public transportation, and markets operate cash-only. Chip-and-PIN technology has replaced magnetic stripe authorization in most locations, but terminals still attempt signature verification. Contactless payment remains rare outside international hotel chains.
Mobile money dominates domestic transactions through M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money, and Halopesa platforms. M-Pesa Tanzania, operated by Vodacom Tanzania, claims over 14 million registered users as of 2023. Tanzanians use mobile money for utility payments, school fees, market purchases, and interpersonal transfers. Vendors display M-Pesa and Tigo Pesa logos prominently, and many small businesses refuse cards while accepting mobile transfers. Foreign visitors cannot easily access these platforms, as registration requires Tanzanian phone numbers and national ID cards or residence permits. The systems enable instant transfers between users and cash-in/cash-out through agent networks. Transaction fees range from 400 to 10,000 shillings depending on amount transferred. The Bank of Tanzania reported that mobile money transaction values exceeded 96 trillion shillings in 2022, surpassing traditional banking for domestic payments.
Internet connectivity operates through fiber-optic cables landing at Dar es Salaam, including the SEACOM cable since 2009 and the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System since 2010. These cables connect Tanzania to global networks via South Africa and the Middle East. 4G coverage extends across Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Arusha, Mwanza, Moshi, and Zanzibar City through networks operated by Vodacom Tanzania, Tigo Tanzania, Airtel Tanzania, and Halotel. Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority reported mobile internet penetration at 32% of the population in 2023. Connection speeds in urban centers reach 10-25 Mbps on 4G networks but degrade significantly in rural areas and national parks. Serengeti National Park has mobile coverage along the Seronera Valley corridor but lacks connectivity in western and northern sections. Ngorongoro Crater floor has no mobile signal. Mount Kilimanjaro routes have intermittent coverage on lower slopes below 3,000 meters but none above Horombo Hut on Marangu Route or Barafu Camp on Machame Route.
SIM cards require passport registration under regulations implemented in 2020 to link all mobile accounts to user identity. Vodacom, Airtel, and Tigo sell SIM cards at official shops in airports, city centers, and through street vendors. Prices range from 1,000 to 5,000 shillings for the SIM card itself. Data packages cost approximately 10,000 shillings for 5GB valid 7 days, 20,000 shillings for 12GB valid 30 days. Voice and text bundles sell separately. Registration requires passport presentation and physical address in Tanzania, though vendors often register SIMs under shop addresses. The registration process takes 5-15 minutes at official stores. Unregistered SIMs cease functioning within 24 hours of first use. Topping up credit occurs through scratch cards sold at kiosks or mobile money transfers. Network coverage maps on operator websites show 4G availability, but ground reality frequently differs from published coverage zones.
WiFi functions in hotels, lodges, cafes, and shopping centers in major cities. Passwords are typically provided at reception or posted in communal areas. Connection speeds vary from unusable to adequate for basic browsing and messaging. Video streaming and large file transfers often fail due to bandwidth limitations and data caps imposed by many establishments. Hotel WiFi in Dar es Salaam's Slipway area and Zanzibar's Stone Town generally performs better than lodges in game parks. Safari camps offering WiFi usually provide limited evening access in communal areas only, not individual tents or rooms. Many remote lodges in Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park have no internet access whatsoever, relying on satellite phones for emergency communication. Co-working spaces in Dar es Salaam such as Buni Hub and KINU Spaces offer reliable high-speed connections for daily or monthly fees.