Bank of Tanzania Opens Government Securities Market to All Non-Resident Investors Under 2026 Foreign Exchange Amendment
Key Takeaways
- •The Foreign Exchange (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 were promulgated under Government Notice No. 206 and published in Tanzania's Government Gazette on 17 July 2026.
- •All non-resident investors can now purchase Tanzanian government Treasury bills and bonds, expanding access beyond the previously eligible EAC residents, SADC residents, and Tanzanian diaspora.
- •Non-resident investors must transact through approved Central Depository Participants and comply with all applicable laws and operational requirements.
- •The Bank of Tanzania describes the reform as part of broader efforts to deepen domestic capital markets and attract international investment to the country.
- •Separately, the Bank of Tanzania has approved its first stablecoin sandbox pilot, reflecting continued modernization of the national financial regulatory framework.
The Bank of Tanzania has announced that the Foreign Exchange (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 have been issued under the Foreign Exchange Act, Cap. 271, through Government Notice (G.N.) No. 206 of 2026, published in the Government Gazette on 17 July 2026.
The amendments permit all non-resident investors to invest in Treasury bills and bonds issued by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania. Previously, participation in the government securities market was limited to residents of the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Tanzanian diaspora community.
The Bank of Tanzania stated that the reform aims to broaden access to the government securities market and forms part of its ongoing efforts to deepen domestic financial markets and promote Tanzania as an attractive investment destination. The move aligns with a broader trend across sub-Saharan African sovereigns that have progressively opened local-currency debt markets to international investors as a means of diversifying funding sources and supporting secondary-market liquidity.
Non-residents may participate in the government securities market through approved Central Depository Participants (CDPs), subject to the provisions of the Foreign Exchange (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, and other applicable laws and operational requirements.
The Foreign Exchange (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 are available on the Bank of Tanzania website at www.bot.go.tz.
For further inquiries and clarification, investors are advised to contact their Central Depository Participant (CDP) or the Bank of Tanzania directly.
In a related regulatory development, the Bank of Tanzania previously approved its first stablecoin sandbox pilot, signalling continued modernization of the country's financial sector framework.
