NAIROBI, Kenya— The Tanzanian government has prohibited non-citizens from engaging in 15 business activities under a new legal notice gazetted on July 28, 2025.
Tanzanian Minister of Trade Selemani Said Jafo, in a gazette notice cited as the Business Licensing (Prohibition of Business Activities for Non-Citizens) Order, 2025, outlined a raft of punishments targeting offenders in the sweeping changes.
“A non-citizen who carries out any of the business activities specified in the Schedule to this Order shall be liable to a fine of not less than ten million shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months and revocation of visa and resident permit,” the order states.
Additionally, Tanzanian citizens found assisting foreigners to conduct the listed businesses face a fine of five million Tanzanian shillings or imprisonment not exceeding three months.
The prohibited sectors include operating a salon (outside of hotels or tourism services), mobile money transfers, repairing electronic devices, on-farm crop purchasing, small-scale mining, operating kiosks or wholesale businesses (excluding supermarkets), guiding tours within Tanzania, operating radio or television stations, managing gambling machines (except in casinos), and running micro or small industries.
Other banned activities for non-citizens are: brokerage or agency in business and real estate, parcel and postal delivery, home and office cleaning, curio shop operations, and clearing and forwarding services.
Licensing authorities are now barred from issuing or renewing business licenses for non-citizens in any of the listed areas.
However, the Order provides a transition clause:
“A non-citizen who holds a valid licence in respect of any of the business activities specified in the Schedule shall continue carrying out such activity up to such time when the licence expires.”
The move could spark regional concerns, particularly under the East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol, which guarantees the free movement of goods, services, labour, and capital among partner states.
