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Tanzania

Buy bitcoin with M-Pesa in Tanzania

Status
Unclear
Currency
Tanzanian shilling (TZS)
Takes M-Pesa
2 exchanges
Last reviewed
2026-08-12

2 of the exchanges we recommend in Tanzania take M-Pesa for funding bitcoin purchases. It is the rail local buyers lead with, so it is usually the cheapest and fastest way in.

Exchanges that take M-Pesa in Tanzania

Ranked as in our Tanzania guide. Every payment method shown is verified for this exact exchange and country pairing.

  1. 1Yellow Card logo
    Yellow Card4.1

    Africa's largest licensed crypto on-ramp, spanning more than 20 countries with local bank and mobile money rails.

    Fees
    Posted trading fees are low or zero; the cost sits in a spread built into the quoted buy and sell prices. Local deposits by bank transfer or mobile money are typically free.
    KYC
    Required
    Pay with
    M-Pesa, Airtel Money, Bank transfer in shillings
    Buy on Yellow CardRead the Yellow Card review
  2. 3Paxful logo
    Paxful3.2Caution

    A P2P marketplace with more than 300 payment methods and a federal guilty plea on its record: tread carefully.

    Fees
    Sellers set their own prices, so the real cost is the premium over spot, which can be large, especially on gift card trades. Marketplace fees mostly fall on sellers and are passed through in the rate.
    KYC
    Required
    Pay with
    M-Pesa, Airtel Money, Bank transfer in shillings

    P2P marketplace: verify counterparties and use escrow

    Buy on PaxfulRead the Paxful review

See the full how-to-buy guide for TanzaniaEverything about buying bitcoin with M-Pesa

Other ways to pay in Tanzania

M-Pesa in other countries

Frequently asked questions

Which exchanges accept M-Pesa in Tanzania?

Of the 3 exchanges we recommend in Tanzania, Yellow Card, Paxful accept M-Pesa for funding purchases.

Is buying bitcoin with M-Pesa legal in Tanzania?

Tanzania's position is best described as unclear. A 2019 Bank of Tanzania public notice stated that cryptocurrencies are not recognized as legal tender and warned against their use, but Parliament has passed no ban, and since 2021 the government has openly studied a friendlier framework after presidential prompting. Until formal rules arrive, buying is tolerated rather than authorized, and no platform is licensed locally.