On 20th-21st August 2026, Dar es Salaam hosted the Fintech Festival Tanzania 2026, bringing together financial technology, banking, government, and technology stakeholders to discuss artificial intelligence (AI), digital public infrastructure, and the future of financial services in Africa.

The two-day discussions focused on internet access, AI and big data, the relationship between banks and fintech companies, digital public infrastructure, cross-border payments, stablecoin infrastructure and financial inclusion.

They highlighted an ongoing shifts in AI as an automation and information tool towards intelligent systems that support decision-making.

Panelists stated that AI could increasingly operate through autonomous agents under human supervision, while a major challenge identified was the continued use of legacy banking systems.

Other panels examined competition, customer retention and cooperation between banks and fintech companies, noting that banking in Eastern Africa is growing by more than 20% in some areas, while banks and fintech companies operate with different strengths.

Participants said deeper partnerships could combine the trust associated with banks with the distribution and agility of fintech companies, as banks manage balance sheets while fintech companies drive transaction volumes.

Panels also discussed the shift from financial products and services towards customer experiences, as banks were encouraged to integrate financial services into customers’ daily lives through automated solutions.

API standardisation and sandbox environments were also identified as tools that can make third-party integration easier.

The discussions further covered data protection, anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing as areas where banks and fintechs need to cooperate.

Read more: https://www.tanzaniainvest.com/finance/fintech-festival-2026-2