Yes. Many large shops and supermarkets in Tanzania have card readers and most of these will be able to accept payments with Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards.

Smaller shops and street vendors will only accept cash payment. This is also the case for taxis, public transport and vendors on local markets.

Be aware of currency conversion fees: British banks may charge heavily for international card payments made in Africa. In addition your bank’s TZS to GBP exchange rate may be dramatically bad. This is how banks make money. Before using your bank card for payments in Tanzania, it’s certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.

You’ll need to have cash on you when you’re traveling in Tanzania. Many local sellers will only accept local cash. Some shops will accept payments in US dollars.

Vendors where you can pay in USD are often located in towns and cities frequented by tourists. Most curio shops, art galleries and jewelry shops in Dar es Salaam will accept US dollars.

Locals will use mostly cash and mobile payment solutions such as Mpesa.

A coffee in Tanzania ranges in price from Tsh.3000 – Tsh.5000. For a three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant expect to pay around Tsh.30000.

On average, prices in Tanzania are around 46% lower than prices in the UK, so the cost of life in Tanzania is indeed much lower than the cost of life in the UK.

Leaving a tip in Tanzania is not mandatory and not generally expected. But it is highly appreciated. Tanzanians are generally very generous.