GOOD NEWS FOR TANZANIA DIGITAL CONTENT CREATORS AS NEW LICENCE FEES ANNOUNCED

The Government has announced a historic measure that could significantly transform the landscape of Tanzania’s digital content industry.

Speaking at the Annual Broadcasting Service Providers Conference (ABC 2026) in Dodoma, the Deputy Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Hamisi Mwinjuma, revealed that the licence fee for online content creators has been reduced from TSh 500,000 to just TSh 50,000, with an application fee of only TSh 10,000.

This represents a reduction of more than 90 per cent — a move widely interpreted as opening a new door for young innovators, bloggers, and digital creators who had previously struggled with the high cost of compliance.

The decision follows nearly a year of strategic consultations between the Tanzania Bloggers Network (TBN) and the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), aimed at addressing financial barriers that had constrained the growth of digital journalism and online content production in the country.

In addition, licence fees for Online Content Aggregators have been reduced from TSh 1,000,000 to TSh 100,000.

A new “Amateur” category has also been introduced specifically for emerging young creators, enabling them to formalise their activities and nurture their talents without heavy financial burdens.

Within the broader context of a rapidly expanding digital economy, this decision is expected to stimulate employment, creativity, and tax revenue generation — in line with the development vision championed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

If effectively implemented, these reforms may well mark the beginning of a new chapter for Tanzania’s digital creative sector.