KCB Bank Tanzania has added PayPal services to its mobile banking app, giving customers a way to receive payments from overseas clients and transfer the money to their local bank accounts.
The bank says it is the first in Tanzania to integrate PayPal into a mobile banking app. Customers can create a new PayPal account or link an existing one through KCB Mobile. The service also supports eligible international payments wherever PayPal is accepted.
PayPal balances can be withdrawn to a KCB account in Tanzanian shillings. The service is aimed at freelancers, entrepreneurs, small businesses, tourism operators, and content creators who will be paid by customers abroad.
KCB is bringing the two services together in its mobile app, so customers can manage their bank account and PayPal without having to use them separately.
Mobile money already has a large user base in Tanzania
The launch comes in a country where mobile payments are widely used. The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) recorded 87.05 million active mobile money subscriptions in June 2026, compared with 80.98 million in March. The number of subscriptions increased by 7.5% in three months. Mobile money transaction volumes also rose by 5.38% over the same period.
Internet access is expanding alongside mobile payments. TCRA reported 62.79 million internet subscriptions at the end of June, up 6.48% from the previous quarter. The number of smartphones in use reached 31.34 million.
These figures help explain why banks and payment companies are investing in mobile services. But a large domestic mobile money market does not automatically solve the problem of receiving payments from abroad. Someone paid by a client in Europe or the United States still needs a convenient way to move those funds into an account they can use in Tanzania.
PayPal gives KCB customers another option for that part of the process. The integration is particularly relevant to people who earn through online work or sell services to customers in other countries.
At the launch, Josina Njambi, KCB Bank Tanzania’s Head of Digital Financial Services, spoke about the bank’s plans for the service.
The bank wants to make it easier for customers to work with overseas clients, run online businesses and sell to international markets.
KCB is also linking the PayPal launch to its “Ina-Make Cents” campaign, introduced in October 2026. It uses humour and familiar financial situations to encourage customers to take another look at their money habits and the way they use digital banking services.
For KCB, the new feature adds an international payment option to a mobile platform customers already use. For recipients of overseas payments, the main change is that they can now link PayPal with their KCB banking relationship and withdraw available funds in Tanzanian shillings.
