Digital financial services (DFS) hold significant promise for advancing financial inclusion in Tanzania, yet high costs continue to limit their adoption and use, particularly among low-income consumers. Despite near-universal account ownership, cash still dominates everyday transactions, and Tanzania ranks among the most expensive markets for DFS in sub-Saharan Africa. 

To help close this evidence gap, IPA launched the Tanzania Affordable Digital Finance Research Initiative (TADFRI) in partnership with the Bank of Tanzania and partners. 

Through rigorous research across five interconnected areas, including competition and regulation, taxation, consumer price sensitivity, interoperability, and agent network costs, TADFRI aims to generate actionable evidence on the drivers of DFS affordability. The goal is to support policy and industry decisions that reduce consumer costs while maintaining a sustainable digital finance ecosystem.