A nationwide internet outage in Tanzania on Wednesday disrupted international money transfers and digital services, prompting the remittance platform Nala to temporarily shut down its operations.
For over 18 hours, Tanzanians were cut off from online services, leaving thousands unable to receive funds from relatives abroad. The blackout coincided with protests and unrest in parts of the country as voting took place.
Benjamin Fernandes, the founder and CEO of Nala, said the shutdown had devastating consequences for millions of Tanzanians who rely on the platform.
“For 18 hours, families in Tanzania couldn’t receive money from loved ones abroad. Why? Internet blackout,” Fernandes wrote on X. “This isn’t about tech — it’s about food, medicine, and survival.”
Fernandes said he received calls from people abroad trying to send money for hospital bills, but were unable due to the outage.
The shutdown has exposed just how much Tanzania now relies on the internet. What used to be a political switch to control information has become an economic trigger — one that can instantly choke off mobile money, banking, logistics, healthcare, and everyday livelihoods in one of East Africa’s fastest-growing digital economies.
According to internet observatory NetBlocks, national connectivity fell sharply around midday Wednesday, plunging to nearly 90% below normal levels. The drop coincided with reports of protests in several towns, including Dar es Salaam and Sirari, amid tensions around the electoral process.
Impact beyond social media
In a post quoting NetBlocks, Fernandes warned that the impact of shutdowns extends beyond social media.
“When the internet goes dark, the economy follows,” he said. “In Africa, it’s not just tweets that stop — it’s mobile money, deliveries, jobs, hospitals, startups, tech, and livelihoods. Shutting down the internet during elections doesn’t silence people — it frustrates them even more.”
Founded in 2018, Nala allows users in the UK, US, and Europe to send money to several African countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ghana.
The blackout froze those inflows for hours, exposing the vulnerability of Africa’s digital economies to state-imposed internet controls. In Tanzania, where remittances exceeded $700 million in 2024, such shutdowns can have a direct effect on households that rely on relatives abroad for school fees, rent, and healthcare. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Tanzanian authorities have lifted the internet blackout.
The Tanzanian government has not provided an official explanation for the outage, which digital rights groups say reflects a growing pattern across parts of Africa where authorities restrict access during politically sensitive moments. Similar disruptions have been reported in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Sudan during elections or protests.
