Dar es Salaam — Tanzania has once again been ranked among the world’s most digitally advanced public sectors after being placed in the top tier of the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) 2025, reflecting sustained progress in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve government services and citizen engagement.
According to the World Bank’s GTMI 2025 assessment, Tanzania has been classified in Group A – Extensive GovTech Maturity, the highest category reserved for countries that demonstrate advanced and effective use of digital technologies across government operations and public service delivery. The 2025 index, released in December 2025, evaluates whether digital government foundations are not only in place but also functioning effectively in practice.
This marks the second time Tanzania has received top-tier recognition from the World Bank. In the previous GTMI assessment, Tanzania emerged as one of the strongest global performers in 2022, climbing from rank 90 in 2021 to rank 26 in 2022 among 198 assessed countries. That performance elevated the country from Group B to Group A, positioning Tanzania as the second-highest ranked country in Africa after Mauritius and the leading nation in East Africa.
Continental and Regional Significance
The GTMI 2025 results underscore Tanzania’s growing stature in digital governance across Africa. The World Bank’s summary shows that Tanzania is among only five African countries placed in the highest GovTech maturity group, alongside Kenya, Egypt, Uganda and Rwanda.
Government officials emphasise that the significance of the ranking lies not in the label itself, but in the approach it reflects — a coordinated national digital strategy rather than fragmented, institution-specific ICT projects.
Strong Core Government Systems
The World Bank’s GovTech framework assesses maturity across four key dimensions: Core Government Systems, Online Public Service Delivery, Digital Citizen Engagement, and GovTech Enablers. Tanzania’s performance is strongly linked to the robustness of its core government systems, which support daily public administration and ensure consistency across institutions.
Key systems cited include the Human Capital Information Management System (HCIMS) for managing public servants and payroll, and the Ajira Portal, which supports recruitment into public service. These platforms are credited with improving efficiency, transparency and accountability.
A central feature of Tanzania’s digital architecture is interoperability — the ability of systems across government institutions to communicate and share data. The Government Enterprise Service Bus (GovESB) is highlighted as a critical backbone that allows public sector systems to securely exchange information, reduce duplication and speed up service delivery.
In practical terms, interoperability prevents digital government from becoming a collection of isolated portals, enabling verification processes, coordinated workflows and stronger oversight across institutions.
Digital Citizen Engagement
Citizen participation forms another pillar of Tanzania’s GovTech progress. Under the Digital Citizen Engagement component, the assessment highlights platforms such as e-Mrejesho, which allows citizens to submit opinions, complaints, advice and compliments directly to government institutions and receive feedback.
According to the World Bank’s summary, such platforms strengthen transparency, accountability and public trust by giving citizens a structured and responsive channel to engage with government.
Enabling Policies and Online Services
Tanzania’s GovTech maturity is further supported by a strong enabling environment. The assessment credits national policies, laws, regulations, standards and e-Government guidelines for creating a unified framework that guides ICT investments and implementation across government.
The expansion of online service delivery platforms has also played a key role. Systems such as the Government e-Payment Gateway (GePG), the National e-Procurement System (NeST) and local government platforms like TAUSI have improved access to services, reduced costs and increased efficiency for citizens and businesses.
Government Response
Commenting on the World Bank assessment, Eng. Benedict Ndomba, Director General of the e-Government Authority (e-GA), said the recognition confirms that Tanzania is on the right path in building a digitally enabled public sector.
“This achievement is evidence that the country is on the right path in building a digital government,” Eng. Ndomba said, noting that the World Bank conducted the assessment over nearly a year while collecting evidence on ICT use across governments worldwide.
He urged public institutions to continue implementing ICT projects in line with national laws, regulations, standards and guidelines, strengthen citizen engagement platforms, and integrate institutional systems through GovESB.
The message from government officials is clear: sustaining GovTech maturity requires discipline, coordination and consistent use of systems — not merely launching new platforms.
Tanzania’s return to the World Bank’s top GovTech tier signals continued momentum toward a more transparent, efficient and citizen-centred digital government.
