Corporate & Commercial Law in Tanzania

Companies are registered with BRELA through its online registration system. The process involves reserving a name, preparing the memorandum and articles of association, providing details of directors, shareholders and beneficial owners, and paying the prescribed fees. Once incorporated, most businesses also need a Taxpayer Identification Number from the Tanzania Revenue Authority and a business licence before they start trading. We manage each step for you.

Yes. Foreign individuals and companies can generally own shares in a Tanzanian company. Some regulated sectors, such as mining and petroleum, carry local content or local participation requirements, and certain licences have their own ownership conditions. We map these requirements before you incorporate so your structure works from the start.

A limited company separates your personal assets from the liabilities of the business, makes it easier to bring in investors or lenders, and is often required to qualify for larger contracts, tenders and sector licences. We have led exactly this kind of conversion for a petroleum sector client, including regulatory realignment and governance set-up.

Yes. Much of our contract work is reviewing and negotiating agreements prepared by suppliers, customers or partners. We flag the clauses that expose you to risk, explain them in plain language and propose balanced amendments.

Companies must file annual returns with BRELA and keep their statutory registers and beneficial ownership information up to date, alongside tax filings with the Tanzania Revenue Authority and any sector-specific reporting. We can take these obligations off your hands on a retained basis.