TANZANIA has registered more than 12.9 million residential addresses across the country, a milestone in the government’s efforts to digitally map, identify and formalise settlements.

Nicholas Mkapa, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology made the remarks in Dar es Salaam at the weekend during the Annual Residential Address Conference and Postal Services Technology Exhibition 2026.

He said the move aims to strengthen service delivery, enhance governance, and unlock socioeconomic opportunities for citizens.

“Tanzania began its nationwide residential address registration in 2010. To date, over 12.9 million addresses have been successfully recorded and integrated into our digital systems,” he said.

He explained that residential addresses are critical development tools, linking communities to national systems and ensuring that areas across the country are formally recognized in a digital framework. Since the start of the programme, 29 systems have been interconnected, including the Tanzania Posts Corporation, facilitating more efficient service delivery.

The congress, which brought together government officials, technology experts, and service providers, emphasized the importance of residential addresses in enhancing key sectors such as health, education, and the economy. 

Mkapa urged participants to explore practical ways in which the address system can support equitable access to public services, from healthcare delivery and school enrollment to business licensing and taxation.

“A strong residential address system strengthens personal identity, ensures access to services, and creates development opportunities for all citizens,” he said. 

Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Director General Dr Jabiri Bakari said that the national residential addressing system has strengthened postal services, making them a key channel for delivering financial, social and government services more efficiently to the Tanzanian citizens.

He noted that modern technology has significantly improved postal operations, enabling faster and more reliable service delivery.

Additionally, he said that the enhanced national addressing system has improved location identification accuracy, simplifying service provision and increasing public participation in economic and social activities.

“The ongoing reforms have positioned postal services as a strategic driver of economic growth, particularly benefiting rural communities and underserved areas, while reinforcing the sector’s role as a vital communication and logistics link in everyday life,” he said.

The Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU) represented by its Secretary General, Dr Sifundo Chief Moyo, underscored the transformative power of robust addressing systems in driving Africa’s economic integration and digital growth.

The organisation highlighted a fundamental truth: without reliable and harmonized addressing systems, e-commerce cannot scale, delivery networks remain unreliable and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) cannot reach its full potential.

“Tanzania’s achievements in addressing, including its Universal Postal Union (UPU) S42 certification, set a benchmark for the continent. We encourage other African nations to adopt harmonized addressing standards to facilitate trade, logistics, and digital services,” Dr Moyo said.

PAPU stressed that addressing is not merely a technical or logistical matter—it is a catalyst for development. Properly registered and digitized addresses enhance service delivery, support businesses, empower entrepreneurs and enable governments to plan and implement policies more effectively.