Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) is preparing to establish a regulatory system specifically aimed at governing online businesses and ensuring that products sold or advertised via digital channels meet required quality and safety standards.
For consumers long wary of fake, mislabelled or harmful goods bought via social media or so-called “pop-up” online shops, this move may offer a long-overdue solution.
According to eCommerce Data Analytics (ECDB), e-commerce revenue in Tanzania surpassed $461 million in 2024, reflecting a growth rate of about 15 to 20 percent over the previous year.
Categories such as electronics, fashion and apparel are rapidly rising in demand. This surge has exposed serious gaps, with many online sellers advertising cosmetics, foodstuffs, cleaning agents and devices with exaggerated or false claims.
Some cosmetics promise skin-lightening results or removal of blemishes, often without any safety information, expiry dates or details on where the product came from.
In many cases, goods are sold through informal platforms, with no visible regulatory mark, no proper labelling and no guarantee of how they were stored or transported.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, TBS director general Ashura Katunzi said the bureau now intends not only to inspect physical production sites but also to extend its regulatory reach into digital marketplaces.
She told editors and journalists in a meeting organised by the Treasury Registrar’s office, that the institution was committed to ensuring that cosmetic products were registered and comply with safety standards before being sold online.
Dr Katunzi also outlined plans to improve the registration of premises involved in the production, distribution, storage and sale of food and cosmetics and highlighted ongoing efforts to construct new laboratories in Dodoma and Mwanza to expand testing capacity and bring services closer to people.
Regional offices and border posts are also being reinforced to monitor imports and pre-shipment conformity.
“Even the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has issued guidelines on how to pay taxes for online businesses. Likewise, we are continuing to ensure that products meet quality standards, which is why we have planned to introduce a more robust system in this area,” Dr Katunzi said.
The legal foundation for TBS’s work comes from the Standards Act No. 2 of 2009, amended in 2019. The law prohibits the manufacture, import, distribution or sale of pre-packaged food or cosmetics unless they are registered with TBS.
It also requires that premises involved in the handling of such products be registered and compliant with safety and hygiene rules. Compulsory standards exist for goods that pose health, safety or environmental risks and failure to comply attracts heavy penalties.
This framework has long existed, but as Dr Katunzi admitted, enforcement in the digital space has lagged behind the speed at which new online business models have emerged.
The regulatory shift, therefore, is seen as an attempt to close this gap and adapt oversight to the realities of digital trade.
Consumers have welcomed the plans with relief.
A Dar es Salaam resident, Ms Neema Joseph, said some online cosmetics are sold without the TBS mark, making it hard to tell whether they are safe.
“You buy cheaply, but you don’t know if the product is safe. I think TBS should create a system to show us clearly which products are officially registered,” she said.
Similar frustrations were echoed by Mr John Mollel, a small trader based in Arusha, who once bought cooking oil without quality marking that spoiled within a week. “We need TBS to be stricter; customers are often duped by low prices,” he said.
Experts weigh in
A consumer rights researcher at the College of Business Education (CBE), Mr Elibariki Victor, argued that a regulatory system tailored to online trade is essential.
“Many consumers do not even know that certain products must be registered, or how to tell whether a product is compliant. Transparency online is low,” she explained.
In his view, digital platforms should be compelled to display TBS registration numbers and standard marks in a visible manner, just as physical shops are required to display them on packaging.
On the business side, e-commerce entrepreneur John Philip believes regulation should enhance trust without stifling small traders.
“Any regulation must balance safety and not kill small online businesses. Many sellers are micro-entrepreneurs with thin margins. If TBS’s system is efficient—affordable registration, fast approvals—it will build consumer trust, which is good for honest sellers,” he said.
Dr Katunzi pointed out that TBS has already made important progress. The bureau has registered more than 8,000 products and nearly 48,000 premises in areas covering food, cosmetics, storage and marketing.
Under the Pre-Shipment to Conformity system, it inspected over 153,000 consignments before entry into Tanzania and more than 352,000 after arrival.
Register to begin your journey to our premium contentSubscribe for full access to premium content
