The iTrust East African Community Large Cap Exchange Traded Fund (IEACLC-ETF) was introduced yesterday, marking a significant development for the regional investment landscape
Dar es Salaam. A new investment product has been launched to offer local and foreign investors direct access to shares of major companies across the East African Community (EAC).
The iTrust East African Community Large Cap Exchange Traded Fund (IEACLC-ETF) was introduced yesterday, marking a significant development for the regional investment landscape. The ETF is regulated by the CMSA, with NBC Bank serving as custodian of investor assets.
iTrust Finance CEO, Faiz Arab, said the introduction of the IEACLC-ETF marks a significant step forward for Tanzania’s investment landscape.
“This ETF opens a new chapter for investors in Tanzania. For the first time, individuals can access a professionally managed regional fund through a simple and affordable product,” he said.
Arab noted that East Africa remains one of the continent’s fastest-growing regions, and the fund provides a convenient entry point for investors seeking exposure to that growth.
The ETF is designed to lower investment barriers and enable both new and experienced investors to participate in the region’s economic expansion through a diversified basket of large, stable companies.
He added that the fund’s structure emphasises transparency and investor protection whilst reducing concentration risk and enhancing long-term return potential as share values appreciate.
Through the ETF, investors will hold units linked to shares listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE), Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Uganda Securities Exchange (USE), and Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE).
The fund tracks a blended benchmark index that incorporates all four markets, offering broad regional exposure.
The Initial Public Offering (IPO) opened on November 17, and runs until 12th December 2025, with a minimum investment of Sh100,000—making the product accessible to a wide range of investors. Once listed on the DSE, the ETF units will trade freely at market prices.
The Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA), which regulates the ETF, used the occasion to reaffirm its commitment to fostering an enabling environment that encourages both public and private institutions to utilise capital markets as a sustainable source of financing for national development. NBC Bank will serve as the custodian of investor assets.
Speaking at the launch event, CMSA Director of Policy, Research and Planning, Alfred Mkombo, said capital markets are a reliable avenue for long-term financing, particularly as the government and businesses seek alternatives to traditional borrowing.
“Capital markets stimulate economic development by enabling access to funds and strengthening good governance in the management of companies and institutions so they can operate efficiently,” Mkombo said.
“When organisations raise capital through the markets, they reduce dependence on expensive debt, improve accountability, and support sustainable investment.”
He emphasised that Tanzania’s development ambitions, including infrastructure expansion, industrialisation, and technological growth, require diversified financing sources.
Capital markets, he noted, offer predictable, transparent, and cost-effective funding that can ease fiscal pressures whilst empowering private-sector growth.
