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Security Services in Tanzania
Operating in Tanzania? Speak with a security consultant.
Tanzania is East Africa’s largest economy by land area and a significant commercial and logistics hub, anchored by the port of Dar es Salaam. It attracts oil and gas sector investment, donor operations, and a growing corporate travel market. The security environment has deteriorated on several dimensions since 2023.
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of Tanzania. The terrorism threat is assessed as likely. The October 2025 general election produced post-result protests with fatalities, demonstrating that civil unrest can materialise with limited warning.
Express kidnapping methodology
Express kidnapping in Dar es Salaam is a financially motivated, short-duration criminal methodology. Operators posing as taxi drivers or approached near hotels identify targets who appear affluent or foreign. The victim is taken to ATMs, often at knifepoint, and required to make cash withdrawals until the daily limit is reached. Payments average around GBP 5,000 per incident based on documented cases.
The primary counter-measure is ground transport management: using only pre-vetted, tracked drivers with verified identities. Street hailing of taxis in Dar es Salaam is a significant risk exposure.
Al-Shabaab regional context
Al-Shabaab’s operational reach has extended into Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. Tanzania’s northern border with Mozambique and its eastern coastline are within the group’s assessed regional activity zone. There is no current confirmed cell in Dar es Salaam. The risk is regional and structural rather than immediate. It is included in every Tanzania threat assessment and informs venue selection and crowd avoidance planning.
Multiple Tanzanian airlines on the UK Air Safety List
Several Tanzanian carriers appear on the UK Air Safety List, which prohibits or restricts operations into UK airspace due to safety concerns. When planning international movements into or within Tanzania, carrier selection requires specific verification. This is an air safety issue rather than a security threat, but it affects itinerary planning for any professionally managed travel.
Regulatory gap
Tanzania’s private security industry operates with limited formal regulation compared to Kenya or South Africa. There is no centralised licensing register. Operator quality varies widely. Documented vetting through company registration, reference checks, and background screening is the only reliable quality assurance mechanism in this market.
Zanzibar: a distinct risk profile from the mainland
Zanzibar, Tanzania’s semi-autonomous island region, operates under a different legal and administrative framework from mainland Tanzania. It is a major tourist destination and hosts increasing numbers of corporate retreats and incentive events. The security environment differs from Dar es Salaam: street crime is lower, but terrorist attack risk has been elevated in previous threat assessments (FCDO notes Zanzibar specifically in its Tanzania travel advisory). The 2012 and 2013 acid attacks on foreign nationals in Zanzibar were documented by FCDO as targeted incidents.
For visiting executives combining Dar es Salaam business operations with Zanzibar-based events or accommodation, the security plan must address both jurisdictions separately. Transfer by sea (ferry) versus air (scheduled or charter) carries different exposure profiles.
Source: FCDO Travel Advice: Tanzania (2025). OSAC Tanzania Country Security Report 2024. UK Air Safety List (Civil Aviation Authority, 2025).
Our in-country operations cover the following city: Dar es Salaam.
For professional support in this region, see our bodyguard hire services.
For a detailed guide to corporate security in Tanzania and Sub-Saharan Africa – including Dar es Salaam express kidnapping rates and the distinct Zanzibar risk profile – see our security in Africa business travel guide.
Cities We Cover
Dar es Salaam
High riskTanzania's commercial capital and primary port city. Express kidnapping targeting expatriates and affluent nationals is documented at GBP 5,000 average. The October 2025 post-election protests resulted in fatalities. Al-Shabaab maintains a regional threat posture from its Mozambique and Somalia operations.
View city guide →Security Regulations
Firearms
Tanzania has no dedicated private security industry legislation equivalent to the more regulated East African markets. Armed private security is limited in practice. Where armed escorts are required, arrangements are typically made through licensed security companies with police augmentation rather than privately armed operators. Foreign nationals carrying firearms is not practically available outside of specific diplomatic or donor-funded frameworks.
Licensing
Private security companies operate under general business licensing and self-regulate to a significant degree. There is no single licensing body equivalent to Kenya's PSIA. Operators should be verified through company registration and INTERPOL-clearable background checks rather than relying on a regulatory database. Quality verification requires direct vetting rather than licence number checks.
Foreign Operators
Foreign security operators face restrictions on formal armed operations. Advisory and non-operational roles are more practicable. Any foreign team operating in Tanzania should confirm current immigration requirements and work authorisation before deployment, as enforcement has tightened in recent years.
Frequently Asked Questions
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