Diamond Trust Bank Tanzania bumped profits by half to 13 billion shillings during early 2025, while assets hit 1.89 trillion, mostly because they doubled down on small and medium businesses instead of chasing big corporate clients. CEO Ravneet Chowdhury said the bank gets in early with SMEs that might not even have proper bookkeeping yet, helping them set up systems for managing cash flow and scaling operations from random Kariakoo shops to food processors near Arusha.
The strategy leans heavily on digital platforms that let tens of thousands of businesses handle payroll and transactions through mobile apps. DTB also runs a revolving loan program with Somo that backs over 900 early-stage companies across East Africa, creating around 28,000 jobs through capital plus coaching.
Beyond banking stuff, the company launched a five-year scholarship fund for less wealthy Tanzanian students and dropped an ICT lab at Songoro Mnyonge Secondary School. They also hit up over 600 girls in the Mpwapwa District with sanitary pads and financial literacy info through their campaign.
The strategy leans heavily on digital platforms that let tens of thousands of businesses handle payroll and transactions through mobile apps. DTB also runs a revolving loan program with Somo that backs over 900 early-stage companies across East Africa, creating around 28,000 jobs through capital plus coaching.
Beyond banking stuff, the company launched a five-year scholarship fund for less wealthy Tanzanian students and dropped an ICT lab at Songoro Mnyonge Secondary School. They also hit up over 600 girls in the Mpwapwa District with sanitary pads and financial literacy info through their campaign.
