Guide for shop owners

How to sell online in Tanzania

If customers already find you by walking past, the next step is being found from their phones. This guide covers the main ways small shops sell online in Tanzania, what to prepare before you start, how to get customers, and how to put your shop online in an afternoon.

Updated October 2026

Four ways to sell online

Most small shops start with the first and grow into the last. There is no wrong answer, only what fits your stage.

WhatsApp and Instagram

You post products and answer messages, and take orders in chat.

Strength

Free and quick to start, and personal.

Watch out for

Manual and hard to grow. No order tracking, repeat questions, and customers are wary because scams are common.

Your own website

A site you control, with your products and a way to order.

Strength

Full control of how it looks.

Watch out for

Cost and set-up time, and nobody finds it unless you bring the visitors. Taking payments takes extra work.

Large marketplaces

You list products on a big site with its own visitors.

Strength

An audience already exists.

Watch out for

Fees, price competition, rules you do not control, and they may not serve customers in your area.

A local storefront (Nunua Pro)

Your shop page on a platform where people near you browse and order, pay and track delivery.

Strength

Customers nearby can find you, order and pay. You manage orders, delivery and payouts in one app.

Watch out for

You need to list your products and keep stock up to date. Nunua Pro verifies your shop before customers can order.

Before you start: what to prepare

An afternoon of preparation saves weeks of problems. Start small: your 10 to 20 best sellers are enough.

  • Products: clear names, one good photo each (daylight, plain background), and the price.
  • Stock: know what you really have, and update it when something sells out.
  • Delivery: decide how you will deliver. Your own rider, riders you already use, or customers collecting from you.
  • Payment: how you will be paid. Mobile money to your Lipa number or cash on delivery.
  • Opening hours, and who will answer customers.
  • Business basics: check which registration and tax rules apply to your business with BRELA and TRA.

Put your shop online with Nunua Pro, step by step

  1. Open NunuaPro Business on your Android phone, or go to business.nunuapro.app in any browser.
  2. Enter your phone number and the SMS code. New here? Add your name and a password.
  3. Add your shop: name, location and opening hours. If your shop is already listed, claim it.
  4. Add your products: pick from the shared catalog or add your own with photos and prices. Mark what is out of stock.
  5. Set how delivery works (by distance, or free over an amount) and switch on your storefront. Nunua Pro verifies your shop before customers can order.
  6. Share your shop link and print the QR poster for your counter. Customers can open it on the web with no app.

How to get customers once you are online

  • Share your shop link on your WhatsApp status and in the groups your customers are in.
  • Put the QR poster at your counter so walk-in customers can order next time.
  • Use clear photos and honest descriptions. Customers ask before they buy, so answer questions quickly.
  • Run a simple promotion, such as a sale price, buy two get a discount, or free delivery over an amount.
  • Keep stock accurate. Nothing loses a customer faster than ordering something you do not have.
  • Ask happy customers to rate your shop. Ratings and reliability help you show up higher.

Common mistakes

  • Listing everything at once instead of starting with your best sellers.
  • Out-of-date stock and prices.
  • Unclear or dark photos.
  • Slow replies. Customers move on in minutes.
  • No delivery plan, or delivery fees that lose you money.

What NunuaPro Business does for you

One app for the whole shop, in English and Swahili, on a phone, a tablet and in a browser:

A storefront and catalogYour shop page, products with photos and sizes, and a shared catalog so listing is fast.
Orders and deliveryNew-order alerts, confirm what you have, send your own riders with live tracking, or let customers collect.
Talk to customersAnswer product questions, chat on orders and reply to reviews.
Promotions and payoutsSales and deals that apply themselves, and payouts to your mobile money.

Start with your phone number

Free to start. You can set up in an afternoon.

Start with your phone number See everything Business does Get it on Google Play

Selling online in Tanzania: common questions

How do I start selling online in Tanzania?
Prepare a short list of products with photos and prices, decide how you will deliver and get paid, then put them on a platform. On Nunua Pro Business you sign up with your phone number, add your shop and products, switch on your storefront and share your link.
Do I need a website to sell online?
No. A storefront on a platform gives you a shop page and link without building a website. Many shops also start with WhatsApp or Instagram before moving to a storefront.
Is it free to sell on Nunua Pro?
It is free to start: every shop owner is currently on a free early-access plan with all features. Any Nunua Pro commission is calculated on the delivery fee rather than your product sales; check the current terms in the app.
Do I need to register my business?
It depends on your business. Check the registration and tax rules that apply to you with BRELA and TRA. Nunua Pro verifies your shop before customers can order from it.
How do customers pay and how do I get paid?
Customers can pay by mobile money, cash on delivery if you accept it, or their NP Balance. Your earnings are paid out to your verified mobile money number, batched daily.
Who delivers the orders?
You can send your own riders (you can invite people to deliver for your shop, and see them live), or let customers collect from your shop with in-store pickup.
How do I get more customers for my shop?
Share your shop link on WhatsApp, print the QR poster for your counter, use clear photos, answer questions quickly, run simple promotions and keep stock accurate. Customers near you can also find your shop in the app.
Does it work in Swahili?
Yes. NunuaPro Business, the customer app and the web storefront all work in Swahili and English.

Updated October 2026