How to check a Tanzanian company before you ship

To check a Tanzanian company, confirm it appears on the register of the Business Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA), and that the name and registration number match your contract. BRELA's Online Registration System (ORS) lets you search a registration or incorporation number, address and current status free of charge, but only for business names and companies that have registered or updated their information through ORS. No single search proves a buyer is safe.

Key facts

• BRELA's ORS page says the registration number, the incorporation or compliance number, the address and the current status can be searched "free of charge" (BRELA ORS).
• The same page says only business names and companies that have registered or updated their information through ORS appear in the free search, so a company that has not done so may be missing from it (BRELA ORS).
• The page names the registration number, address and current status as what the free search shows; it does not promise director details (BRELA ORS).
• Beyond the free search, the page lists "Information services", where you can apply for an extract of "short or detailed information" about a business name or company; it says "To apply for e-services at BRELA you have to be a registered user" (BRELA ORS).

What should I check first?

Check that the registered name and the BRELA registration or incorporation number match the contract, and that your contact can act for the company. A shop sign is not a registration, and a registered business name is not a limited company — BRELA registers both, so ask which one your buyer is and get the incorporation or compliance number for a company. Compare the number with every document and invoice you receive.

How do I search the BRELA register?

Search the Online Registration System (ORS) yourself: BRELA's own page says the registration number of a business name, the incorporation or compliance number of a company, the address and the current status can be searched "free of charge"; the page lists "Free search" separately from the e-services it says require a registered user, so no account is needed to look (BRELA ORS). The same page says only business names and companies that have registered or updated their information through ORS appear in the result, so if the buyer does not appear, that is not proof the company does not exist — ask for the incorporation certificate and compare the number before you draw a conclusion. The page does not say whether directors are shown. Search by the buyer's registered name or number, and compare the result with what the buyer told you.

What can I ask BRELA for beyond the free search?

Beyond the free search, ORS sells information services: BRELA's page says you can apply for an extract of "short or detailed information about business name, company, industrial license, mark or patent", that "To apply for e-services at BRELA you have to be a registered user", and that payment is by Tigo Pesa or M-Pesa mobile money, or "directly at CRDB or NMB" — two Tanzanian banks (BRELA ORS). The page publishes no price, so create the account and confirm the amount before you pay. An extract shows what the register holds on the day it is issued; it does not show whether the buyer pays its bills.

How do I check sanctions and other records?

Screen the company and its directors against the sanctions lists you are legally required to use, which depend on your own country and business. BRELA's page does not say whether the free search shows director names, so do not count on it: ask the buyer for the full names of its directors in writing, and screen those. See our guide to sanctions screening for South African trade for how the lists work, and ask your compliance adviser which ones apply to you. Also compare the buyer's website domain, email domain and company name, and ask your bank how it would verify the buyer's account.

What are the red flags?

These patterns appear often in trade fraud and are reasons to slow down, not proof of wrongdoing:

• The buyer says money must be paid first for "court approval" or a "registration fee" before the order can proceed.
• The registered name or number does not match the one used in emails and invoices.
• Bank details change during the conversation, or the account is in a different name or country from the buyer.
• The contact uses only a free email address, or the domain is very new.
• The buyer pressures you with urgency or offers unusually large orders without detail.

Where does this guide stop?

This guide covers public steps you can take yourself with the Tanzanian registry. It does not describe a B2B.Africa service. To compare company registries in six African countries, see the guide to verifying a company in Africa. Get advice from a lawyer or your bank before relying on any single check. This article is general information, not legal advice.