Privacy Policy
Who We Are
Imarisha Maisha Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a Tier 2 Microfinance institution incorporated in the United Republic of Tanzania and licensed and supervised by the Bank of Tanzania. We are the data controller responsible for the personal information processed through our customer channels, including our website, our mobile application, our WhatsApp Business number, and our branches.
This Privacy Policy is issued in compliance with the Tanzania Personal Data Protection Act, 2022 and its associated regulations, and explains how we collect, use, store and share your personal data.
Information We Collect
We collect the following categories of personal data in the course of providing our microfinance services:
- Identification data: full name, national identification number, date of birth, gender, photograph and signature where required by Know Your Customer regulations.
- Contact data: mobile phone number, email address, physical and postal addresses.
- Financial data: loan history, repayment behaviour, bank account details, mobile money wallet identifiers and transaction records.
- Communication data: the content of messages you send to us through WhatsApp, email, our website forms or our mobile application, including any attachments.
- Technical data: IP address, device type, operating system and access logs when you use our digital services.
How We Collect Your Data
We collect your personal data directly when you apply for a loan or open an account, when you contact our customer service team, when you message our WhatsApp Business number (+255 699 997 939), and when you use our website or mobile application. We may also receive information about you from credit reference bureaus, the National Identification Authority (NIDA), mobile network operators, and other regulated third parties as permitted by law.
Why We Process Your Data
We process your personal data for the following purposes:
- To assess and process your loan applications and provide microfinance services.
- To verify your identity in accordance with Know Your Customer and anti-money laundering obligations.
- To communicate with you about your account, including transaction confirmations, repayment reminders, one-time passwords and service notifications.
- To respond to your enquiries and provide customer support through our WhatsApp channel and other communication methods.
- To comply with our regulatory obligations to the Bank of Tanzania, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Tanzania Revenue Authority and other competent authorities.
- To detect and prevent fraud, financial crime and unauthorised access to your account.
- To improve our services, including limited use of communication transcripts for quality assurance and staff training.
Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal data on one or more of the following legal grounds permitted under the Personal Data Protection Act, 2022: your explicit consent, the performance of a contract to which you are a party, compliance with our legal and regulatory obligations, and our legitimate interests in operating a safe and effective financial service.
Sharing Your Data
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only where necessary and with the following categories of recipients:
- Meta Platforms, Inc. — when you communicate with us through WhatsApp, your messages are processed on Meta’s infrastructure, which is located outside Tanzania. Meta acts as our processor for the delivery of messages on this channel.
- Commercial banks and mobile money operators with whom we have integrated for disbursement and collection of funds.
- Credit reference bureaus licensed by the Bank of Tanzania.
- Regulators and law enforcement agencies where we are legally required to disclose information.
- Professional service providers including auditors, legal counsel and IT service providers, who are bound by confidentiality obligations.
International Transfer of Data
Because we use WhatsApp Business as a customer communication channel, the content of your WhatsApp messages and your phone number are transferred to and processed on servers operated by Meta Platforms, Inc. outside the United Republic of Tanzania. We have assessed this transfer and rely on Meta’s contractual data protection commitments to safeguard your information. By initiating a WhatsApp conversation with us, you acknowledge this cross-border transfer.
How Long We Keep Your Data
We retain your personal data for as long as you maintain an active relationship with us and for a minimum of seven (7) years after the closure of your account, in line with the record-keeping requirements imposed on regulated microfinance institutions by the Bank of Tanzania. Records required by anti-money laundering law are retained for the period prescribed by that law. WhatsApp message logs are retained for a shorter period, sufficient to meet our service-quality and dispute-resolution obligations.
How We Protect Your Data
We apply technical and organisational measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the data we hold. These include encrypted communication channels, access controls, network segmentation, audit logging and regular security reviews of our infrastructure and integrations.
Your Rights
Under the Personal Data Protection Act, 2022, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Request deletion of your data, subject to the retention obligations described above.
- Object to processing or withdraw your consent where consent is the legal basis.
- Lodge a complaint with the Personal Data Protection Commission.
To exercise any of these rights, please refer to our Data Deletion Request page or contact us using the details below.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, regulation or our services. The current version is always available at this URL, and the “Last updated” date at the top of this page indicates when it was most recently revised.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or about how we handle your personal data, please contact our Data Protection Officer.
Data Protection Officer
- Entity
- Imarisha Maisha Limited
- info@imarishamaisha.co.tz
- +255 699 997 939
- Website
- imarishamaisha.co.tz