CRDB, Tanzania’s largest bank, has completed a 72-hour upgrade of its core banking system, restoring services across all platforms and strengthening its capacity as it prepares to expand to Dubai.
The bank said the upgrade was completed on schedule and will improve efficiency, security, and the overall customer experience in all markets where it operates, including Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
CRDB Bank Group Chief Executive Officer Abdulmajid Nsekela said the new system provides the foundation for the bank’s international growth and its upcoming entry into Dubai.
He explained that “CRDB Bank is an international institution, providing services in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while finalizing arrangements to enter Dubai. You cannot provide services in all these countries without having a robust system that safeguards customer information and enables transactions with high efficiency. This is one of the reasons that led us to upgrade our core banking system.”
He noted that the new system supports multiple languages and currencies, allowing CRDB Bank customers to be served in their preferred language wherever the bank operates.
He added that the exercise was successfully completed thanks to the cooperation of customers and the guidance of the Bank of Tanzania (BOT).
CRDB Bank’s Chief Operating Officer, Bruce Mwile, said the changes some customers noticed in their balances were related to the data migration and the introduction of a system built to meet international standards.
The upgrade forms part of CRDB Bank’s ongoing digital transformation as the institution prepares to open operations in Dubai, announced earlier this year during its 30th anniversary celebrations.
The expansion will make CRDB Bank the first East African financial institution to establish a presence in the United Arab Emirates, providing East African businesses and individuals with access to international banking and trade services.