My Experience with Selcom Pesa: A Balanced Review

Disclaimer:
The following article is based purely on my personal experience with Selcom Pesa since June of this year. I have not been paid or influenced by Selcom or any other party to share this review. My reflections are intended to provide constructive feedback, highlighting both the positive aspects and areas where improvement is urgently needed.

When I started using Selcom Pesa in June this year, I was genuinely impressed by how far digital financial services in Tanzania have come. Selcom, one of the leading fintech players in the country, offers a versatile payment ecosystem that brings together mobile money, banking, and digital transactions in one place. As of October, after four months of using the service, I’ve experienced both its strengths and its weaknesses, and I believe sharing this perspective can help improve service delivery for users like me.

The Good Side of Selcom Pesa

One of the most remarkable things about Selcom Pesa is its versatility. The platform allows users to send and receive money, pay bills, buy airtime, shop online, and withdraw funds from agents and ATMs all from a single account. This multi-service integration makes it a truly all-in-one financial solution for both individuals and small businesses.

Another standout advantage is Selcom’s low transaction fees. Compared to other digital payment platforms, Selcom offers affordable charges for transfers and payments, which makes it appealing to frequent users. Whether you are paying for utilities, transferring to mobile networks, or topping up airtime, the fees are clearly structured and often lower than competitors.

A feature I particularly like is Makato Bando, Selcom’s innovative bundle that allows users to pay a fixed amount to enjoy multiple transactions with reduced or no charges. This is a smart and customer-friendly approach that supports those who make frequent payments throughout the month. It encourages usage while helping users save money.

In terms of usability, Selcom Pesa’s user interface deserves credit. The app is simple, clean, and intuitive, easy enough for first-time users, yet efficient for regular customers. Transactions are well-labeled, and the process flow is straightforward. You don’t need to be tech-savvy to understand it.

Selcom’s interoperability is also a major plus. The platform supports transactions across different banks, mobile networks, and even retail outlets. This seamless connectivity helps bridge the gap between cash-based and digital economies, giving users flexibility and control over how they move money.

Collectively, these features,low fees, Makato Bando, interoperability, a user-friendly interface, and wide accessibility, make Selcom Pesa stand out as one of the most practical and cost-effective financial tools in the Tanzanian market.

The Challenges I Have Experienced

Despite these strengths, my experience has not been without challenges, some of which have raised serious concerns about Selcom’s efficiency when it comes to international transactions and customer support.

One of the most significant issues I faced involved a payment from Google, processed through Payoneer. The transaction was completed successfully on Payoneer’s side, and I even received confirmation from their customer support that the payment had been delivered to Selcom. However, it took almost five days for the funds to reflect in my Selcom Pesa account.

As a freelancer and creator of digital products working with international clients and online platforms, such a delay can be extremely inconvenient and even damaging. It not only disrupts cash flow but also signals a weakness in how Selcom handles cross-border or foreign currency transactions. In a digital economy where speed and reliability are critical, waiting nearly a week for funds that have already cleared on the sender’s side indicates that Selcom needs to strengthen its processing and reconciliation systems for international payments.

The second and most disappointing experience happened a week ago, when money was deducted from my account for no reason—and even the transaction statement confirmed it. I immediately reported the issue to Selcom Pesa’s customer support. The response I received was that it was “a minor problem” and that my money would be refunded within 24 hours.

However, a week has now passed, and I have yet to receive the refund. My entire week has been spent emailing and calling Selcom Pesa repeatedly to follow up. Each time, I was told the same thing, that the refund was being processed and would be completed “soon.” On the fifth day, another customer support representative told me something completely different: that such issues can actually take up to a week to resolve.

At that point, I felt genuinely tired and disappointed. Not only had I not received my money back, but the inconsistent information from the customer service team also made it difficult to know what to expect. It seems that customer support staff have different levels of understanding about the process, and that lack of alignment causes confusion for users.

This situation raises an important question: What is the defined Turnaround Time (TAT)? Why not provide a clear timeframe for such issues instead of giving promises that go unfulfilled? Transparent communication would help users manage expectations better.

As of today, I still have not been refunded, and this experience has left me questioning how Selcom Pesa manages customer issues once they arise.

These situations reveal a critical weakness: Selcom’s response time and communication during problem resolution. While the platform performs well when everything works smoothly, once you face a challenge, the support system feels unresponsive and slow.

Another major challenges I have personally experienced with Selcom Pesa is its limited agent network across the country. While Selcom has made significant progress in providing digital financial services, its physical presence remains very minimal compared to other mobile money providers such as M-Pesa, Airtel Money, or Tigo Pesa.

As someone who travels frequently to different regions of Tanzania, I have found this to be a recurring inconvenience. For example, during a recent three-week stay in Lushoto, I was surprised to find only one Selcom Pesa agent in the area, and unfortunately, their machine was not functioning. This meant that I could not withdraw or deposit cash through Selcom for the entire period of my stay. To access my money, I was forced to transfer funds from my Selcom account to other networks like M-Pesa, Mixx by YAS, and Airtel Money, which were widely available and reliable in that region.

A similar challenge occurred during my trip to Machame, Kilimanjaro, where I could not find a single active Selcom agent. This lack of accessibility makes it difficult for users to rely on Selcom as their primary mobile money service, especially when traveling to semi-urban or rural areas.

While Selcom is slowly gaining traction and showing great potential to compete with other mobile money providers, it is clear that the company needs to develop a strong market penetration strategy aimed at expanding its agent network and service coverage. Many Tanzanians, particularly in rural districts, still depend heavily on physical agents for cash-in and cash-out transactions due to limited internet access or smartphone penetration.

Expanding Selcom’s presence in these areas would not only improve customer experience and trust but also increase transaction volumes and strengthen the brand’s competitive position in the mobile financial services market.

In summary, for Selcom to achieve its goal of becoming a truly national and inclusive financial service provider, it needs to:

• Increase the number of agents in both urban and rural districts.
• Ensure agents’ machines and systems are functional and regularly maintained.
• Partner with local businesses or SACCOS to serve as sub-agents in remote areas.
• Conduct awareness campaigns to attract new users in underrepresented regions.

This will ensure that customers like me can confidently use Selcom services anywhere in Tanzania without worrying about accessibility or service reliability.

Where Selcom Needs to Improve

To build on its strengths, Selcom Pesa should prioritize defined turnaround times (TATs) for resolving client issues. Customers deserve to know exactly how long a refund or dispute will take—and those timelines should be honored. Additionally, the company should invest in more responsive customer service channels that provide real-time updates and practical support, rather than generic assurances.

Clear communication, faster resolutions, and consistent follow-up will go a long way in rebuilding user confidence.

My journey with Selcom Pesa from June to October has been a combination of appreciation and concern. On one hand, Selcom offers great value through low fees, the Makato Bando package, interoperability, and a smooth user experience. On the other, delays and unfulfilled refund promises have shown that reliability still needs improvement.

Selcom Pesa is a great service when everything works, but the true test of a financial institution lies in how it handles problems. If Selcom can enhance its customer support, define clear turnaround times, and uphold transparency, it will not only retain loyal users but also strengthen its position as one of Tanzania’s most trusted financial platforms.