Companies sell shares to Raise (borrow) money from members of the public to expand their business activities in order to seize available business opportunities and hence make more profits. They invite members of the public to buy shares and by so doing, have a say of running the company as lenders of money and owners. Shareholders expect a profit as a reward from lending their money to expand the business of the company.

A bond is a loan between a borrower and a lender. The borrower promises to pay the lender some interest (quarterly or semi-annually) on principal at some date in the future. The borrower also promises to repay the initial money invested by the lender. The lender lends and expects to make a profit. The profit from a bond is gained in the form of an interest. At the moment some bonds in the market have an interest rate of between 7% and 16% depending on the type of bond it is, and when it was issued. At the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, the lender is called an investor and the borrower the issuer.

Any person, natural or artificial person (companies, trust, Saccos, religious organization, pension scheme, investment group etc), many others can buy bonds.