DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S growing maritime trade is putting increasing pressure on port infrastructure, making sustained investment essential to expanding cargohandling capacity, improving efficiency and strengthening the country’s position as a regional trade gateway.
Dar es Salaam Port, the country’s principal maritime gateway, handled 33.7 million tonnes of cargo in the 2025/26 financial year, up from 27.7 million tonnes in 2024/25. The increase of six million tonnes, equivalent to approximately 21.7 per cent, is particularly significant because the volume had initially been projected for 2030/31 under the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) master plan.
The early achievement underscores the urgency of expanding infrastructure to accommodate rising demand and prevent capacity constraints from undermining trade efficiency.
TPA Director General Plasduce Mbossa outlined the authority’s investment plans in an interview, highlighting an ambitious infrastructure development programme estimated at 16.1tri/-. The programme targets key maritime gateways, including Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara ports, alongside inland dry ports and logistics corridors.
Of the total investment, 11.2tri/- is expected to be mobilised through TPA revenues, including revised charges, while 4.9tri/- will come from the private sector through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
The financing approach is intended to strengthen the authority’s ability to develop and modernise port infrastructure using domestic resources alongside private-sector participation.
The rationale is straightforward: growing cargo volumes require adequate berths, modern handling equipment, storage facilities and efficient transport connections. Without corresponding investment, congestion and delays can disrupt supply chains, increase business costs and weaken the competitiveness of Tanzania’s trade corridors.
Importers may experience delays in receiving goods, manufacturers may struggle to obtain raw materials on time and exporters risk missing delivery schedules. Transporters, warehouse operators, customs agents and other logistics businesses also depend on reliable cargo movement.
Ultimately, inefficiencies can contribute to higher prices for goods and services, placing an additional burden on consumers.
Port investment is therefore not merely an infrastructure undertaking. It is an investment in economic productivity, business competitiveness and the reliability of domestic and regional trade.
Domestic financing supports expansion
Modern port infrastructure requires substantial capital, longterm planning and coordination between construction, equipment installation, information and communication technology systems and supporting transport networks.
By combining internally generated revenue with privatesector investment, TPA seeks to finance projects across different ports and cargo categories. However, the success of the strategy will depend on revenue performance, effective partnerships and timely project implementation.
The contribution of the revised charges must ultimately be assessed against measurable improvements in capacity and service delivery, while ensuring that the financing arrangements support a competitive business environment.
One of the major projects already under implementation is the construction of oil storage tanks at Dar es Salaam Port, intended to improve petroleum cargo handling and reduce vessel turnaround time.
Valued at 678.6bn/-, the project is being financed entirely through TPA’s domestic funding sources. Implementation had reached 54.8 per cent, with completion expected in March 2027.
Once operational, the facilities are expected to reduce the time required to serve oil vessels from an average of 10 days to three days.
Such an improvement could reduce waiting periods, increase the efficient use of berths and make petroleum cargo deliveries more predictable.
Efficient petroleum handling is particularly important because fuel supports transport, industrial production, power generation and other commercial activities. Nevertheless, its eventual impact on consumer prices will also depend on international prices, taxation, transport costs and distribution arrangements.
Mtwara to handle bulk cargo
Further south, construction of Kisiwa Mgao Port in Mtwara is expected to expand capacity for dry bulk commodities, including coal and clinker.
The project is valued at 434.5bn/-. Construction began in January 2025 and implementation had reached 53.97 per cent by October 2026. Completion is scheduled for January 2028.
The facility is intended to provide specialised handling capacity for commodities requiring different arrangements from containerised and general cargo.
Clinker is an important input in cement production, while coal serves various industrial applications.
Suitable port facilities can support the movement of such commodities, provided that reliable inland transport and other logistics services are available.
The project’s contribution will depend on timely completion, commissioning and effective connections between port operations and inland markets.
It also illustrates the importance of developing capacity beyond Dar es Salaam, enabling Tanzania’s ports to respond to different cargo requirements and geographical markets.
Dar es Salaam plans more berths
At Dar es Salaam Port, TPA is preparing for another major expansion involving four proposed container berths, numbered 12 to 15.
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During the 2026/27 financial year, the authority planned to advance preparations for procuring a consulting firm and contractor.
As of October 2026, procurement requirements for the two engagements were being prepared.
The proposed berths are expected to increase annual container-handling capacity to 1,350,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), above the port’s current capacity.
Containers carry a wide range of manufactured goods, industrial inputs and consumer products, making sufficient handling capacity essential to supporting growing trade.
However, additional berths alone will not guarantee efficiency. Adequate handling equipment, storage space and effective road and rail connections will also be necessary to move cargo quickly from the port to its final destinations.
The project’s progress will depend on completing procurement preparations, appointing consultants and contractors, securing the necessary resources and adhering to construction schedules.
These stages are crucial in determining when the proposed capacity will become available to port users.
TPA has also begun preparations for the first phase of Bagamoyo Port, another proposed development intended to expand the country’s maritime infrastructure.
The authority is preparing to procure a consultant and contractor for dredging works on the ship access channel to meet the navigational requirements associated with the development.
As with other major projects, progress will depend on the completion of preparatory activities, procurement and subsequent implementation. Its long-term contribution will be determined by the infrastructure delivered and the cargo-handling capacity ultimately made available.
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