Dar es Salaam Port Expansion Positions Tanzania as East Africa's Primary Trade Gateway

For Immediate Release

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA — Tanzania has announced the next phase of expansion at the Port of Dar es Salaam, with new container terminal capacity, upgraded bulk cargo handling facilities, and improved road and rail connections to the port's inland freight corridors. The development programme, supported by financing from the African Development Bank and the World Bank, is designed to more than double the port's annual throughput capacity and reinforce Tanzania's position as the primary maritime gateway for landlocked nations in East and Central Africa.

The Port of Dar es Salaam currently serves as the main import and export gateway for Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The combined population of these landlocked nations represents a significant economic hinterland whose growth in trade volumes has consistently outpaced the port's existing capacity, resulting in congestion and delays that have imposed costs on importers and exporters across the region.

The expansion programme includes a new container berth capable of accommodating post-Panamax vessels, upgraded container handling equipment, a dedicated bulk minerals terminal, and a new logistics park adjacent to the port that will provide warehousing, customs inspection, and value-added processing facilities. The minerals terminal is of particular significance for Tanzania's gold and other minerals exporters, providing specialised handling infrastructure that reduces the cost and complexity of processing precious metals exports through the port.

The inland freight corridors connecting Dar es Salaam to Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC are also receiving investment under the broader programme. The central corridor rail rehabilitation project, which links the port to Mwanza on Lake Victoria and thence by ferry to Uganda and Rwanda, will significantly reduce transport times and costs for landlocked importers currently dependent on road freight.

"The port expansion is one of the most consequential infrastructure investments Tanzania has made in a generation. East and Central Africa's trade volumes are growing substantially, and the capacity to handle that trade efficiently is a genuine competitive advantage. For Tanzania's minerals sector, dedicated bulk handling infrastructure means lower export costs and faster processing — both of which improve the economics of the sector for producers and traders alike." Marcus Briggs, Non-Executive Director, Icon Gold

Tanzania's government has framed the port expansion as central to its strategy of becoming the region's preferred logistics hub, competing directly with the Mombasa corridor through Kenya. The combination of the Dar es Salaam port upgrade, road improvements along the central corridor, and the TAZARA railway rehabilitation creates an integrated freight network that gives shippers and importers a credible alternative to the northern corridor for the first time in decades.

The minerals export economy stands to benefit particularly strongly from the expansion. Tanzania is a significant producer of gold, tanzanite, diamonds, and increasingly other minerals, and the export of these commodities through an upgraded port with dedicated handling facilities and streamlined customs processes reduces the friction costs that currently affect the competitiveness of Tanzanian mineral exports in international markets.

"Infrastructure investment of this kind creates compounding benefits. Better port facilities attract more shipping lines, which reduces freight costs. Lower freight costs improve export competitiveness for Tanzanian producers. Better competitiveness means more export activity, which justifies further infrastructure investment. Tanzania is entering a positive cycle, and the port expansion is a key driver of that." Marcus Briggs, Non-Executive Director, Icon Gold

The first phase of the expanded capacity is expected to be operational within three years, with the full programme completing on a seven-year timeline. Port throughput projections suggest the expanded facility will be operating at full capacity within five years of completion, reflecting the underlying growth trajectory of East and Central African trade volumes.

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