Dar Es Salaam

The Port of Dar es Salaam has posted a record 27.7 million tonnes of cargo throughput in the 2024/25 financial year, a 15 percent rise from 23.69 million tonnes the previous year. Independent reports from the Tanzania Ports Authority and multiple industry outlets confirm the surge, driven by private-sector concessions and the $421 million Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project.
Vessel turnaround times have fallen from around ten days to three, while container handling capacity has jumped 66 percent. DP World, operating berths 0–7, reported a 68 percent increase in container volumes in January 2026 compared with January 2025. The entrance channel and berths have been deepened to 14.5 metres, removing tide restrictions and allowing larger, more heavily laden vessels to call reliably.
Expansion momentum continues. The port currently operates 12 berths; a new 500-metre berth is already under construction, with feasibility work advancing on four additional ones. The masterplan targets 22 berths and 30 million tonnes per annum by 2030, supported by ongoing World Bank discussions for the next phase of concessional financing.
Complementing the dry-cargo gains, President Samia Suluhu Hassan presided over the 3 March 2026 groundbreaking of a $274 million project to build 15 new oil storage tanks. The addition will expand fuel reception capacity and cut tanker waiting times materially, reinforcing Dar es Salaam’s position as the primary energy import hub for Tanzania and its landlocked neighbours.
Rail connectivity is keeping pace. In February 2026 five new Standard Gauge Railway cargo trains were introduced to relieve quayside pressure and route containers directly to the Kwala Inland Container Depot and the Ihumwa dry port in Dodoma. The $1.4 billion TAZARA refurbishment, now under a 30-year concession, further strengthens the rail spine into Zambia’s Copperbelt.
For SADC logistics operators and commodity traders serving Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo – which routed nearly 6 million tonnes through Dar es Salaam last year, doubling its prior volume – the Central Corridor has become markedly more competitive. Lower demurrage, tighter schedules and reduced transit costs position the port as a credible alternative to Beira and Durban routes.