BY ELLY MANJALE
Tanzania possesses a strategic geographical advantage that few African countries can match. Its 1,424 kilometres coastline and three operational ports give it direct access to international shipping routes, while its location makes it a gateway to several landlocked countries in East and Central Africa. Tanzania’s port system serves Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Dar es Salaam alone handles about 95 per cent of Tanzania’s international trade.
This geography presents Tanzania with an opportunity to transform its port infrastructure into a regional logistics and industrial platform. To capitalise on this advantage, Tanzania should pursue one overarching objective: To maximise the economic value generated by every tonne of cargo passing through the country. Five strategies should guide this effort.
First, Dar es Salaam should continue to be the country’s principal port because of its established infrastructure, hinterland connections and existing transit markets. I understand that there are plans to develop an additional 16 container berths, bringing the total number of berths to 28 from the current 12. These plans should be vigorously pursued. However, expansion should go beyond increasing the number of berths. Port efficiency also depends on cargo-handling equipment, container yards, customs systems and digitalisation.
Second, ongoing plans to build a fully integrated multimodal corridor should be encouraged. The country’s competitive advantage should rest on the combination of ports, railways, roads, dry ports and logistics centres. The integration of Dar es Salaam port with inland transport networks is already taking shape. The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), the Tanzania–Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and the Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) currently move cargo from the port to several inland dry ports. Recently established operating procedures for moving cargo between Dar es Salaam and Kwala dry port, involving the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) and terminal operators, demonstrate progress in this direction.
Third, Tanzania should develop Tanga and Mtwara as complementary gateways in the short term, with Bagamoyo port being developed in the longer term. The objective should not be to make every port compete for the same cargo. Tanga should increasingly serve the northern corridor, while Mtwara should serve southern Tanzania and the southern African market.
Fourth, Tanzania should capture more value from transit cargo. The greatest opportunity lies in the economic activity that can be built around this cargo, beyond the revenue earned from port charges. Industrial parks, special economic zones (SEZs), warehouses and cold-storage facilities should therefore be developed along major port corridors.
Finally, Tanzania should compete on reliability rather than rely on geography alone, as Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and other trade corridors compete for the same cargo. However, I believe we are moving in the right direction. The latest Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), for 2025, placed Dar es Salaam port in 255th position, up from 360th in 2024 — a significant improvement. Dar es Salaam ranked ahead of Maputo (273rd), Mombasa (396th) and Durban (398th). If this pace of improvement continues, Tanzania’s ports could become engines of industrialisation, regional trade, employment and economic growth.
Elly Manjale is an economic, business and management consultant based in Arusha who writes on economic, business, social and political issues.
Email: emanjalle@gmail.com
