Dar Port efficiency boosts cargo throughput

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Dar es Salaam Port has recorded significant improvements in cargo and vessel handling during the 2024/2025 financial year and the first half of the 2025/2026 financial year.

Cargo throughput increased to 27.7 million tonnes in the 2024/2025 financial year, representing a 17 per cent increase compared to 23.69 million tonnes handled in 2023/2024.

Also, during the sixmonth period from July to December 2025, the port handled a total of 16.7 million tonnes of cargo, which is a 30 per cent increase compared to 12.8 million tonnes handled during the same period in 2024.

These improvements are attributed to strategic PublicPrivate Partnerships (PPPs) that have significantly transformed port operations and infrastructure, leading to enhanced efficiency and service delivery.

As of June 2025, DP World Dar es Salaam Limited (DP World) had invested approximately 214.2bn/-, while Tanzania East Africa Gateway Terminal Limited (TEAGTL) had invested higher-quality services with improved efficiency.

Mr Msigwa said that vessel turnaround time at the port has been reduced from an average of 30 days to an average of six days for container vessels, including anchorage waiting time.

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He said that the investments have enabled the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) to significantly reduce operational costs at the Port of Dar es Salaam by an average of 57 per cent. As a result, TPA’s profit margin has improved from an average of 66 per cent to 78.6 per cent.

Mr Msigwa also asserted that improved operational efficiency at the Dar es Salaam Port has contributed to increased government revenue, particularly customs revenue, which reached 12.33tri/- in the 2024/2025 financial year, an increase of 17 per cent compared to 10.55tri/- collected in 2023/2024.

He added that the investments have created employment opportunities, as of June 2025, a total of 764 people had secured direct employment with DP World and TEAGTL in various roles, including departmental officers, operations clerks, operators of heavy and light machinery and security personnel.

Mr Msigwa said that investments by DP World and TEAGTL focused on multiple areas that have modernised the port and enhanced its productivity. For DP World, these included the procurement of new equipment and major rehabilitation of some TPA equipment, development of modern ICT systems, rehabilitation and upgrading of equipment workshops and expansion of cargo storage areas to increase the port’s handling capacity.

For TEAGTL, investments included rehabilitation of infrastructure and container storage yards, upgrading berths 8 to 11, extending the quay by 100 metres, procurement of new equipment and development of additional container storage areas.

Mr Msigwa further said that the government, through Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC), has signed a contract with a contractor to construct railway infrastructure within the port of Dar es Salaam.

The project involves the construction of railway lines and related infrastructure for Metre Gauge Railway (MGR), Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and Tanzania, Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA).

Once completed, the project will increase container handling capacity to 480,000 TEUs per year and raise the share of cargo transported by rail from the current 2 per cent to 12 per cent.

He added that ongoing improvements at the Dar es Salaam Port will enable the port to handle larger vessels requiring deeper drafts than currently possible, including Post-Panamax ships with a length overall of up to 305 meters and a container capacity of up to 8,000 TEUs.

This is an increase from the current capacity of second-generation vessels, which can carry only 2,000 to 2,500 TEUs. Furthermore, the port’s cargo handling capacity will increase from an average of 16 million tonnes prior to the commencement of improvements in 2017 to 30 million tonnes, thereby increasing government revenue.

He also highlighted various strategic port improvement projects being implemented by the TPA, including the construction of oil berths and storage tanks, the Malindi Wharf rehabilitation project, upgrading of berths 8 to 11 and construction of berths 12 to 15, as well as the railway construction project within the Port of Dar es Salaam.