• Tanzania in talks with World Bank on Dar port expansion loan

• Four new berths to boost capacity, handle deep-draft vessels

• Traffic growth driven by rising transit cargo to landlocked states

The Tanzanian government is in talks with the World Bank to secure a concessional loan for the construction of four new berths at the Port of Dar es Salaam, according to local media quoting Deputy Transport Minister David Kihenzile. The new facilities are expected to increase the operational capacity of the country’s main maritime hub. The project will allow the port to handle more deep-draft vessels while improving efficiency and competitiveness.

In 2024, Tanzania said it had secured a $785 million loan from the World Bank, including $305 million to finance the port’s expansion. The upcoming works will complement ongoing projects, part of which are being managed by Emirati group DP World, which obtained a concession for four berths in October 2023.

The move comes amid sustained traffic growth, driven in particular by flows to landlocked countries in Central and Southern Africa. During the 2024/25 financial year, the Port of Dar es Salaam handled 27.7 million tonnes of cargo, up 17% year on year. This included transit traffic to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which doubled to 5,995,293 tonnes from 2,953,234 tonnes a year earlier.

Volumes bound for Zambia reached 3.5 million tonnes during the period, while Rwanda accounted for 1.7 million tonnes. The trend supports Tanzania’s ambition to position itself as the main maritime gateway for landlocked countries in the region. As part of this strategy, authorities are continuing to develop a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) network to streamline cross-border logistics and strengthen the integration of transport corridors.

The strategy is increasing competition with Kenya’s port of Mombasa, another major entry point for regional trade, which is also seeking to enhance its logistical and commercial appeal.

Henoc Dossa