The Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) has rolled out new strategies aimed at reducing congestion of containers at the Dar es Salaam Port through improved efficiency and expansion of inland dry port facilities across the country.
The initiatives were announced by TASAC Director General Mohamed Salum during a stakeholder meeting held in Dar es Salaam, bringing together various government institutions and key players in the maritime and logistics sector.
Salum said the main objective of the meeting was to deliberate on how to establish and strengthen dry ports in accordance with national regulations and operational standards, while also addressing persistent traffic congestion in Dar es Salaam caused by heavy cargo movement.
He noted that Tanzania continues to face logistical challenges including road congestion, delays in cargo delivery to clients, rising transportation costs, and limited capacity among some inland dry ports to handle growing volumes of cargo.
According to TASAC, the Dar es Salaam Port handles an average of 110,000 containers per month, with about 45 percent of them destined for neighbouring transit markets including Zambia, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Salum explained that the current operational capacity of the port allows it to handle around 28,000 containers at any given time, while international efficiency standards recommend that utilisation should not exceed 65 percent to maintain smooth operations and avoid bottlenecks.
“Ports are not storage yards for containers. They are transit points for receiving and dispatching cargo. That is why dry ports are essential in ensuring efficiency and reducing congestion,” Salum said.
He added that the existing dry port infrastructure in Dar es Salaam can only accommodate about 37,000 containers, which is far below the growing demand driven by increased imports, exports, and regional transit trade.
Industry experts say the mismatch between cargo volumes and storage capacity has been a major driver of congestion both at the port and within the city’s transport corridors, affecting businesses and increasing logistics costs.
On his part, the Director of Regulation and Maritime Transport Services, Nelson Mlali, said more than 80 percent of Tanzania’s dry ports are concentrated in Dar es Salaam due to high market demand and the presence of major industrial and commercial activities.
Mlali noted that Temeke District leads with 74 dry ports, equivalent to 64.3 percent, followed by Ilala with 22 facilities, Kigamboni with 13, Kinondoni with four, and Ubungo with two.
“The concentration of dry ports in Dar es Salaam reflects the city’s role as the country’s main logistics hub, but it also highlights the pressure on infrastructure and the need for expansion into other regions,” Mlali said.
He added that efforts are underway to streamline licensing, regulation, and operational standards to ensure dry ports operate efficiently and contribute effectively to decongesting the main seaport.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Director for Maritime Transport from the Ministry of Transport, Mussa Shashula, said the government continues to invest in dry port infrastructure as part of broader reforms to improve efficiency at the Dar es Salaam Port.
He said these investments are already yielding results, with cargo volumes increasing significantly from 18 million tonnes in the 2021/22 financial year to 32 million tonnes in 2024/25.
Shashula said the expansion of port infrastructure and logistics systems is expected to further enhance Tanzania’s position as a regional trade gateway, serving land-linked countries in East and Central Africa.
Analysts in the maritime sector have projected that ongoing reforms, if sustained, could significantly improve cargo handling efficiency and reduce turnaround time for vessels calling at the port.
They also note that improved dry port systems will play a key role in supporting Tanzania’s industrialisation agenda by lowering logistics costs and enhancing competitiveness for exporters and importers.
According to TASAC, the long-term vision is to more than double the capacity of the Dar es Salaam Port by 2030 through a combination of infrastructure expansion, regulatory reforms, and private sector participation in logistics services.
As implementation continues, stakeholders are calling for stronger coordination between government agencies, port operators, and private logistics companies to ensure that reforms translate into tangible improvements in cargo flow and economic efficiency.
