Tanzania’s maritime industry has received a major boost after Forbes Africa recognised Dar es Salaam Merchant Group (DMG) for establishing what it describes as the country’s Class One shipbuilding capability, placing Tanzania among a select group of African nations with advanced shipbuilding expertise.
The recognition, featured in the June/July 2026 edition of Forbes Africa under the theme “Africa’s New Blueprint for Growth: Tanzania,” highlights DMG’s role in transforming the country from a vessel repair destination into a centre for ship design, fabrication and construction.
At the centre of the recognition is the successful reconstruction of MV Liemba, the world’s oldest operating passenger ship, which is more than 115 years old.
The project, valued at $1.3 million, demonstrated Tanzania’s ability to restore and operate heritage vessels while meeting modern safety and performance standards.
The publication also pointed to DMG’s growing portfolio of large-scale maritime projects, including a $58 million contract to build a new passenger vessel in Kigoma and plans for the construction of four tugboats to serve Kigoma, Mwanza and Lake Nyasa.
According to Forbes Africa, the achievements signal a significant shift in Tanzania’s industrial capabilities, with the country now able to undertake complex shipbuilding projects that were previously outsourced abroad.
The vessel under construction in Kigoma is expected to carry up to 1,200 passengers and 400 tonnes of cargo.
Delivering such a project requires expertise in structural design, steel fabrication, engine installation and systems integration areas that are increasingly being handled by Tanzanian engineers and technicians.
DMG Managing Director Rayton Kwembe said the company’s success has been built on a deliberate strategy of skills transfer and local capacity development.
“We recruited about 100 local workers with limited shipbuilding experience. Today, the shipyard operates with only nine Korean specialists supporting the team,” he told Forbes Africa.
The company has invested heavily in recruiting engineering graduates from local universities and training them under experienced shipbuilding professionals. Over time, Tanzanian engineers have assumed leadership and managerial positions across the company’s shipyard operations in Dar es Salaam, Kigoma and Zanzibar.
Industry stakeholders have welcomed the recognition, describing it as evidence that Tanzania can compete in high-value manufacturing and engineering sectors.
Managing Director of the Tanzania Shipping Industrial Cluster Organization (TASHICO), Eric Hamissi, said the achievement demonstrates the importance of investing in local talent and industrial capacity.
“For years we imported vessels and expertise. DMG has shown that Tanzanians can design, fabricate and deliver ships that meet international standards. This is the kind of industrial transformation the country needs,” he said.
Maritime Safety and Ship Design expert William Kennedy said attaining Class One capability places Tanzania in a stronger position within Africa’s maritime economy.
“DMG now controls the full ship design and construction process, from engineering calculations to final sea trials. That is what differentiates a shipbuilder from a repair yard,” he noted.
The recognition is also expected to strengthen Tanzania’s ambitions in the blue economy by creating opportunities for local suppliers, engineers, welders and technical institutions involved in maritime training.
Beyond shipbuilding, DMG has positioned itself as a strategic partner in shaping Tanzania’s maritime future by advocating stronger integration between shipping, ports, railways and manufacturing.
Analysts say the company’s model of combining international expertise with local workforce development could serve as a blueprint for industrial growth in other sectors.
As Tanzania seeks to expand its manufacturing base and reduce dependence on imports, the recognition by Forbes Africa is being viewed as more than an endorsement of a single company.
It is a sign of the country’s growing ability to deliver complex engineering projects using homegrown talent and expertise.
For many observers, the achievement marks the beginning of a new chapter in Tanzania’s industrialisation journey—one in which ships designed and built by Tanzanians could eventually serve markets across the region.
