Dar es Salaam Rising: How Tanzania is Redefining East Africa’s Maritime Leadership

By Andrew Mwangura

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

The Maritime Revolution Transforming Regional Trade

In the heart of East Africa’s coastline, a quiet revolution is reshaping the entire maritime landscape of the continent.

The Port of Dar es Salaam has emerged from years of operational challenges to become a beacon of efficiency, innovation, and strategic foresight. 

What was once considered a secondary regional player is now commanding the attention of global shipping giants, commodity traders, and international investors. 

This transformation represents more than infrastructural improvement—it signals Tanzania’s bold ascension as the definitive gateway to East and Central Africa’s vast economic potential.

A testament to this radical shift is the arrival of global metals trading giants like China Metal Storage and Transport Company (CMST) and Henry Bath & Sons Ltd. 

These firms, collectively managing hundreds of billions of dollars in commodities annually, have strategically chosen Dar es Salaam as their primary gateway.

Their willingness to invest significantly in Tanzania as their entry point to the vital copper belt, solidified by their new partnership with DP World, sends a loud and clear message: Dar es Salaam Port is a strategic asset of immense global importance.

This profound transformation reflects deliberate policy choices and strategic investments that have fundamentally restructured Tanzania’s maritime capabilities. 

The Tanzania Ports Authority, operating under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s reform agenda, embraced bold decisions that initially faced skepticism, but have delivered unprecedented results. 

The introduction of world-class terminal operators, implementation of the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project, deployment of the Tanzania Electronic Single Window System, and the comprehensive upgrade of customs technology through TANCIS have collectively created a maritime ecosystem that operates at international standards.

These reforms required political courage and long-term vision, qualities that have distinguished Tanzania’s approach from regional competitors who have pursued more incremental changes.

Tangible Results: Speed, Efficiency, and Economic Growth

The quantitative improvements are staggering. Container vessel waiting time, once a debilitating 30 days, has plummeted to near zero. Turnaround time for vessels has dramatically fallen from 10 days to a mere 36-48 hours. Port operating costs have been slashed by half, while cargo throughput has surged exponentially.

Terminal 1 alone is now handling over 20,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) per month—nearly triple its previous average.

Pure Car Carrier ships now berth almost upon arrival, and considerable reductions in vessel waiting times have been observed for dry bulk commodities like wheat, sulfur, fertilizer, and clinker, all of which have seen significant volume increases. In essence, the port is finally operating at the speed of modern business.

The impact on Tanzania’s economy is profound and immediate. The Tanzania Revenue Authority has consistently met and surpassed its collection targets over the past year.

Transit cargo from landlocked neighboring countries has soared, with traffic jumping by more than 19 percent between May and November 2024. Copper and sulfur cargo flowing from/to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) now move through Dar with fewer delays and significantly lower costs. Agricultural exports—ranging from coffee and cotton to sesame and sunflower—are reaching global markets faster.

Next Frontier: Africa’s Metals Warehousing Hub

The new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DP World, CMST, and Henry Bath isn’t merely about cargo movement. It is about fundamentally transforming Tanzania into Africa’s premier metals warehousing hub. This entails the storage, trading, and financing of critical minerals—copper, cobalt, and others—right here on Tanzanian soil.

It is a strategic move that could position Dar es Salaam as a critical command post in the global energy transition. 

As demand for green minerals continues its explosive growth, Tanzania is no longer just a transit corridor; it is providing indispensable infrastructure for the seamless flow of East and Central African cargo.

Mombasa Struggling to Keep Pace

While Dar es Salaam accelerates forward, Kenya’s Port of Mombasa presents a mixed picture of growth amid operational challenges. The Port of Mombasa recorded a remarkable increase in cargo throughput from January to September 2024, handling a total of 29.92 million tons compared to 26.68 million tons registered during the same period in 2023, representing a 12.1 percent growth.

Container traffic experienced a significant upward trend in December 2024, with 188,495 TEUs processed compared to 152,326 TEUs handled in December 2023. 

However, these gains mask deeper structural issues. Container vessel turnaround time improved from 2.9 days to an inspiring 2.3 days—impressive, yet still lagging behind Dar es Salaam’s 36-48 hour achievement.

More critically, Mombasa’s annual container capacity hovers around 1.8 million TEUs, significantly lower than its regional potential. 

The port’s reliance on traditional operational models without the radical digital transformation seen in Dar es Salaam limits its competitive edge in attracting major global trading partners.

Durban Troubled Giant

South Africa’s Port of Durban, traditionally Africa’s largest container hub, faces mounting challenges that highlight the stark contrast with Dar es Salaam’s renaissance. It handles up to 31.4 million tons of cargo each year and remains the fourth largest container terminal in the Southern Hemisphere, handling approximately 4.5 million TEU in 2019.

However, recent performance tells a troubling story. In November 2023, more than 60,000 containers were reportedly stuck at sea around the port of Durban due to bad weather conditions and equipment failures.

Both Cape Town and Durban ports handled fewer containers (TEUs) in 2023 than compared to 2016, indicating a concerning decline rather than growth.

The operational crisis at Durban underscores what Dar es Salaam has successfully avoided through proactive infrastructure investment and strategic partnerships. Reports indicate that it will take until mid-2025 for the Port Terminals to regain optimum functionality, presenting a window of opportunity for East African ports to capture market share.

Strategic Position, Limited Scale

Djibouti’s Port of Doraleh maintains its strategic importance as a gateway to Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. It features modern terminals for bulk, break, and container shipping, with a capacity to handle 1.6 million TEUs annually.

However, its relatively modest scale compared to Dar es Salaam’s expanding capacity and superior turnaround times limits its regional influence beyond its immediate hinterland.

Lessons for Kenya’s Maritime Sector

The transformation of Dar es Salaam offers crucial insights for Kenya’s maritime stakeholders—the Kenya Ports Authority, Ministry of Transport, and State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs.

Kenya must accelerate digital integration to match Tanzania’s comprehensive technological infrastructure.

The current port management systems, while functional, lack the seamless integration that has revolutionised cargo clearance times in Dar es Salaam.

Strategic partnerships with world-class terminal operators through public-private partnerships should be considered, following Dar es Salaam’s successful model with DP World that demonstrates how such collaborations can unlock operational excellence without compromising national sovereignty.

Focus must extend beyond port gates to optimize the entire logistics chain from port to final destination, ensuring coordinated efficiency improvements throughout the corridor.

Strategic Positioning

Kenya should explore opportunities in commodities trading and warehousing, particularly for minerals from the DRC and other landlocked neighbors, adapting the metals trading hub model pioneered in Dar es Salaam for strategic advantage.

Aging equipment and infrastructure remain critical vulnerabilities that require proactive infrastructure renewal strategy rather than crisis-reactive approaches.

With Tanzania positioning itself as the preferred gateway to Central Africa, Kenya must strengthen its role as the definitive gateway to East Africa, particularly for Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan, through enhanced regional integration leadership.

The Stakes

What is unfolding at the Port of Dar es Salaam is far bigger than just ships and cranes. It’s a clear signal that Tanzania is boldly stepping forward as a logistics leader in Africa. The international spotlight is firmly fixed on Dar es Salaam, but with that attention comes heightened competition.

For Kenya, the choice is clear: embrace comprehensive reform and strategic partnerships, or risk watching cargo flows permanently shift southward to Tanzania’s increasingly efficient corridors.

The window for decisive action is narrowing, and the cost of delay grows with every vessel that chooses Dar es Salaam over Mombasa.

The maritime future of East Africa is being written today. Tanzania has seized the pen. The question remains: will Kenya’s maritime leaders act with the same boldness and strategic vision, or will they watch from the sidelines as regional leadership passes to their southern neighbor?

The time for incremental improvements has passed. What’s needed now is the same transformative courage that has made Dar es Salaam the gateway of choice for global commodity giants. Only such bold action can ensure Kenya’s maritime sector remains competitive in an increasingly dynamic regional landscape.

The writer is a Maritime Affairs Analyst and Maritime Policy Advocate.