The Port of Dar es Salaam is the principal

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

serving

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

. The port is one of three ocean ports in the country and handles over 90% of the country's cargo traffic. According to the

International Association of Ports and Harbors The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is the global trade association for seaports worldwide. It is headquarters, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Formed in 1955, it is now recognised as the NGO representing ports worldwide. With ...

, it is the fourth largest port on the African continent's

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

coastline after

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

and

Maputo Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the Capital city, capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a popul ...

. The port acts as a gateway for commerce and trade for

and numerous bordering landlocked states.

History

Colonial period

The city owes its existence to the port at Dar es Salaam. The city began its development in 1862 by the

Sultan of Zanzibar The sultans of Zanzibar ( ar, سلاطين زنجبار) were the rulers of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, which was created on 19 October 1856 after the death of Said bin Sultan, who had ruled Oman and Zanzibar as the sultan of Oman since 1804. The ...

Majid bin Said as an alternative port to the ports of

Bagamoyo Bagamoyo, is a historic coastal town founded at the end of the 18th century, though it is an extension of a much older (8th century) Swahili settlement, Kaole. It was chosen as the capital of German East Africa by the German colonial administra ...

and

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...

; however, after his death the project was scrapped. It was not resumed until the

German East Africa Company The German East Africa Company (german: Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Gesellschaft, abbreviated DOAG) was a chartered colonial organization which brought about the establishment of German East Africa, a territory which eventually comprised the areas ...

began to rebuild the city in 1887. The Germans had already completed the

Usambara Railway The Usambara Railway (german: Usambarabahn) was the first railway to be built in German East Africa and what is today Tanzania. History German East-Africa A railway company was created in 1891 with the aim of connecting the port of Tanga at ...

from the

Port of Tanga The Port of Tanga (''Bandari ya Tanga'' in Swahili) is the second largest port in Tanzania. It is located in Central ward of Tanga District of Tanga Region. History Historically the port city part of the Portugese and Arab gateway for the Sl ...

and began constructing the new Tanzanian Central Line from their new capital to the port of Dar es Salaam. After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

took over

Tanganyika Tanganyika may refer to: Places * Tanganyika Territory (1916–1961), a former British territory which preceded the sovereign state * Tanganyika (1961–1964), a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania * Tanzania Main ...

and maintained their capital in the city. Economic activity continued through the early 20th century and through

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, centralised around the city and this facilitated expansion of the port. After

gained its independence the city retained its position as the commercial capital.

Apartheid South Africa

Due to the

Apartheid South Africa Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

government many land-locked Southern African countries such as

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

and

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

that had relied on South African ports turned to the Port of Dar es Salaam. This facilitated the construction of the

TAZARA Railway The Tazara Railway, also called the Uhuru Railway or the Tanzam Railway, is a railway in East Africa linking the port of Dar es Salaam in east Tanzania with the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province. The single-track railway is ...

, TANZAM highway and the Malawi corridor link. The port provides a gateway for Zambian copper exports and Malawian tobacco exports, furthermore it provides a vital lifeline for fuel imports.

Present operations

With the continually growing economies in the region the reliance of dar port increased drastically. The port saw an average of 10% annual growth of cargo traffic from 2003 onwards which complemented the rapid growth of the city of Dar es Salaam. The port has faced increased criticism of inefficiencies and corruption and has seen increased international pressure.

Expansion

The port is currently being expanded at the cost of $421m. The number of vehicles will rise by 268 percent upon completion of the port. In July 2020, a foundation stone was laid for the construction of an inland port in Tanzania at the cost of $20m. The construction will include building a 150m berth, which is all set for completion in 24 months. As of July 2020, 80 percent of the construction has been completed.

Foreign cargo centers

35% of cargo moving through the port is foreign owned and Dar es Salaam port facilitates countries that rely heavily on Dar es salaam port and gives them licenses to operate their own cargo centers. The foreign cargo centers help countries to process cargo from their respective countries to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

MOFED Tanzania Limited

MOFED Tanzania limited is a

n-owned clearing and forwarding company. MOFED stands for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development which in April 2001 replaced the defunct zamcargo. The company is an entirely Zambian government owned organization and deals with the majority of Zambian Exports and Imports. MOFED operates out of the Mukuba Depot, located in south

Kurasini Kurasini is an administrative ward in the Temeke District of the Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. According to the 2002 census, the ward has a total population of 34,501. It is the location of the Port of Dar es Salaam, the fourth-largest port in ...

and has direct access to the

TAZARA The Tazara Railway, also called the Uhuru Railway or the Tanzam Railway, is a railway in East Africa linking the port of Dar es Salaam in east Tanzania with the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province. The single-track railway is ...

rail link.

Malawi Cargo Center Limited

The

Cargo Center was set up by the

Government of Malawi Politics of Malawi takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Malawi is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the g ...

in the early 1990s due to the closure of Beira and

Nacala Nacala, also known as Cidade de Nacala or Nacala-Porto is a city on the northern coast of Mozambique. Located in the southwestern indentation of inner Fernao Veloso Bay, it is the deepest natural port on the east coast of Africa. Nacala serves as ...

ports following the

Mozambique Civil war The Mozambican Civil War ( pt, Guerra Civil Moçambicana) was a civil war fought in Mozambique from 1977 to 1992. Like many regional African conflicts during the late twentieth century, the Mozambican Civil War possessed local dynamics but was a ...

. The company has dedicated warehouses and operates

dry port A dry port (sometimes referred to as an inland port) is an inland intermodal terminal directly connected by road or rail to a seaport, operating as a centre for the transshipment of sea cargo to inland destinations. In addition to their role in ...

s in Dar es Salaam and

Mbeya Mbeya is a city located in south west Tanzania, Africa. Mbeya's urban population is 620,000 according to the 2022 census. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding rural Mbeya region (population, with Mbeya, totals approx. 2 million). Mbeya is sit ...

. The MCCL's main revenue earner/cargo is fuel bound for

. Fuel and goods are loaded onto wagons on the

bound for

and then trucked into

through the Kyela Border.

Awards

Dar Port has been voted the best port in the 27th edition of the World Travel Awards in Africa.

References

External links

Opening the Gates: How the port of Dar es Salaam Can Transform Tanzania
{{Authority control Dar Transport in Dar es Salaam Buildings and structures in Dar es Salaam Economy of Dar es Salaam