World Bank likely to support second phase of Dar es Salaam Port project

Dar es Salaam. The World Bank has commended the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) for successfully implementing the first phase of the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project y(DMGP), which was jointly financed by the bank and the Tanzania government.

The bank has indicated that it could support the second phase of the project.

The World Bank provided the government with a $421 million loan, while the Tanzanian government contributed $64 million towards implementation of the project.

Speaking here on Thursday, August 20, 2026, after a brief meeting with a TPA delegation, World Bank Vice-President for the Eastern and Southern Africa Region, Dr Ndiame Diop, said the improvements witnessed at the port reflected the authority’s strong performance.

“We have witnessed major changes at this port. The volume of cargo coming through the port has also increased. This is a result of the good cooperation between Tanzania and the World Bank,” he said.

He said the port was extremely important because, according to provided information, it serves six landlocked countries surrounding Tanzania.

Dr Diop pledged to continue advocating within the World Bank for support for the second phase of the port improvement programme, which will involve constructing additional berths and a vehicle parking area.

“We believe these improvements will also improve the lives of Tanzanians, who will be able to secure jobs throughout the entire value chain, thereby improving their livelihoods,” he said.

He added that local vendors would have opportunities to supply goods and services to factories, enabling people involved in the production chain to benefit from opportunities created by the port’s expansion.

Dr Diop said the port improvements would create opportunities for both large and small investors, explaining that dynamic investors could establish factories producing various goods for domestic and international markets.

“Tanzania has many opportunities, particularly in agriculture. Therefore, these port improvements will help many young Tanzanians become self-employed and export their agricultural produce through this port, helping reduce the unemployment problem in the country,” said Dr Diop.

TPA Director General Plasduce Mbossa said the World Bank’s involvement in improving the port’s performance was a clear indication of Tanzania’s strong relationship with development partners.

He said the joint financial support had enabled TPA to undertake various improvements at the port, including increasing the water depth to 14.5 metres.

Following the improvements, the Port of Dar es Salaam has more than doubled its cargo-handling capacity compared with the previous decade.

According to data provided, the port handled 14 million tonnes during the 2015/16 financial year, compared with 33 million tonnes this year.

“These improvements have helped us capture a larger share of the market in neighbouring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Zambia,” said Mr Mbossa.