Cargo moving through Tanzania's Dar es Salaam Port has seen significant growth, with Rwanda-bound cargo increasing by 24% to 2.18 million tonnes in the 2025/26 financial year. The overall transit cargo through Dar es Salaam rose 17% to 14.61 million tonnes, with the Democratic Republic of Congo remaining the largest transit market at 7.77 million tonnes, a 30% increase. Zambia accounted for 3.41 million tonnes.
The growth in cargo is attributed to improvements at the port and along the wider transport corridor. The port handled 33.71 million tonnes of total cargo in 2025/26, up 21.5% from the previous year. Average container-vessel time at berth has fallen from about 10 days in 2020/21 to around three days in 2024/25.
DP World, the private operator of Terminal 1 at Dar es Salaam Port, has invested $123 million in the port by April 2026. The company has upgraded operations, including the commissioning of eight new diesel-electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes in June to improve container handling.
Container traffic at the port has also seen a sharp increase, with 44,001 containers handled in May, 45,856 in June, 46,582 in July, and 48,793 in August. Before 2024, monthly volumes were generally between 8,000 and 13,000 containers. The port is also handling larger vehicle carriers and more dry bulk, general cargo, and roll-on/roll-off traffic.
However, getting cargo off a ship faster is only one part of the journey. For Rwanda and other landlocked countries, the real test comes after cargo leaves the port. Trucks and trains must move efficiently through Tanzania, cargo must clear borders quickly, and transport operators must be able to offer predictable delivery times.
Tanzania has made significant investments in its transport infrastructure, including the launch of commercial freight services on the Standard Gauge Railway between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma in July 2025. The Kwala dry port is also being developed as an inland logistics centre, designed to handle about 300,000 containers a year.
The competition between regional corridors is increasingly about the entire journey, not just port capacity. The cost of trucking, rail availability, border procedures, customs clearance, and the time it takes for cargo to reach Kigali all matter. Dar es Salaam is competing with other regional routes, and the growing volumes do not settle the wider competition between regional corridors.
Key points
- Dar es Salaam Port handled 33.71 million tonnes of total cargo in 2025/26, up 21.5% from the previous year.
- Rwanda-bound cargo through Dar es Salaam Port increased 24% to 2.18 million tonnes in the 2025/26 financial year.
- DP World invested $123 million in the port by April 2026, including equipment, infrastructure, technology, and operating systems.
