Port Overview

Dar es Salaam is the principal port of Tanzania. It is the main cargo gateway not only for the Tanzanian hinterland and the Great Lakes region but also for landlocked neighbouring countries in east and central Africa such as Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia

The port of Dar es Salaam is one of East Africa's leading freight gateways – a growing entry and exit of goods for local market and to many landlocked countries across East and Central Africa. The port is the Indian ocean entry point of a complex logistics network stretching much of central Africa. The port handles about 95 percent of Tanzania International trade across 12 deep-water berths. Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) operates all berths since January 2023. (TPA Handbook, 2023).

The port is accessible via 3-5km entrance channel that can allow vessels of up to 305 meters LOA and 265 meters breadth with a depth of 15.5 meters at Chart Datum. The port has a total quay length of 2.6 km with 12 Berths at Main Quay plus a Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) and a dedicated berthing area for coastal vessel at the lighterage Quay. Berths number 0 to11 has a depth between 10.2 and 15.5 meters for general cargo vessels. Berths No. 8 to 11 have an average depth of 11.0 meters and are mainly dedicated to container vessels. (TPA Handbook, 2016).

The port also has Grain Terminal facility (silos with storage capacity of 30,000 mt).

TPA is implementing a number of major projects including the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DMGP) which will allow the reception of larger vessels. Port modernization projects include strengthening and deepening of berths 1-7 and RORO terminal, dredging of entrance channel, turning circle and harbour basin, strengthening and deepening 8-11, and construction of a new terminal jet

Port website https://www.ports.go.tz/index.php/en/ports/ports

Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com

 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Tanzania
Province or District	Temeke
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	Dar es Salaam Located in the city
Port's Complete Name	Port of Dar es Salaam
Latitude	-6.82583333
Longitude	39.30638889
Managing Company or Port Authority	Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA)
Management Contact Person	Plasduce Mkeli Mbossa Director General, TPA Bandari Road PO Box 9184, Dar es Salaam Tanzania Tel: +255 22 2116250 Fax: +255 22 2130390 http://www.ports.go.tz
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	Julius Nyerere International Airport, Dar es Salaam   International carriers:  Air Zimbabwe, Airlink, As Salaam Air, Egyptair, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Ewa Air, Flightlink, Fly540, Flydubai, Kenya Airways, KLM, LAM Mozambique Airlines, Malawian Airlines, Oman Air, Precision Ai, Qatar Airways, RwandAir, Saudia, Tropical Air, Turkish Airlines, Uganda Airlines, ZanAir These airlines fly to a variety of destinations, including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and may change over time. It is always best to check with the airline directly to verify their current schedule and destinations.

Port Picture

 

• General cargo Berth (0-5) for break bulk, dry bulk and one RORO berth (0) to handle vehicles.
• Container Terminal Berths (Berth 5 -11)
• Grain Terminal facility (silos with storage capacity of 30,000 tons). Inland Container Deposits (ICDs) facilities with the capacity of 24,300 TEUs and CFs with the capacity of holding 6,000 vehicles at once.
• A 150,000 MT Single Point Mooring (SPM) – for handling refined and crude oil.
• Kurasini oil Jetty (KOJ) for handling refined products (tanker size 45,000MT for KOJ1 and 5,000 tons for KOJ2)

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) is a government entity, established by the Ports Act No. 17 of 2004, TPA is currently the sole operator of the facilities in Dar es Salaam port. TPA performs the role of landlord and operator with the main functions of promoting the use, development and management of the ports and their hinterlands. The Authority can and has in the past licensed and issued concessions for port services in Dar es Salaam.

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List.

Port Performance

Tanzania is a natural economic hub and gateway to east and central Africa, with one of Africa's busiest deep seaports and borders on eight nations. The Dar es Salaam port provides a gateway for 90% of Tanzanian trade and is also the access route to six landlocked countries including Malawi, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, as well as DRC.

A World Bank assessment published in 2013, the cost caused by inefficiencies at the Dar es Salaam port in 2012 was projected to be $ 1.8 billion for the Tanzanian economy and $ 830 million for neighbouring nations that relied on the facility.

The World Bank estimates that the losses amounted to 7% of Tanzania's yearly GDP. Due to rising port prices, Tanzanians and other East Africans had to pay more for imported commodities such as petroleum, cement, fertilizer, and medications.

Delays in accessing berths appear to be lessening, however container vessels were queuing for an average of 10 days (up to a maximum of 25 days in some situations) to get a berth in the port. Delays are worsened by dock operational inefficiencies and a shortage of storage, which increase the time required to unload and load a container ship, as well as insufficient synergy among key actors. The entire procedure takes days to complete, and space in the terminals is limited. As a result, the containers are frequently transported to an Inland Container Depot (ICD) near the port, where removal and storage fees apply to the cargo.

 

	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	Yes	Bimodal from (March to May for long rains or Masika) and (October to December short rains or Vuli.) Unimodal (from December to April)
Major Import Campaigns	No
Other Comments	The port has limited storage space for both containerized and general cargo inside the port but have an extended dry port in Kwala in order to reduce port congestion.

 

Handling Figures for F/Y 2022/23
Vessel Calls	1,743
Container Traffic (TEUs)	922,963

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for F/Y 2022/2023
Bulk (MT)	3,342,962
Break bulk (MT)	1,879,441

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

For information on port rates and charges, please see the following link:  https://www.ports.go.tz/images/Reports/Tarrifbook/TPA-Tariff-Book_pub.pdf

Berthing Specifications

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length (m)	Maximum Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional Berth	8	727m 554m	15m 15.5m	Berths 1-4 Berths 5-7
Container Berth	4	734m	10.2m	Berths 8-11
Silo Berth	N/A
Berthing Tugs	8			6 operational,  1 on standby 1 Unserviceable at time of writing
Water Barges	N/A

The Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DMGP) Financed by the Government of Tanzania jointly with the World Bank and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has invested $421 million in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Port of Dar es Salaam through strengthening of the physical infrastructure as well as Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) institutional capacity. The Port of Dar es Salaam has 12 deepwater berths with a total length of about 2,600 metres. The DMGP upgrades included the construction of the first dedicated roll-on, roll-off ("RoRo") infrastructure ramp designated as berth 0 and the reconstruction of and deepening alongside berths 1–7 to 14.5 meters so the port can now comfortably host large vessels, an increased on the average 8-meter draft before the expansion. The DMGP also included the upgrading of and deepening alongside berths 8-11, widening of the entrance channel as well as the turning basin to the end of Berth 11 and increasing the dept of the channel to 15.5m.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/01/25/striving-to-become-the-regional-port-of-choice

General Cargo Handling Berths

Cargo Type	Berth Identification
Imports - Bagged Cargo	1-7
Exports - Bagged Cargo	1-7
Imports and Exports - RoRo	0
Other Imports	0-7

Port Handling Equipment

The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) is a government-owned company responsible for the management and operation of ports in Tanzania, including Dar es Salaam Port. TPA took over the cargo handling services done by the Tanzania International Container Services (TICTS) Limited effectively as from 01 January 2023. The Government of Tanzania and the UAE signed a memorandum of understanding in February 2022 for DP World to run the port of Dar es Salaam, initially, before expanding to run other ports in the country. The MoU was followed by an inter-governmental agreement in October 2022 that was endorsed by parliament on June 10, 2023.

 

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	Yes	11 (5-7MT)	7 in use 5 under maintenance
Container Gantries	Yes	8 (7-40mt)	8 Operational
Mobile Cranes	Yes	8 (35-65MT)	4 in good condition 4 under repair
Reachstacker	Yes	34 (45MT)	27 in good condition
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	Yes	1	In good condition
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	Yes	4 Grain Bagging Machines 22 grain elevators	14 in good condition
Transtainer	Yes	23	In good condition
Forklifts	Yes	133	11 Unservicable

Container Facilities

Dar es Salaam Port has moved up 49 places in the World Bank's Container Port Performance Index, from 361st to 312th in 2022. This progress can be attributed to a variety of causes, including increasing port infrastructure investment, the acquisition of modern technology and equipment, and the deployment of new safety and security procedures. As a result of the Tanzanian government's efforts to upgrade and expand the port's infrastructure under the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Programme (DMGP).

Facilities	20 ft	40 ft
Container Facilities Available	Yes	Yes
Container Freight Station (CFS)	Yes	Yes
Refrigerated Container Stations	Yes	Yes
Other Capacity Details	N/A	N/A
Daily Take Off Capacity (Containers per Day)	2808
Number of Reefer Stations (Connection Points)	438
Emergency Take-off Capacity	N/A	N/A
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift (Containers per Shift)	N/A	N/A

Customs Guidance

The Tanzania Customs Integrated System (TANCIS) was introduced by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) in 2014. It has brought total transparency to the clearance process by handling all documentation online. The whole process can be carried out from the agent’s desk, leading to a significant time saving.

 

For more information on customs in Tanzania, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information. 

Terminal Information

MULTIPURPOSE TERMINAL

The Multipurpose Terminal has a quay length of 797 meters and a total storage area of 222,000 square meters. It is equipped with modern cargo handling equipment, including cranes, forklifts, and reach stackers. The RORO Terminal has a quay length of 200 meters and a total storage area of 50,000 square meters. It is equipped with modern cargo handling equipment, including ramps and cranes. The terminal has a capacity of 200,000 vehicles per year. In 2022, the Multipurpose Terminal handled 14.1 million tons of cargo and the RORO Terminal handled 200,000 vehicles. These numbers are expected to grow in the coming years.

GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING

The Port of Dar es Salaam has a fully automated grain handling facility with silos with the capacity of 30,000 metric tons. Grains can be discharged and bagged along the quay at an average of more than 2,000 tons in 24 hours or transferred to silo using dump trucks. The grain terminal has concrete silos, fumigation, aeration and temperature control facilities. The break-bulk section of a port has a quay of 1,478 meters comprising of 7 main quays. The machinery available for grain discharge are 4 x bagging machines with capacity of 100 tons per hour each and a maximum of 9600 tons per 24 hrs

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL

The Dar es Salaam Port has a variety of storage facilities, including warehouses, silos, and tanks. The port has a total of 10 warehouses with a combined area of 64,463 square meters. Of these warehouses, 3 warehouses are specifically dedicated to the storage of food supplies. These warehouses have a combined area of 21,500 square meters as well as silos which can store up to 30,000 tonnes of grains.

 

Storage Type	Number of Storage Facilities	Area (m2)
Bagged Cargo	8
Refrigerated Cargo	438
General Cargo

Stevedoring

TPA provides stevedoring for all geared vessels on a 24-hour basis. The shift performance on general cargo is 200 tonnes per gang per shift and 60 TEU on containerised cargo per gang per shift (TPA Handbook 2020)

Stevedoring activities at Dar es Salaam Port:

• General cargo, loading and unloading of non-containerized cargo,
• Containerized cargo, loading and unloading of containerized cargo.
• Bulk cargo, loading and unloading of bulk cargo, such as grain, coal, and minerals.

Hinterland Information

The primary means of accessing the hinterland from the port of Dar es Salaam are via the national road and two rail networks.

Road Network

The main road link from the Port of Dar es Salaam to the rest of Tanzania is the A7 highway. This highway connects the port to the capital city of Dodoma, as well as to other major cities such as Mwanza, Arusha, and Mbeya. The A7 highway is also a major transit route for goods traveling to and from neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, and DR Congo.

Other important road links from the Port of Dar es Salaam include:

• The A14 highway to Tanga – Horohoro Border crossing - Kenya
• The B1 highway to Morogoro – Dodoma- Isaka-Mwanza-Mtukula-Uganda, and Rusumo- Rwanda-DR-Congo.
• The B12 highway to Iringa – Mbeya- (Tunduma- Zambia) and Malawi

Rail links

The Port of Dar es Salaam is also connected to the rest of Tanzania and neighbouring countries by a network of railways.

TAZARA. This railway connects the Dar port to the Zambian capital of Lusaka, through Regions in Tanzania such as Pwani, Morogoro, Makambako, and Mbeya.

TRC: (the Central Corridor) is another important railway link from the Port of Dar es Salaam to the neighbouring countries of Uganda via Mwanza and DR Congo via Kigoma:

• The Central Line from Dar Port to Tabora, Mwanza, Katavi (Mpanda) and Kigoma
• The Northern Line from Dar Port to Tanga, Kilimanjaro and Arusha.

 

Port Security

The Port of Dar es Salaam has several security measures in place to protect the port and its cargo from crime and terrorism. These measures include Physical security of the port by a high fence with several security gates with all visitors required to have a valid pass. Employees of the port and other authorized personnel must wear ID badges.  The port is also patrolled by security guards 24 hours a day. The port has invested in electronic security with number of CCTV cameras and other electronic security systems in place to monitor activity within the port.

All cargo entering or leaving the port is scanned for contraband and other threats. The port works closely with the Tanzania Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to combat crime and terrorism. The port implemented an Integrated Security System (ISS) which was commissioned in late 2015 to integrate all the port's security systems into a single platform to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the port's security operations. The port is also investing in cybersecurity measures to protect its computer systems and networks from cyberattacks.

 

Security
ISPS Compliant	Yes
Current ISPS Level (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	ISPS Level 1 1
Police Boats	Yes
Fire Engines	Yes

 

Port Overview

The Port of Tanga is one of the three (3) main Ports on the coast of the Indian Ocean, under the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA); established in accordance with the Port Law No. 17 of 2004. The TPA is responsible for operating the Ports located in the lakes and development of all Ports in Tanzania to harness the geographical opportunities of the country of Tanzania to serve the neighbouring countries with access to international maritime trade. Tanga Port has a total of 400 Hectares of which 17 Hectares is where the current Port is located, recent improvements made by TPA to the Port of Tanga include strengthen two piers and increasing the length to 450 meters, with a depth of 13 meters (chart datum) these infrastructural improvements have increased the Port of Tanga currently cargo handling capacity to handle up to 3,000,000 tons per year.

The port has a rail siding connecting the port to the northern rail corridor which stretches from Dar es Salaam to Arusha and connects to the central rail corridor providing rail access to the ports Kigoma on lake Tanganyika and Mwanza on lake Victoria.  

The improvements to the port infrastructure, good rail and road transport links to the hinterland and the low volume of maritime traffic provide a good alternative to avoid waiting time at Dar es Salaam port for importation to Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and DRC.

Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com

 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Tanzania
Province or District	Tanga
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	Tanga DISTANCE 1 km
Port's Complete Name	The Port of Tanga
Latitude	-5.065556
Longitude	39.10583
Managing Company or Port Authority	Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA)
Management Contact Person	Mr. Masoud Mrisha Port Manager Tanga Port P.O Box 443 Tel. +255 27 264 3078 Mob. +255 78 75 68 695
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	Airport Name: Kilimanjaro International Airport Air Excel Air Tanzania Air Kenya Express Discover Airlines Edelweiss Air Ethiopian Airlines Flex flight Kenya Airways KLM Net jets Oman Air Qatar Airways Rwanda Air Safari link Aviation Turkish Airlines Uganda Airlines

Port Picture

 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

The port of Tanga has several companies shipping companies, clearing and forwarding companies and transportation companies they include Diamond Shipping Service Ltd, Inchcape Shipping Service (T) Limited, Nyota Tanzania Limited (Maersk) CMA CGM (T) Limited, and Sturrock Flex Shipping Company Limited, these companies provide logistics services at the Port. These companies play a crucial role as significant customers of the port, actively supporting and streamlining freight operations. Most of these companies have their offices situated within the TPA house, which is located within the port premises.

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List.

Port Performance

The port of Tanga has a modern quay wall with total length of 450 meters covering berths one and two. Currently there are two offshore pipelines with 12 inches are used for handling Liquid bulk (oil products). Also, at the Totten Island there is Conventional Buoy Mooring (CBM) for handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) by means of flexible hoses connected to submarine pipelines. Tanga Port is equipped with Harbour Mobile cranes with lifting capacity of 63 tons each, Tugboats, Cargo barges – each with capacity of 3,500 tons, Cargo Lighter with capacity of 600 tons, Pontoons for cargo transfer, Empty Container Handler – 12 tons capacity, Reach stackers for handling of full container with a capacity of 40 tons, Terminal tractor for longitudinal transfer of cargo, Forklifts with bale clamp attachment for handling of sisal fibres, 4 Standard Forklifts each with a capacity of 3,5, 16 and 25 tons, Terminal Tractors and Trailers, Fire Tender trucks equipped with firefighting equipment, Mooring Boat, Weighbridge for weighing cargo, Hoppers and Grabs for handling of bulk cargo.

 

Seasonal Constraints
	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	Yes	Mar - Jun Oct - Dec
Major Import Campaigns	No
Other Comments	Major export Campaigns Sisal - Coffee – Jul- Nov

 

Handling Figures Jul 2022-June 2023
Vessel Calls	233
Container Traffic (TEUs)	5,123

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2022
Bulk (MT)	N/A
Break bulk (MT)	N/A

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

https://www.ports.go.tz/images/Reports/Tarrifbook/TPA-Tariff-Book_pub.pdf

 

Berthing Specifications

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length (m)	Maximum Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional Berth	2	450	13m	Turning Basin 15-17 m
Container Berth	N/A
Silo Berth	N/A
Berthing Tugs	3			2 active, 1 on Maintenance
Water Barges	N/A

 

General Cargo Handling Berths

Cargo Type	Berth Identification
Imports - Bagged Cargo	1 & 2
Exports - Bagged Cargo	1 & 2
Imports and Exports - RoRo	N/A
Other Imports

Port Handling Equipment

TPA has invested in new port handling equipment in 2023 including 5 new mobile cranes, a new Transtainer crane/rubber-tyred gantry crane, new reach stackers and forklifts trucks.

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	Yes	6  2 x 63 MT 4 x 100 MT	5 Operational
Container Gantries	No
Mobile Cranes	Yes	2 x 40 MT
Reachstacker	Yes	3 x 45 MT
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	No
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	No
Transtainer	Yes	1	New
Forklifts	Yes	15	1 x 50 MT 1 x 25 MT 1 x 16 MT 7 x 5 MT 5 x 3 MT

Container Facilities

Tanga port has 50 connection points for reefer containers, ample space beside the rail siding for storing standard shipping containers, with the addition of a new rubber-tyred gantry crane for loading trucks and rail carriages and good transport infrastructure from the port providing ease of access to the hinterland.

 

Facilities	20 ft	40 ft
Container Facilities Available	Yes	Yes
Container Freight Station (CFS)	Yes	Yes
Refrigerated Container Stations	3
Other Capacity Details
Daily Take Off Capacity (Containers per Day)	450 TEU per day
Number of Reefer Stations (Connection Points)	50
Emergency Take-off Capacity	N/A	N/A
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift (Containers per Shift)	150 TEU

Customs Guidance

The volumes of cargo at the port are not high which also allows quick custom clearance completion. The customs offices are located nearby the port areas at TPA House operating at 24/7. The customs clearance process is done electronically through TANCIS. See link for process flow map of Customs clearance procedure at Tanga Port

https://www.ports.go.tz/index.php/en/customer-center/import-process

 

 

For more information on customs, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information. 

Terminal Information

MULTIPURPOSE TERMINAL

The port has unused multipurpose Jetty, 12 anchorage berths and a lighterage quay of 3.8-meter draught for local craft. There are no available RoRo facilities exist at the port.

GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING

N/A

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL

There are 3 sheds of 13,279.67 m2 with open conventional yard with paved area of 29,000m2 and stacking space for 4,300 TEUs.

Storage Type	Number of Storage Facilities	Area (m2)
Bagged Cargo	3 warehouses	13,279.67
Refrigerated Cargo	50 containers
General Cargo	1	2,604.84

Stevedoring

Stevedoring activities are provided by the port authority on a 24-hour basis.

Hinterland Information

The port of Tanga is connected to the Hinterland with good road and Rail access, the rail siding in the port area provides direct access to the Northern rail corridor to Kilimanjaro and Arusha and also links to the central Rail corridor in Dar es Salaam. The road network provides good access across northern Tanzania and into Kenya through three major one stop border posts.

Port Security

Port security at Tanga port is good, the port is fenced, and access is monitored, all visitors are recorded, badged and provided with Hi-Viz on entry. The gate to the port is manned 24/7, the port is patrolled by security personnel.

Security
ISPS Compliant	Yes
Current ISPS Level (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	1
Police Boats	No	4 TPA Security boat
Fire Engines	Yes

 

Port Overview

The port of Zanzibar, also referred to as the port of Malindi, is a deep-sea port located on the west coast of the island of Zanzibar and acts as the island’s main passenger and cargo port. The port of Zanzibar is managed, operated and developed by the Zanzibar Ports Corporation (ZPC), a parastatal organization established under the ZPC Act No.1 of 1997.The ZPC is regulated by the Zanzibar Maritime Authority, which focuses on safety, security, and tariff setting in the port of Malindi. The ZMA is a fully autonomous institution acting under the direct authority of the Zanzibar Ministry of Construction, Infrastructure, Communication, and Transportation.

Key port information can also be found at:

Port website: https://zpc.go.tz/

https://www.aglgroup.com/en/transport-logistics-africa/tanzania/

Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com

 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Tanzania
Province or District	Zanzibar
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	Stone Town 0 km
Port's Complete Name	Port of Malindi
Latitude	-6.161944
Longitude	39.18833
Managing Company or Port Authority	Zanzibar Port Corporation
Management Contact Person	Mr. Nahaat M. Mahfoudh, Director General ZPC Mr. Nicolas ESCALIN, CEO ZMT
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, Stone Town, Zanzibar 10 kilometres away. International Carriers: Arkia Israel Airlines, Condor, Ethiopian Airlines, Fly540, flydubai, Israir, Kenya Airways, Malawian Airlines, Mango, Meridiana, Neos, Nordwind Airlines, Oman Air, Precision Air, Qatar Airways, Sun d'Or, Travel Service Airlines, TUI, Turkish Airlines.

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

On May 18, 2023, the Zanzibar Ports Corporation (ZPC) and Africa Global Logistics (AGL) signed a five-year agreement for AGL to manage the container facility at the Port of Zanzibar. The agreement took effect on September 1, 2023. Zanzibar Multipurpose Terminal (ZMT), a subsidiary of AGL, officially began operations at the Malindi port on September 18, 2023. ZMT will provide cargo handling and maritime services at the islands main port. AGL has undertaken to implement an investment program for the modernization and development of the Port of Malindi. The company is planning to build an inland container depot (ICD) outside the port, The ICD will be located 3km north of the port at green field site located at Maruhubi (-6.142171497352352, 39.211110188527236) off the Malawi road, which is essential for relieving congestion at the port hub. ZMT is in the early stages of developing further modernization plans which include the future development dedicated container terminal at Nungwi in the north of the island.

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List.

Port Performance

The container terminal is heavily congested with no room for expansion within the port area. However, the change of management of the container facility is a significant event. Development of the inland container depot and removal of empty container will significantly alleviate congestion within the confines of the port. The agreement is expected to lead to improvements in the efficiency and productivity of the port, which will benefit all stakeholders, including shipping companies, cargo owners, and the people of Zanzibar with a reduction in ship dwelling times, improved cargo handling efficiency, increased container throughput, reduced costs for shipping companies and cargo owners and increased revenue for the ZPC.

 

Seasonal Constraints
	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	Yes	From March to June
Major Import Campaigns	No
Other Comments

 

Handling Figures for 2022
Vessel Calls	130
Container Traffic (TEUs)	75,000

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2022
Bulk (MT)	N/A
Break bulk (MT)	N/A

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

Tariffs are set by Tanzania Ports Authority see link.

TPA-Tariff-Book_pub.pdf (ports.go.tz)

 

Berthing Specifications

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length (m)	Maximum Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional Berth	2	200	10	Berths 1 & 2  is used for both, mainly for discharge of containerised cargo.
Container Berth
Silo Berth	No
Berthing Tugs	Yes
Water Barges	No

General Cargo Handling Berths

Cargo Type	Berth Identification
Imports - Bagged Cargo	Mainly from Berth No 3
Exports - Bagged Cargo	Mainly from Berth No 3
Imports and Exports - RoRo	No
Other Imports	N/A

Port Handling Equipment

Zanzibar Multipurpose Terminal (ZMT) currently has two mobile 75 tons mobile Harbour crane and a 20 tons Grove, plus a 5 tons Grove Crane. One of the 75 tons mobile crane was purchased in 2023 as part of the change of management in the Multipurpose Terminal.

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	No
Container Gantries	No
Mobile Cranes	Yes	2	75 tons mobile Harbour crane and 20 tons Grove, plus a 5 tons Grove Crane
Reachstacker	Yes	5	3 Kalmars 45 tons and 2 Ferraines
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	No
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	No
Transtainer	No
Forklifts	Yes	7	3.5 tons to 7 tons and 16 tons capacity

Container Facilities

As the port area is small and heavily congests ZPC have a container storage area located 260m from the port entrance used to store empty containers. Only empty containers are presently being stored in an open area marked in red which outside the harbour, the area is uneven and said to have a capacity for 2,000 TEU on a ground space of 26,400 m2, the area is on open ground with no fencing or security thus unsuitable for the storge of laden containers. 90% of all containers are stripped within the port area thus they do not leave the port area this has resulted in a build-up of empty containers in the port area. ZMT has plans to remove these

 

Facilities	20 ft	40 ft
Container Facilities Available	20 ft	40 ft
Container Freight Station (CFS)	Yes	Yes
Refrigerated Container Stations	2
Other Capacity Details	No	No
Daily Take Off Capacity (Containers per Day)
Number of Reefer Stations (Connection Points)	40
Emergency Take-off Capacity	n/a	n/a
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift (Containers per Shift)	n/a	n/a

Customs Guidance

The customs process is usually within 48 hours if all documentation is correct. Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA) is responsible enforcing custom regulation. There is a customs clearance offices located in the port area and the working hours are the same as administrative activities of port authority.

 

For more information on customs in Tanzania, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information. 

Terminal Information

MULTIPURPOSE TERMINAL

 

The port has one deep water quay with a length of 240 metres designated as berth No’s 1 & 2 with a draft is 10 meters. The port has a second smaller quay with a length of 125 meters designated berth No 3 with a depth of 9 meters, is used for cruise liners, passengers’ vessels, ferries and coasters carrying bulk cargo such as cement. Zanzibar Ferry terminal has a RoRo capacity for small ferries from the mainland. To the rear of the Container terminal is key for traditional Dhow sailing vessels used for fishing and transporting freight to smaller islands.

 

GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING

Bulk is discharged at berth 3 from small coasters from the mainland, berths 1 & 2 are normally used for container ships.

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL

There is no storage within the perimeter of the port for bulk or break-bulk cargo. There are two port sheds that are used for the storage of imported motor vehicles. The quay for the imports of regional imports has limited customs shed space for the temporary storage of any items that are imparted from the region and are delayed pending final clearances. Import containers are stripped in ‘stacks‘ and the contents of the containers are loaded direct to road vehicles which then transport the customs cleared items out of the Port.

Storage Type	Number of Storage Facilities	Area (m2)
Bagged Cargo	N/A
Refrigerated Cargo	N/A
General Cargo	N/A

Stevedoring

Stevedoring services are provided by ZPC at the ferry terminal and berth 3 for bulk cargo. ZMT now manage container cargo at the multipurpose terminal.

Hinterland Information

Transport out of the port is conducted by trucks around the island or by coasters and Dhow to smaller outlying Islands in the archipelago.

Port Security

All persons entering the port or working within the port area are badged, must ware Hi-Viz jackets and hard hats, security at the gateway has a strong presence and the entire port is fenced. ZMT has tightened up security at the Multipurpose terminal however, access by sea through the Dhow / Small craft jetty is a weak point in the overall security of the port area. This issue will improve when the ICD is opened and storage of contains is move to a more secure location.

Security
ISPS Compliant	Yes
Current ISPS Level (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	1
Police Boats	Yes – One police marine boat
Fire Engines	Yes –fire station inside the port.

 

Port Overview

The Port of Kigoma is a lake port located on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika in Kigoma, Tanzania. It is the largest port on Lake Tanganyika and plays a vital role in the country's trade and transportation sector. The port is owned and operated by the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA).

The port has a single conventional berth with a length of 200 meters and a maximum draft of 5.5 meters. The port can handle a wide range of cargo, including breakbulk, and liquid goods. The port also has a dedicated liquid/oil reception facility.

The port's cargo handling equipment includes:

• Portal crane
• Forklifts
• Mobile crane
• Tug
• Weighbridge

The port also has two warehouses for the storage of cargo.

The port's main commodities handled include:

• Cement
• Fertilizer
• Steel
• Petroleum products
• Foodstuffs

The port is well-connected to the Tanzanian road and rail networks. The port is also connected to the neighboring countries of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia by ferry services.

The TPA is currently implementing several development projects at the Port of Kigoma, including the construction of a new container terminal and the rehabilitation of the existing berth. These projects are expected to increase the port's capacity and efficiency.

The Port of Kigoma is expected to play an increasingly important role in the trade and transportation of the East African region in the coming years. The port's strategic location on Lake Tanganyika makes it a key gateway to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. Overall, the Port of Kigoma is well-connected to the Tanzanian and regional transportation networks and handles a wide range of cargo.

Port website:  https://www.ports.go.tz/index.php/en/ports/lake-tanganyika

Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com

 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Tanzania
Province or District	Kigoma
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	Kigoma (km)
Port's Complete Name	Port of Kigoma
Latitude	-4.876887
Longitude	29.626428
Managing Company or Port Authority	Tanzania Port Authority (TPA)
Management Contact Person	Mr. Eric B. Hamissi   Managing Director +255 282503079  info@mscl.co.tz
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	Kilimanjaro International Airport (1,130Km) Qatar Airways Ethiopian Airlines Kenya Airways Emirates Turkish Airlines KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Edelweiss Air Edelweiss Air Swiss International Air Lines Brussels Airlines Air Tanzania RwandAir

Port Picture

 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

Marine Services Company Limited (MSCL) is the state-owned shipping company operating on the great lakes. MSCL has a fleet of 15 vessels for both Passengers and Cargo transportation. Nine (9) of these vessels are deployed on Lake Victoria, 3 on Lake Tanganyika and 2 on Lake Nyasa. The fleet is made up of 8 Passenger-Cargo vessels, 2 Oil Tankers, 1 Wagon Ferry, 1 Tug, 2 self-propelled barges and one tourist boat.  MSCL signed contracts in October 2023 for the construction of new 3500-ton cargo vessel for operations on Lake Tanganyika, the vessel will have the capacity to load 25 long trucks or 25 modern railway wagons and 65 small cars. It will take six hours to travel from the Port of Kigoma to the Port of Kalemie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

There are several shipping agencies operating in Kigoma port including Falcony shipping, Shegema Company Ltd and Société Nationale des chemins de fer du Congo (SNCC) part of the Congolese Railway company.

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List.

 

Port Performance

Port traffic is light as there are a very limited number of vessels operating on Lake Tanganyika resulting in no waiting time and vessels are berthing  on arrival. The draft of 5.5m is sufficient for the vessels currently operating on the lake. Container traffic is insignificant with annual container movements of around 300 per year.

 

Seasonal Constraints
	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	Yes	October to March
Major Import Campaigns	No	N/A
Other Comments

 

Handling Figures for 2022/23 FY
Vessel Calls	531
Container Traffic (TEUs)	300

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2022/23 FY
Bulk (MT)
Break bulk (MT)	297,880 MT

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

TPA-Tariff-Book_pub.pdf (ports.go.tz)

 

Berthing Specifications

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length (m)	Maximum Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional Berth	3	100m 100m 210m	3-5.5m
Container Berth	N/A
Silo Berth	N/A
Berthing Tugs	1
Water Barges	N/A

TPA with grant aid from the Government of Japan (JICA) have committed to a 5-year development plan for the port of Kigoma for the rehabilitation of this port.  Under the “Project for Rehabilitation of Kigoma Port” contracts have been signed for rehabilitation of both the passenger wharf and the cargo wharf.

General Cargo Handling Berths

Cargo Type	Berth Identification
Imports - Bagged Cargo	A-F
Exports - Bagged Cargo	N/A
Imports and Exports - RoRo	N/A
Other Imports	N/A

Port Handling Equipment

The port is equipped with a mix of old and new handling equipment e.g., a Portal crane, Forklifts, Mobile crane, a Tug and a weighbridge. The handing equipment is owned and operated by Tanzania Port Authority. 

 

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	Yes	1 – 35 MT 2 x 5 MT	1 of the 5 MT dockside cranes is unserviceable
Container Gantries	Yes	1x 35 MT
Mobile Cranes	Yes	1 x 60 MT
Reachstacker	yes	1 x 45 MT
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	No
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	No
Transtainer	No
Forklifts	Yes	7 x 3 MT 3 x5 MT 3 x 16 MT	3 of the 3 MT forklifts are unserviceable 1 of the 16 MT forklifts is unserviceable.

Container Facilities

 

Container traffic at Kigoma port is very limited with only 300 container movement in the last year.

Facilities	20 ft	40 ft
Container Facilities Available	N/A	N/A
Container Freight Station (CFS)	N/A	N/A
Refrigerated Container Stations	N/A	N/A
Other Capacity Details	N/A	N/A
Daily Take Off Capacity (Containers per Day)	N/A	N/A
Number of Reefer Stations (Connection Points)	1	N/A
Emergency Take-off Capacity	N/A	N/A
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift (Containers per Shift)	N/A	N/A

Customs Guidance

The Tanzania Customs Integrated System (TANCIS) was introduced by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) in 2014. It has brought total transparency to the clearance process by handling all documentation online. The whole process can be carried out from the agent’s desk, leading to a significant time saving.   The customs office in Kigoma port is operational 24/7, customs clearance for cargo precleared on TANCIS takes between 5 to 8 hours.

For more information on customs in Tanzania, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information. 

Terminal Information

MULTIPURPOSE TERMINAL

The port of Kigoma has a terminal for loading and off-loading general cargo, containerized Cargo and Break-Bulk cargo. It has no RORO (Roll-on/Roll-off) facilities.

GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING

There is no grain and bulk handling facilities at the port since grains like maize are handled in break bulk bags by stevedores and cranes on pallets.

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL

Storage at Kigoma port consists of 3 sheds with a total capacity of 10500 MT and 6 Mobile storage Units (MSU) belonging to World Food Programme with a total capacity of 2400 MT for storage of Humanitarian cargo bound for Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.

Storage Type	Number of Storage Facilities	Area (m2)
Bagged Cargo	3  6 x MSU for humanitarian cargo	10500 MT 2400 MT
Refrigerated Cargo	N/A	N/A
General Cargo	1	19840m2

Stevedoring

Stevedoring services are provided at the port by TPA utilising the service of Suma JKT Port and Services Co. Ltd. Suma JKT is part of the Ministry of Defence and National Service (MoDNS) the personnel are youth fulfilling Tanzanian mandatory national service requirements. Suma JKT Port and Services Co. Ltd is a company officially registered in 2020 with the aim of managing the loading and unloading of cargo at the port and ensuring the safety of goods entering and leaving the country. TPA have contracted Suma JKT Currently to coordinate and manage workers in all existing ports under the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) which are the ports of Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Tanga, Mtwara, Kigoma, Kyela, Kasanga, Bukoba and Kemondo.

Hinterland Information

The port of Kigoma is connected to the Hinterland with good road and Rail access, the rail siding in the port area provides direct access to the Central rail corridor to Dodoma and Dar es Salam. The road network provides good access across northern Tanzania and into Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda through three major one stop border posts. 

Port Security

Port security at Kigoma port is good, the port is fenced, and access is monitored, all visitors are recorded, badged and provided with Hi-Viz on entry. The gate to the port is manned 24/7, the port is patrolled by security personnel.  There is also a police station 100m from the port entrance. Kigoma port conforms to Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) security regulations for Tanzanian inland ports.

Security
ISPS Compliant	No
Current ISPS Level (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	N/A
Police Boats	Yes
Fire Engines	No