DP World Revamps Dar es Salaam Port, Slashes Ship Waiting Times and Boosts Revenue

By Adonis Byemelwa

The takeover of Dar es Salaam’s container terminal by Gulf-based DP World has transformed port operations, slashing ship waiting times dramatically. What once averaged 46 days in May has been reduced to just seven days, with container ships now experiencing zero waiting time.

The takeover of Dar es Salaam’s container terminal by Gulf-based DP World has transformed port operations, slashing ship waiting times dramatically. What once averaged 46 days in May has been reduced to just seven days, with container ships now experiencing zero waiting time.

Highlighting these improvements, Planning and Investment State Minister Prof. Kitila Mkumbo applauded the advancements during a recent parliamentary session. He credited new high-tech equipment, such as sea-to-shore gantry cranes (SSGs) and rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs), with expediting cargo handling processes.

This investment has led to a substantial reduction in turnaround time for container ships, halving from seven days to three, while the number of ships waiting at anchor has dropped from 35 in September 2023 to 15 a year later.

According to the agreement with the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), DP World committed to investing $250 million (675 billion Sh) over five years. Within the first five months alone, the company has invested 214.425 billion Sh, amounting to 31 percent of the total promised amount.

These initial funds have been directed toward upgrading equipment and advancing IT systems for better port management. DP World Dar es Salaam, the local entity created by the Dubai-based company, officially began operations on April 15.

Integrating the Tanzania Customs Integrated System (TANCIS) with the Tanzania Electronic Single Window System (TeSWS) has further accelerated port processes, cutting down redundancies and reducing cargo clearance times.

This improved efficiency has also led to a significant rise in tax revenue, with the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) collecting 1 trillion Sh in September 2024, compared to a previous monthly average of 850 billion Sh.

Minister Mkumbo underscored the achievements made at Dar es Salaam port, attributing the improvements in cargo throughput and revenue to DP World’s management. His remarks were delivered while presenting the national development plan for 2025/26, where he highlighted substantial gains in operational efficiency and revenue generation since the logistics firm took over in April.

Within just five months, cargo handled at the port has grown by 18.6 percent, from 141,889 tonnes in May 2024 to 168,336 tonnes in September. The number of containers processed, measured in 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), has also surged from an average of 12,000 to 27,000 per month—a record-breaking level, surpassing the previous high of 15,000. Furthermore, the government has collected 325.3 billion Sh in revenue from agreements with TPA, covering land rent, royalties, and wharfage fees.

With increased revenue and reduced operational costs, the government has now initiated significant infrastructure projects valued at 1.922 trillion Sh. These investments include the construction of a single buoy mooring (SBM), a new port at Mgao Island in Mtwara, and dhow wharves in Dar es Salaam, marking a new era of transformation for Tanzania’s port sector.