Dar es Salaam, Oct. 19 -- EVERY tonne of cargo passing through Tanzanias ports tells a story of expanding trade, growing business opportunities and an economy increasingly connected to regional and international markets. Yet behind this progress lies a pressing question: can the countrys port infrastructure keep pace with the speed of growth?

At the centre of this challenge is Dar es Salaam Port, Tanzanias principal maritime gateway, where cargo volumes have risen sharply. The port handled 33.7 million tonnes in the 2025/26 financial year, up from 27.7 million tonnes in 2024/25. The additional six million tonnes represent growth of approximately 21.7 per cent within a single year.

More strikingly, this volume had initially been projecte...