Image of the Port of Dar es Salaam from the book Von Unseren Kolonien by Ottomar Beta in the year 1908The Port of Dar es Salaam Lighthouse in south east of Kivukoni
The city owes its existence to the port at Dar es Salaam. The city began its development in 1862 by the Sultan of ZanzibarMajid bin Said as an alternative port to the ports of Bagamoyo and Zanzibar; however, after his death the project was scrapped. It was not resumed until the German East Africa Company began to rebuild the city in 1887. The Germans had already completed the Usambara Railway from the Port of Tanga and began constructing the new Tanzanian Central Line from their new capital to the port of Dar es Salaam.[10]
After World War I the British took over Tanganyika and maintained their capital in the city. Economic activity continued through the early 20th century and through World War II, centralised around the city and this facilitated expansion of the port. After Tanganyika gained its independence the city retained its position as the commercial capital.[11]
Apartheid South Africa
Due to the Apartheid South Africa government many land-locked Southern African countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi that had relied on South African ports turned to the Port of Dar es Salaam. This facilitated the construction of the TAZARA Railway, TANZAM highway and the Malawi corridor link.[12] The port provides a gateway for Zambian copper exports and Malawian tobacco exports, furthermore it provides a vital lifeline for fuel imports.
Present operations
An aerial view of Dar es Salaam Port.
With the continually growing economies in the region the reliance of dar port increased drastically. The port saw an average of 10% annual growth of cargo traffic from 2003 onwards which complemented the rapid growth of the city of Dar es Salaam.[13]
The port has faced increased criticism of inefficiencies and corruption and has seen increased international pressure.[14]
Expansion
The port is currently being expanded at the cost of $421m.[15] The number of vehicles will rise by 268 percent upon completion of the port.[16]
In July 2020, a foundation stone was laid for the construction of an inland port in Tanzania at the cost of $20m.[17]
The construction will include building a 150m berth, which is all set for completion in 24 months. As of July 2020, 80 percent of the construction has been completed.[18]
35% of cargo moving through the port is foreign owned and Dar es Salaam port facilitates countries that rely heavily on Dar es salaam port and gives them licenses to operate their own cargo centers. The foreign cargo centers help countries to process cargo from their respective countries to increase efficiency and reduce costs.[19]
MOFED Tanzania Limited
MOFED Tanzania limited is a Zambian-owned clearing and forwarding company. MOFED stands for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development which in April 2001 replaced the defunct zamcargo.[20] The company is an entirely Zambian government owned organization and deals with the majority of Zambian Exports and Imports.[21] MOFED operates out of the Mukuba Depot, located in south Kurasini and has direct access to the TAZARA rail link.[19]
^Odén, Bertil (1 January 1993). Southern Africa After Apartheid: Regional Integration and External Resources. Nordic Africa Institute. p. 131. ISBN9171063323.
^ ab"Cargo Centers". Tanzania Ports. Tanzania Port Authority. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
^"Zambia loosing revenue – Envoy". ZNBC. Zambia National Broadcasting Center. 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
^"MOFED - About Us". mofed.co.tz. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
1,518 (2016)[5]
14.3 million (2016)[5]
