Tanzania to begin construction on Bagamoyo Port in December

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Bagamoyo port, part of a large-scale special economic zone initiative that includes industrial parks and rail and road links, is located about 75 km (47 miles) north of the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

Gerson Msigwa, the chief government spokesperson, said the port will have 28 berths, but construction will start initially on 14. Machinery is already on the way. The port will reach a depth of up to 20 meters and accommodate larger ships than any other port in eastern Africa.

Capacity and Scale

"The port will be able to handle ships with a capacity of up to 25,000 containers," Msigwa said, without specifying the project value or construction contractor.

Tanzania signed a framework agreement with China Merchants Holdings International and Oman’s State General Reserve Fund in 2013. Implementation was delayed due to the government’s concerns that the original terms were not favourable.

Since taking office in 2021, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been negotiating to revive the $10 billion project.