Tanzania advances its port efficiency drive

The delegation, led by Treasury Registrar Nehemiah Mchechu and Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Director General Plasduce Mbossa, visited Port of Antwerp–Bruges to examine how technology, governance and long-term planning can lift port performance and national competitiveness. 

“Ports are not just transit points; they are economic gateways,” Mr Mchechu said, adding that Antwerp–Bruges demonstrates how technology-led operations, strong governance and integrated planning can improve efficiency, transparency and returns on public investments.

“As volumes grow, efficiency and reliability become critical. Learning from advanced ports helps us consolidate and scale these gains through technology, skills and sound management.”

Efficiency focus

The visit comes as Tanzania is working to position itself as a regional trade and logistics gateway for East and Central Africa, where port efficiency is increasingly central to export growth, logistics costs and investor confidence.

Antwerp–Bruges is Europe’s second-largest port, handling close to 280–290 million tonnes of cargo annually and more than 13 million containers. In addition to its economic footprint, it takes an active international advisory role.

For Tanzania, where ports are among the state’s largest public assets, the visit highlighted the need to move beyond expansion towards optimising existing infrastructure.

Mr Mbossa said international benchmarking was timely as Tanzanian ports record performance gains, particularly at the Port of Dar es Salaam, which handled a record 27.7 million tonnes in 2024/25 following upgrades and private-sector participation from DP World and Tanzania East Africa Gateway Terminal Limited.

The two port authorities have now agreed to collaborate on skills development, planning and operational optimisation, translating global best practice into stronger port investment outcomes and improved port efficiency across African ports.