Transport
Tanzania's transport sector anchors the Central Corridor with the 531.8 km Dar-Chalinze-Morogoro-Dodoma Expressway, a TZS 701.8 billion Dar es Salaam Port oil storage expansion, and the Bagamoyo Eco-Maritime City identified as an FYDP IV Flagship Project.
Tanzania's geographic position on the Indian Ocean makes it the natural transit hub for six landlocked neighbours—DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and Malawi—anchoring the Central Corridor and serving as the regional logistics platform for East and Southern Africa.
The transport sector registered 149 investment projects worth USD 1.3 billion through TISEZA in 2024, second only to manufacturing and reflecting intense investor interest in Roads, Ports, Airports, and railway infrastructure.
Major projects shaping the sector include the Bagamoyo Eco-Maritime City and Intermodal Transport development—an FYDP IV Flagship Project combining a deep-sea port, industrial, logistics, and tourism functions—the ongoing SGR Standard Gauge Railway expansion linking Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, Mwanza, and onward to Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC, the new Msalato International Airport in Dodoma, the rollout of BRT (DART) Phases III, IV, and V in Dar es Salaam, and the 531.8 km Dar-Chalinze-Morogoro-Dodoma Expressway connecting the commercial capital to the political capital Dodoma.
These investments align with Vision 2050 (TDV 2050), which positions Tanzania as a leading hub for Africa's regional trade and logistics, supported by Public-Private Partnership (PPP) frameworks for large-scale infrastructure delivery.
Roads
The Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) manages 36,257 km of trunk and regional roads, forming the backbone of domestic and regional freight movement along the Central Corridor.
Under the Ministry of Works Budget 2025/2026, flagship Roads projects include the Dar-Chalinze-Morogoro-Dodoma Expressway extending 531.8 km, the Dodoma City Outer Dual Carriageway Ring Road covering 112.3 km, and the Pangani Bridge connecting coastal corridors.
The hosting of AFCON 2027 is accelerating road upgrades and stadium-linked infrastructure in Arusha and Dodoma, reinforcing urban mobility and tourism connectivity ahead of the continental event.
Railways
The SGR Standard Gauge Railway connecting Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, Mwanza, and beyond forms the backbone of the Central Corridor freight strategy, with the first phase from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro commencing operations in June 2024.
The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) operates the historic Tazara line linking Dar es Salaam to the Zambian Copperbelt, currently under modernisation through a Chinese partnership to restore freight competitiveness.
The Central Line metre-gauge railway continues to undergo rehabilitation to complement SGR capacity and serve secondary corridors across the country.
Ports
The Port of Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's largest port and the gateway for landlocked DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and Malawi, handling a record 27.7 million tonnes in 2024/2025—a 17% year-on-year increase.
The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) manages Dar es Salaam, Tanga, and Mtwara, alongside lake ports on Victoria, Tanganyika, and Nyasa, with Kigoma Port on Lake Tanganyika contracted for upgrading in 2025.
The Bagamoyo Eco-Maritime City has been designated an FYDP IV Flagship Project, integrating a deep-sea port with an intermodal logistics hub, industrial zones, and tourism components under modern SEZ frameworks.
The Dar es Salaam Port oil storage expansion—a TZS 701.8 billion project—adds 15 new tanks, delivers a 35.9% capacity increase, and reduces vessel turnaround time from 22 days to 7 days.
Aviation
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) regulates the aviation sector, overseeing safety, licensing, and airspace management across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
The main hubs are Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro International Airport, and Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar, supported by a network of regional Airports under rehabilitation.
Msalato International Airport in Dodoma is under construction with USD 272.12 million in AfDB financing, with completion targeted for 2026 to serve the political capital and the wider Dodoma economic zone.
Air Tanzania Company Limited is expanding its fleet to 16 aircraft—including the Boeing 737-9 Max, Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, and Boeing 767-300F freighter—and is complemented by international carriers Emirates, Etihad, Kenya Airways, Qatar Airways, KLM, Turkish Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines.
Urban Transport
The Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit system—BRT (DART)—has Phase I fully operational, with Phases III, IV, and V advancing under World Bank and AfDB funding to extend mass transit coverage across the metropolitan area.
DART expansion targets full coverage of the Dar es Salaam metropolitan area, including connections towards Kigamboni, by the end of the FYDP IV period in 2030/31.
Urban mobility upgrades are also progressing in Dodoma and Arusha, linked to Housing development, Sewerage works, and rising demand for Commercial Properties along transit corridors.
Policies
The Ministry of Transport leads sector governance, while the Ministry of Works manages Roads infrastructure delivery, including expressways, Ring Road developments, and major bridges.
The Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) regulates passenger and freight road and railway transport, having succeeded the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA), which previously regulated surface and marine transport.
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) regulates the aviation sector, while the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) manages all sea and lake ports, and the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) provides shipping agency, regulatory, and clearing functions.
FYDP IV identifies the Bagamoyo Eco-Maritime City as a Flagship Project, alongside the Liganga-Mchuchuma Iron and Steel complex and the Lindi LNG project, reinforcing transport infrastructure as the backbone of Vision 2050.
The Plan targets at least 50% of all large-scale infrastructure projects to be implemented through alternative funding by June 2031, expanding Public-Private Partnership (PPP) participation across transport corridors.
Investment Opportunities
Large-scale port, industrial, logistics, and tourism opportunities are available under the Bagamoyo Eco-Maritime City and Intermodal Transport development, anchored by deep-sea port capacity and modern special economic zone rules within a public-private partnership framework.
The Standard Gauge Railway value chain opens space for rolling stock supply, station infrastructure, freight terminals, and connecting industrial parks. Regional logistics and warehousing along the Central Corridor serve DRC, Burundi, and Rwanda copper, agricultural, and mineral export flows.
Airport infrastructure offers concession opportunities at Kilimanjaro International Airport—currently under a management contract—and at the new Msalato International Airport serving the capital.
National carrier expansion creates entry points in aircraft leasing, ground handling, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services across primary and secondary airports.
Urban transport opportunities include bus rapid transit operations, fare collection systems, and electric bus fleets supporting ongoing BRT corridor expansion in Dar es Salaam.
Transit-oriented real estate, public housing programs, mortgages, and mixed-use property development along emerging urban corridors complement these mobility investments and capture rising land values.
Last Update: May 2026
References
- https://www.tiseza.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1745479851-TIC%202024%20Investment%20FactSheet.pdf (Guide reference #6)
- https://www.bot.go.tz/Publications/Regular/Monthly%20Economic%20Review/en/2026020312553210.pdf (Guide reference #12)
- https://www.ewura.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1771937532-Electricty%20Sub-Sector%20Performance%20Updates_Dec_2025.pdf (Guide reference #15)
- https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/national/tanzania-targets-over-30-million-tonnes-annually-at-dar-port-as-capacity-expands-5332946 (Guide reference #30)
- https://www.mof.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1755768684-DIRA%20ya%20Maendeleo%202050%20ENGLISH%20(B5%20Booklet)%20%E2%80%A2%20Fina_250714_221005.pdf (Guide reference #38)
- https://www.planning.go.tz/publications/the-fourth-five-year-development-plan-2026-27-2030-31-fydp-iv (Guide reference #42)
- https://www.mow.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1746433881-HOTUBA%20YA%20BAJETI%202025.pdf (Guide reference #74)
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