DP World handles record cargo at Dar port as bulk and RoRo volumes peak

Dar es Salaam. DP World recorded its highest monthly cargo volumes at the Dar es Salaam Port in October 2026. The terminal handled 508,556 tonnes of dry bulk and 37,652 roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) units, as activity at Terminal 1 continued to expand.

The October result came with growth in all four major cargo categories over the first ten months of the year, compared with the same period in 2025.

That points to more trade moving through the terminal.

Ten-month performance

According to company data, dry bulk handled between January and October reached about 3.39 million tonnes, up from 3.13 million tonnes a year earlier, an increase of roughly 8 per cent.

The strongest gains were in wheeled cargo and containers. RoRo traffic rose to 271,443 units from 175,122, an increase of about 55 per cent.

Container throughput reached 418,826 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), against 256,328 TEUs in the corresponding period of 2025, a rise of about 63 per cent.

General cargo grew more modestly, to about 2.08 million tonnes from 1.94 million tonnes, or roughly 7 per cent.

October's RoRo figure also surpasses the previous record. The terminal handled a record 30,442 RoRo units in March 2026, so the new peak is about 24 per cent higher.

On containers, the picture is more nuanced. DP World handled 44,001 TEUs in May 2026, against 27,953 a year earlier. October's headline records were therefore in dry bulk and RoRo, not boxes.

Company's assessment

DP World's Head of External Relations, Corporate Affairs and Coordination, Elitunu Mallamia said the figures reflected the scale of cargo now being handled and the importance of reliable port operations.

"These milestones reflect the scale of cargo now being handled through our terminal and the importance of dependable port operations to businesses and communities," she said.

"Our focus remains on working with customers and port stakeholders to support trade flows and strengthen Dar es Salaam's role as a gateway for Tanzania and the region."

Growth since DP World's arrival

DP World says that since it began operating at the terminal, general cargo volumes have risen by 118 per cent, dry bulk by 29 per cent, container volumes by 211 per cent and RoRo traffic by 68 per cent.

The company has not stated the baseline period for these comparisons.

The company operates the multipurpose Terminal 1, which handles containers, general cargo, dry bulk and RoRo shipments across a 1,580-metre quay covering berths zero to seven.

It serves Tanzania and more than nine land-linked neighbouring countries.

Operational gains reported

DP World says its investment has improved efficiency, expanded capacity and shortened vessel waiting times.

It also reports more than 3,500 direct jobs and trade savings of more than $750 million. The company has not published the methodology for the savings figure.

Other claims relate to speed. DP World says it has cut cargo discharge times by more than 90 per cent since starting operations under the concession in April 2024. The terminal is also handling larger ships.

In the first quarter of 2026 it received the 240-metre M/V Ramhan, the longest vessel ever to call at Dar es Salaam, with capacity for up to 7,790 vehicles.

Transit trade and the Central Corridor

Terminal volumes are part of a broader national story.

Tanzania Ports Authority data put total cargo through Dar es Salaam at 33.71 million tonnes in 2025/26, of which 14.61 million tonnes was transit cargo.

In 2024/25 the port had handled 27.7 million tonnes, up 17 per cent.

Transit cargo to landlocked markets rose 17 percent to 14.61 million tonnes in 2025/26, led by flows to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia and Rwanda.

DRC-bound cargo rose 30 per cent to 7.77 million tonnes, or 53 per cent of all transit cargo. Rwanda-bound cargo rose 24 per cent to 2.18 million tonnes.