Bagamoyo Port: Tanzania’s Bid to Become East Africa’s Strategic Maritime Hub

A Historical Turning Point

On 23 November 2025, Tanzania confirmed that construction of the deep-sea port of Bagamoyo will begin in December, ending a decade of political stalemates, negotiations, and uncertainty.
This announcement transforms one of East Africa’s most ambitious infrastructure projects from a promise into an operational phase, positioning Tanzania to become a major regional logistics hub.

Government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa presented Bagamoyo as the backbone of a wider national infrastructure strategy that includes:

• the construction of urban railway lines,
• the modernization of Kigoma port,
• and the development of a logistics-industrial ecosystem.

A Politically Turbulent Project

Bagamoyo is emblematic not only for its scope but also for its volatility.
The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has allocated 22 billion Tanzanian shillings (approx. €8 million) to finance initial studies and the first physical infrastructures, including deep-water docks designed to receive vessels much larger than those currently handled by Dar es Salaam.
This initial capital remains tiny compared to the multi-billion-dollar price tag, but it marks an operational shift.

Since its inception in 2013, the project has experienced repeated interruptions:

• 2019 — Full suspension under President John Magufuli, who denounced the Chinese partners’ terms as “predatory.”
• 2021 — Revival under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, reopening negotiations under conditions deemed more balanced.
• 2025 — Construction launch, after stabilization of financing and logistical frameworks.

This trajectory underlines the project’s geopolitical sensitivity and contractual complexity.

Exceptional Technical and Industrial Ambitions

Once completed, Bagamoyo Port is expected to redefine maritime dynamics in East Africa with capabilities far beyond the regional norm:

• Throughput capacity: up to 20 million TEUs by 2045
  (25× the current capacity of Dar es Salaam).
• Draft depth: 17 meters, suitable for ultra-large container vessels.
• Job creation: over 100,000 direct and indirect positions.
• Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone (BSEZ): up to 760 industrial facilities, turning the port into an integrated manufacturing hub.

These specifications place Bagamoyo’s potential in the same category as Singapore, Amsterdam, or Shenzhen within the Indo-African trade corridor.

An Economic Engine for East Africa

Bagamoyo aims to become the primary logistics gateway for multiple landlocked countries:

• Rwanda
• Uganda
• Burundi
• Democratic Republic of Congo

The port is expected to significantly reduce:

• transit delays,
• import/export costs,
• dependence on the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

The adjacent BSEZ will enhance local value creation through manufacturing, mineral processing, and industrial clusters, attracting multinational operators seeking scalable maritime access.

Political Risks Remain, Despite Forward Momentum

Despite the government’s confident narrative, political certainty remains the decisive variable for capital attraction.
The re-election of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, while interpreted as continuity, does not by itself guarantee investment stability.

Persistent vulnerabilities include:

• domestic resistance to revised contractual terms,
• lingering distrust from the Magufuli era,
• dependency risks tied to Chinese and Omani financing.

Securing this project will require credible governance, transparency, and a predictable investment environment.

Spillover Effects: Tourism, Industry, and Regional Integration

According to Msigwa, the port’s impact will extend far beyond maritime trade.
Tourism, which reportedly grew from 2 million visitors to a targeted 8 million, could benefit directly from enhanced transport infrastructure, enabling higher passenger flows and hospitality investments.

Economic expectations include:

• strengthening GDP growth,
• industrial acceleration via the BSEZ,
• logistical and manufacturing spillovers,
• and deeper East African regional integration under the EAC and AfCFTA frameworks.

Conclusion — Bagamoyo: A Tanzanian Bet with Continental Implications

Bagamoyo’s transition from negotiations to physical construction is a major strategic rupture.
For the first time since 2013, the project exits the cycle of promise / suspension / renegotiation and enters the phase of infrastructure / investment / industrialization.

If fully delivered, Bagamoyo could:

• become Africa’s leading port by 2045,
• reposition Tanzania as a regional logistics power,
• accelerate East African commercial integration,
• and stand as a symbol of economic renewal in a city marked by history.

Its success will depend on three decisive conditions:

Contract transparency, Political stability, and Financial governance.

Classification: Strategic – Economic – Infrastructure