Each December, when I return to my village, I reunite with my childhood friend, Mukama. We grew up together, sharing the same dusty primary school classroom and dreaming of a world beyond our horizons.
Life, however, led us down divergent paths. I pursued a career in mass communication, while Mukama became a long-haul truck driver, transporting copper and cobalt across East and Central Africa.
Over steaming morning cups of porridge, Mukama opens a window into his world. His accounts are not abstract theories of trade routes or policy frameworks; they are the gritty, lived realities of the road.
He describes the interminable queues at Tunduma, the weeks spent idling at Dar es Salaam Port awaiting clearance, the unofficial chai payments demanded by police along the highway, and the persistent anxiety of sleeping beside valuable cargo in isolated locations. His voice, heavy with exhaustion, carries a distinct urgency.
“Dada Msomi,” he tells me, “this business of moving cargo through Dar is killing us. One day lost is money gone. A week wasted at the port means my family suffers. Our Zambian and Congolese clients are patient—for now. But mark my words: in five years, Tanzania will lose this trade if nothing changes.”
Mukama’s words linger with me, and they should resonate deeply with Tanzania’s policymakers as well.
Rise of the Lobito Corridor
The very challenges Mukama articulates are precisely why the Lobito Corridor is capturing attention across Africa and internationally. It has evolved from a concept on paper into a fully funded regional project, connecting Angola’s Lobito Port on the Atlantic coast to the mineral-rich Copperbelt of Zambia and Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This corridor spans approximately 1,300 to 1,700 kilometres of revitalised and newly constructed railway, engineered to dramatically reduce both transport times and associated costs.
International heavyweights, including the United States, the European Union, and global financial institutions, are channelling billions into this venture. For them, the project is not solely about fostering African development; it is also about securing resilient, alternative supply chains for critical minerals like copper and cobalt.
For nations such as Zambia and the DRC, which collectively exported over ten billion US dollars worth of copper in 2023 alone, every new, efficient route represents a golden opportunity to enhance their trade competitiveness.
Pressure on Dar es Salaam
Simultaneously, Dar es Salaam Port continues to function as a crucial gateway for East Africa, managing over twenty-six million tonnes of cargo each year. It is estimated that around forty per cent of Zambia’s copper exports still transit through this port, relying on the TAZARA railway and long-haul trucking.
However, the narrative shifts when one considers the critical factor of distance. The journey from Lusaka to Dar es Salaam covers roughly two thousand kilometres, whereas the route from Lusaka to Lobito is only about thirteen hundred kilometres.
This seven-hundred-kilometre disparity translates into tangible savings of hundreds of dollars per tonne, days trimmed from delivery schedules, and millions in national revenue gained or lost.
READ MORE: US, EU-Backed Lobito Corridor: A Challenger to Tanzania’s SGR Rail, Port Ambitions?
As Mukama starkly illustrates, “Three weeks I waited in Dar for a container of copper. Three weeks! By then, my allowances were finished, police bribes drained me dry, and my truck could have already delivered in Lusaka if we used Lobito.”
These are not merely the isolated complaints of a single driver; they reflect the collective frustrations of hundreds of truckers, customs agents, small-scale traders, and landlocked nations whose economic vitality depends on Tanzania’s operational efficiency—or the current lack thereof.
Should cargo flows begin a significant westward shift, Tanzania faces substantial risks. A reduction in transit cargo would inevitably lead to declining revenue from port dues, clearance fees, and associated taxes.
Furthermore, thousands of individuals employed in trucking, clearing and forwarding, warehousing, and ancillary support services would feel the economic strain. Strategically, Dar es Salaam risks being relegated to a secondary port, primarily serving local import and export needs, rather than maintaining its status as a premier regional hub.
This is far more than a simple transport issue; it strikes at the heart of Tanzania’s future economic trajectory.
Pathways to reinvention
Fortunately, Tanzania retains viable options, provided it acts with boldness and immediacy. A clear pathway forward involves several urgent measures.
READ MORE: Tanzania and Angola Sign Agreements on Defence, Investment, and Trade
First and foremost, it is critical to rectify efficiency at Dar es Salaam Port by streamlining vessel turnaround times, fully digitising customs procedures, and systematically eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
Secondly, the revitalisation of the TAZARA railway is paramount; modernising this 1,860-kilometre line is essential for it to compete effectively on both speed and cost.
Concurrently, Tanzania should accelerate the development of alternative ports such as Bagamoyo, Tanga, and Mtwara. This would alleviate congestion at Dar es Salaam and provide shippers with meaningful choices.
Beyond transit, there is a compelling need to add value locally by establishing smelters and battery production facilities. This would ensure that copper and cobalt are not merely shipped raw through Dar es Salaam but are processed into higher-value exports within Tanzania.
Finally, adept diplomatic engagement through SADC and COMESA frameworks can help negotiate fair and competitive regional transit agreements.
For economists and development enthusiasts, this scenario represents structural competition. For Mukama, it is a matter of daily survival. Every delay at Tunduma, every week squandered at the port, every petty bribe extracted on the highway—these incidents deplete not only his personal finances but also the very lifeblood of Tanzania’s economy.
If his cry is ignored, his prediction will likely materialise: within five years, the Lobito Corridor could outcompete Dar es Salaam. However, decisive action now can rewrite this narrative.
Dar es Salaam has the potential to transform from a traditional gateway into a regional logistics powerhouse, distinguished by its speed, efficiency, and value-added industries that no single corridor can easily replicate.
Looking ahead
By the year 2050, Africa’s population is projected to reach 2.5 billion people. The demand for minerals, energy, and efficient transport will skyrocket accordingly. Emerging corridors like Lobito are a clear signal of the continent’s future direction.
Tanzania now faces a critical choice: will Dar es Salaam become a forgotten road, or will it reinvent itself as a smart, modern, and indispensable hub for the region?
The Lobito Corridor is more than just a railway; it is a mirror held up to Tanzania, compelling a frank confrontation with its systemic inefficiencies. Geography alone can no longer guarantee Dar es Salaam’s supremacy. The new determinants of success are unwavering efficiency, continuous innovation, and strategic investment.
As a development enthusiast—and as Mukama’s friend—I maintain that Tanzania still has a window of opportunity to act. If we seize this moment, Mukama’s stories of hardship could transform into testimonies of hope and progress. But if we prevaricate, his lament may well become our shared national reality.
Annastazia Rugaba is the Director of Advocacy and Engagement at Twaweza. She can be reached at annarugaba@gmail.com or on X as @annarugaba. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Chanzo. If you are interested in publishing in this space, please contact our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
