Business Correspondent
Zimbabwe has secured 10 hectares of land at Tanzania’s Kwala dry port in the Coastal Region, paving the way for the development of a dedicated logistics terminal that could give the landlocked country an additional gateway for international trade.
The allocation forms part of efforts by Zimbabwe and Tanzania to deepen cooperation in transport and logistics, with officials from the two countries now working towards finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project.
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development said the MoU would establish the framework for cooperation before the two governments enter into definitive agreements covering the implementation and operation of the facility.
The proposed terminal would give Zimbabwean importers and exporters access to the Central Corridor and the Port of Dar es Salaam, providing an alternative route for cargo currently moving through other regional gateways, including Mozambique’s Beira Corridor.
Kwala is located in Tanzania’s Pwani Region and is being developed as an inland extension of the Port of Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s port authority lists the Kwala Inland Container Depot as having a 600,000-square-metre yard and plans for further development aimed at helping decongest Dar es Salaam port.
The wider Kwala facility has also been positioned as a regional logistics hub for landlocked countries. Tanzania has allocated dedicated areas within the complex to several countries, including 45 hectares for the Democratic Republic of Congo, 20 hectares for Zambia and 10 hectares each for Zimbabwe, Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda.
The facility is connected to Tanzania’s rail network and is designed to facilitate the movement and storage of containers away from Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Ports Authority said Kwala was already handling cargo and had a storage capacity of about 3,500 containers, with operations supported by both road and rail infrastructure.
For Zimbabwe, the project could expand the country’s options for moving goods to and from overseas markets. The Central Corridor provides access to Dar es Salaam and connects Tanzania with several landlocked economies in East and Central Africa.
The development comes as Zimbabwe seeks to strengthen and diversify its logistics infrastructure. The country is also pursuing a dry port project in Mutare, while Mozambique is advancing plans for a dry port at Dondo linked to the Port of Beira.
The Kwala project is expected to strengthen trade links between Southern and East Africa while giving Zimbabwean businesses another potential route for the movement of imports and exports through a regional maritime gateway.
