Staff Writer
Zimbabwe and Tanzania moved closer to formalising cooperation on dry port operations following a two-day meeting held at Rainbow Towers in Harare from September 2 to 3, 2026.
The meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development of Zimbabwe and Tanzania’s Ministry of Transport to review progress made in bilateral cooperation towards the establishment of a Zimbabwean dry port terminal in Tanzania.
Tanzania had allocated 10 hectares of land at Kwala in the Coastal Region for Zimbabwe to establish the facility, which is expected to improve cargo handling, sorting and storage while facilitating the movement of goods between the two countries.
Representing the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer P.J. Makumbe, the Ministry’s Head of Legal Services, Advocate Kingston Magaya, said the two countries had made significant progress towards formalising the project.
“The two countries are at an advanced stage towards signing a Memorandum of Understanding,” said Advocate Magaya.
He said the agreement would provide the necessary framework for cooperation and facilitate the conclusion of definitive agreements required to implement and operationalise the dry port project.
“The MoU will provide a framework for cooperation and pave the way for the signing of definitive agreements to enable the implementation and operationalisation of the dry port project,” he said.
The proposed dry port is expected to provide Zimbabwe with improved access to Tanzania’s transport and logistics network, potentially supporting the movement of imports and exports through the Dar es Salaam corridor.
A dry port is an inland logistics facility connected to a seaport through road or rail networks, where cargo can be handled, stored, sorted and processed away from the coast. Such facilities help decongest seaports, improve cargo clearance and create more efficient supply chains.
For Zimbabwe, the proposed Kwala dry port forms part of efforts to diversify and strengthen access to regional transport corridors and improve trade facilitation. Tanzania’s port and transport infrastructure provides an important gateway for land-linked countries, while enhanced Zimbabwe-Tanzania cooperation could support regional integration, reduce logistics bottlenecks and promote the efficient movement of goods.
The project is also aligned with broader regional infrastructure and trade facilitation objectives under SADC and Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2, which emphasises infrastructure development, efficient logistics and increased regional trade.
Clarify the dry port’s expected benefits.