The port of Dar es Salaam is emerging as a crucial gateway to landlocked economies in East and Central Africa and a major prize for international investors seeking footholds in regional trade corridors, according to a news analysis published by the Independent. The port, equipped with eleven berths and serving seven landlocked countries, generated $120 million in revenue between April and September 2025. Official reports indicate the government is working to expand its capacity to 30 million tonnes by 2030.
Foreign Capital and Strategic Investment Reshape Trade Corridors
China remains deeply embedded in the region after two decades of building railways, roads, power plants, and telecommunications networks. At the same time, investors from the United Arab Emirates are moving into ports, logistics, energy, and agriculture. Dubai-based DP World has established itself as a major player in these networks. Further north, the Port of Mombasa handles about 45 million tonnes of cargo annually. While the Kenya Ports Authority manages core infrastructure and cargo operations at Mombasa, foreign investors like DP World have partnered with Kenya to develop logistics and industrial infrastructure alongside digital cargo-handling systems.
To close its infrastructure gap, East Africa requires approximately $42 billion in investment annually until 2040, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development cited by the Independent. This represents the largest infrastructure investment requirement of any African region.
Energy Corridors and Petroleum Infrastructure Projects
East Africa is simultaneously developing into a strategic energy corridor through large-scale pipeline, storage, and liquefied natural gas projects. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline, stretching 1,443 kilometers from Uganda’s Lake Albert region to Tanzania’s port town of Tanga, was 79% complete as of January 2026 and remains on schedule for July commissioning and October exports, according to Aecweek. The $5 billion project is a joint venture involving TotalEnergies with a 62% stake, the governments of Uganda and Tanzania with 15% each, and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation with an 8% stake, as reported by Mongabay.
In Tanzania, downstream and gas infrastructure are advancing alongside pipeline developments. Tanzania broke ground on a $274 million petroleum storage expansion at Dar es Salaam Port in March 2026, adding 15 new tanks with a capacity of 378,000 cubic meters reported Aecweek. Additionally, Deputy Minister for Energy Salome Makamba indicated that the country is targeting a mid-2026 signature for the Host Government Agreement for its long-delayed LNG project led by Shell and Equinor.
Cross-Border Digital Connectivity and Intercontinental Partnerships
Digital infrastructure across East Africa is expanding through collaborative regional initiatives. Ethio telecom, Djibouti Telecom, and Sudatel Group signed a Tripartite Agreement under the Horizon Fiber Initiative to deploy high-capacity, cross-border, and multi-terabit optical fibre infrastructure, reported Capacityglobal. The terrestrial fibre corridor will connect international submarine cable landing stations in Djibouti, pass through Ethiopia, and extend toward Sudan’s landing stations to establish a diversified regional connectivity pathway linking East Africa to global digital networks. The partnership builds upon an earlier Memorandum of Understanding signed in Addis Ababa in December 2024.
Intercontinental trade initiatives are also forging new economic bridges. During the Kazakhstan–Kenya Business Forum in Astana on May 20, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed linking the Middle Corridor with East Africa’s maritime routes through Kenya’s ports of Mombasa and Lamu, Astanatimes. Kenyan President William Ruto welcomed the initiative, confirming Kenya’s readiness to support Kazakhstan’s access to regional markets and expressing interest in establishing a logistics hub in Astana for Kenyan exports entering Eurasian markets.
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