TANZANIA · TRADE
Key Facts
- The country Tanzania, in East Africa, is led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and borders Lake Nyasa.
- What happened Engineers said on Tuesday 27 October 2026 that Mbamba Bay Port is 78 percent built.
- The cost The government put the project at 81 billion shillings (about US$30.7 million) in September 2024.
- The link The harbour is meant to open a lake route to Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
- What is next The contract runs to Friday 26 February 2027; no opening date for services is set.
Tanzania’s Mbamba Bay Port on Lake Nyasa was 78 percent built on Tuesday 27 October 2026, according to the engineers working on the project. The Tanzania Ports Authority, the state body that runs the country’s harbours, says the contract runs to Friday 26 February 2027.
The harbour sits in the far south of Tanzania, on a lake that Malawi calls Lake Malawi. It is meant to give southern Tanzania a direct water route to Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
Where Mbamba Bay Is and Why It Matters
The town of Mbamba Bay is a small place in Nyasa District, in Tanzania’s Ruvuma Region, on the eastern shore of Lake Nyasa. The lake is shared by Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, and Malawi knows it as Lake Malawi.
Fishing and small farms have long been the local economy, and boats use a modest lake landing. A proper harbour would let larger vessels load goods that otherwise travel long distances by road.
The Tanzania Ports Authority chose the site after a feasibility study in 2023, which looked at where the lake needed better port services. Its engineers say the new harbour should carry minerals, farm produce, fish and manufactured goods across the Lake Nyasa region.
How Far the Construction Has Come
President Samia Suluhu Hassan laid the foundation stone on 25 September 2024, when the works were only 6 percent complete. The government then gave the cost as 81 billion Tanzanian shillings (about US$30.7 million) and the work period as 24 months.
By July 2026 the Minister of Transport, Professor Makame Mbarawa, reported that the harbour had reached 60 percent. In late October 2026 the project engineers put the figure at 78 percent, which means about 18 points of progress in roughly three months.
The Tanzania Ports Authority’s project engineer, John Paul, credits the government for releasing money on time, so the contractor has been paid on schedule. The resident engineer of the supervising firm says the contract date of 26 February 2027 still stands.
What the Port Will Be Able to Handle
When finished, Mbamba Bay Port is designed to berth two vessels at the same time. It will also have a passenger terminal able to serve 400 people at once, plus a warehouse for cargo.
The site covers 49,700 square metres, according to the authority’s figures at the 2024 launch. The government has set aside 4.4 billion Tanzanian shillings (about US$1.67 million) to pay more than 200 residents whose land the project needed.
The authority runs the Kiwira lake port, managed from its Kyela office, with cargo vessels of 1,000 tonnes each. Mbamba Bay Port is meant to serve the southern end of the same lake.
The Road and Rail Behind the Port
The port is the lake end of the Mtwara Corridor, an 826-kilometre trade route that starts at Mtwara on the Indian Ocean. On the same day the president also opened the 66-kilometre Mbinga to Mbamba Bay road, which cost 122.76 billion Tanzanian shillings (about US$46.5 million).
The government has also completed a feasibility study and preliminary design for a standard gauge railway of about 1,000 kilometres from Mtwara to Mbamba Bay. The Deputy Minister of Transport, David Kihenzile, told Parliament that money for the line is still being sought, including through private partners.
The Tanzania Ports Authority says a branch of that railway could serve the Mchuchuma coalfield and the Liganga iron ore deposit. Until the railway is funded and built, cargo reaching the lake will keep coming by road.
What It Means for US Readers
The sum is small, at about US$30.7 million, but Mbamba Bay Port matters to firms shipping to or from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique. Those landlocked or remote markets pay high freight costs, and a lake link could lower them.
The authority has said the project is on schedule and that the government has paid the contractor on time. Investors tracking Tanzania can read that as a sign this public work is being funded.
Travellers should note that no passenger service has started yet. Our report on the Lake Nyasa ship fire shows why safe, modern lake harbours matter to people who use the water.
What Is Not Known
The authority has not said which shipping lines will use Mbamba Bay Port or how many tonnes of cargo it expects each year. It has also not published tariffs, opening dates for passenger boats or a plan to run a service to Malawi’s lakeside ports.
The cost was given as 81 billion Tanzanian shillings (about US$30.7 million) in 2024 and as over 80 billion (about US$30.3 million) in 2026. No final bill has been published, and the railway that would feed the port has no confirmed funding.
Lake Nyasa water levels change over the year. How the port copes in a dry season will only be clear once it opens.
More: Tanzania news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Mbamba Bay Port?
Mbamba Bay Port is on the shore of Lake Nyasa in Nyasa District, Ruvuma Region, in southern Tanzania. Malawi calls the same lake Lake Malawi.
When will Mbamba Bay Port finish?
The contract date for Mbamba Bay Port is Friday 26 February 2027. Engineers say the work is 78 percent complete and on schedule.
How much does Mbamba Bay Port cost?
The government gave the cost as 81 billion Tanzanian shillings (about US$30.7 million) in September 2024. Officials have since described it as over 80 billion shillings (about US$30.3 million).
Which countries will it serve?
The Tanzania Ports Authority says the port will improve trade with Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. It is also meant to give southern Tanzania a lake outlet for goods.
Is the railway to Mbamba Bay built?
No, the railway is not built. A study and preliminary design for the roughly 1,000-kilometre line from Mtwara are finished, but the government is still looking for money.
Sources: Tanzania Ports Authority, Lake Nyasa Port, 31 October 2026; Tanzania Ports Authority, home page, 31 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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