Dar es Salaam Port Rises to 255th Globally in CPPI 2025, Surpassing Mombasa, Durban and Cape Town
Dar es Salaam. The Port of Dar es Salaam has made a significant improvement in the global port performance rankings, rising to 255th position worldwide in the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2025, ahead of Kenya’s Mombasa and South Africa’s Durban and Cape Town ports.
According to the report published by the World Bank in collaboration with S&P Global Market Intelligence, Dar es Salaam ranked 255th globally with a score of -7.75, compared with Mombasa, which ranked 396th with a score of -231.49.
This places Dar es Salaam 141 positions ahead of Mombasa, while it is also ahead of Durban by 143 positions and Cape Town by 145 positions.
Durban ranked 398th, with a score of -241.67, while Cape Town was ranked 400th, with a score of -302.58.
Other South African ports that ranked below Dar es Salaam included Port Elizabeth, which ranked 314th, and Coega/Ngqura, which ranked 380th.
CPPI Measures Port Efficiency
The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) measures port efficiency by assessing the amount of time container ships spend in port, including waiting time and the time required for vessels to be serviced at the berth.
The latest results indicate a significant improvement in the performance of the Port of Dar es Salaam in recent years.
CPPI data shows that Dar es Salaam recorded a score of -176 in 2021, improving to -72 in 2022, -80 in 2023, -53 in 2024, and -7.75 in 2025.
In the 2025 rankings, Dar es Salaam climbed from 360th place in 2024 to 255th place, while Mombasa dropped from 375th to 396th.
Dar es Salaam Behind Mogadishu in East Africa
Within East Africa, Somalia’s Port of Mogadishu ranked higher globally, taking 127th position with a score of 13.94.
This means that although Dar es Salaam is 141 positions ahead of Mombasa, it remains 128 positions behind Mogadishu in the global rankings.
Kenya’s Lamu Port ranked 345th, with a score of -47.05.
Dar es Salaam Ahead of Several Southern African Ports
Dar es Salaam also ranked ahead of several ports in Southern Africa, including Maputo, Beira and Nacala.
Maputo ranked 273rd, Beira 315th, and Nacala 356th, compared with Dar es Salaam’s 255th position.
The Tanzanian port also ranked ahead of Port Victoria, which placed 287th; Le Port, which ranked 316th; Longoni, which ranked 367th; and Port Louis, which ranked 369th.
Expert Highlights Impact on Trade Costs
Commenting on the results, Economics and Business Expert Massawe Assey said port efficiency has a direct relationship with the cost and time involved in conducting trade.
He said that the more efficiently ships are handled and cargo is cleared from ports on time, the greater the potential to reduce costs associated with delays.
“For Tanzania, these improvements could increase the competitiveness of the Port of Dar es Salaam in attracting cargo from landlocked countries, particularly those using the Central Corridor,” Assey said.
However, Assey cautioned that a strong CPPI ranking alone cannot automatically be interpreted as evidence that overall trade costs have declined.
He said it is also important to examine the actual costs of handling and clearing cargo at the port, as well as transportation costs from the port to domestic markets and neighbouring countries.
“These results could provide Tanzania with an opportunity to use port efficiency as part of strengthening the competitiveness of the Central Corridor, but the success also needs to be reflected in costs, the time it takes for cargo to reach traders, and increased use of the port by countries that depend on the corridor,” he said.
World Bank Explains CPPI Rankings
According to the World Bank, the CPPI is a measure of port performance designed to identify differences in operational efficiency and areas that require improvement.
The World Bank also notes that changes in port performance scores can be influenced by external factors, including changes in shipping routes, weather conditions and disruptions in global supply chains.
The 2025 results therefore highlight the improvement recorded by Dar es Salaam while also showing that port performance is influenced by a wider range of operational and international shipping factors.