Mansour Group plans lorry assembly plant as Tanzania eyes regional trade hub growth

Mr Arora said the company is engaging (Tiseza) to secure investment incentives that would enable the establishment of the assembly plant.

“We are also in talks with our internal board to secure $30 million working capital, and once the two have been obtained, we expect to start operations,” he said.

He said Tanzania’s strategic position as a gateway for East and Southern African trade made it an attractive long-term investment destination.

In addition to more than 60 million domestic market, he noted that Tanzania serves eight landlocked countries that rely on the Port of Dar es Salaam for international trade.

“We see Tanzania not only as a domestic market but as a regional trade and logistics hub. That is why we are investing in service centres, spare parts facilities and eventually manufacturing operations,” he said today.

He added that the company plans to establish 10 service centres across the country within 18 to 24 months, with five expected to open before end of this year.

Furthermore, he added that ongoing government investments in ports, railways and inland container depots would significantly reduce the cost of doing business and improve cargo efficiency.

“As infrastructure improves, demand for transport services will continue to grow. This creates major opportunities for private sector participation in economic transformation,” he said, adding that the group operates in more than 120 countries globally.

“We are not here just to sell lorries. We want to be a long-term partner in transport and industrial development,” he added.

Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade, Mr Dennis Londo, said the rising cargo volumes at the Port of Dar es Salaam, driven by infrastructure improvements, have prompted government investment in ICDs in Kwala, Morogoro, Ihumwa, Isaka and Tabora to ease congestion and reduce logistics costs.

He said the port had recorded significant growth, increasing pressure on storage and distribution systems concentrated in Dar es Salaam.

“Once completed, the ICDs constructed in those areas will allow containers to be moved directly from the port via the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), reducing lorry traffic in the city of Dar es Salaam,” he said.

“The Kwala ICD will serve national distribution, Morogoro will handle cargo for the Southern Highlands, while Ihumwa, Isaka and Tabora will support regional trade to landlocked countries,” he added.

Mr Londo said that the integrated system would also support trade with Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Uganda.

He said investment in the ICD construction complement broader infrastructure projects including highway expansion, SGR improvements, the planned Dar es Salaam–Morogoro expressway, and port upgrades.

Furthermore, he said reforms aim to reduce cargo dwell time, lower transport costs and strengthen Tanzania’s role as a logistics hub for the region.