DAR ES SALAAM — Investment in cold-storage facilities and refrigerated transport is emerging as an important opportunity for Tanzania’s agricultural and food-processing industries, as businesses seek to preserve perishable products, improve supply chains and reach higher-value markets.
The Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) has identified 15 approved cold-storage and cold-room projects, representing approximately US$16.14 million in planned investment and an expected 635 jobs. The projects cover facilities in Dar es Salaam, Pwani, Mwanza and Kigoma, including cold rooms, warehouses, milk chillers and fisheries-related infrastructure.
The figures point to growing interest in infrastructure that connects agricultural production with processing, distribution and retail markets. However, the projects represent planned investment and projected employment rather than confirmation that all facilities are already operational.
For farmers and traders handling fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and dairy products, access to appropriate storage can help preserve quality and give them more flexibility over when and where they sell their produce. Without suitable facilities, businesses handling perishable goods may have limited time to transport products to buyers or find the most favourable market.
Cold-chain infrastructure can also support food processors that require consistent supplies of raw materials. Reliable storage and refrigerated transport can help businesses manage deliveries, maintain product quality and meet the handling requirements of customers and export markets.
Investment is already extending beyond conventional warehouses. In 2026, Swissport opened a 630-square-metre temperature-controlled cargo facility at Kilimanjaro International Airport, designed to handle up to 13,000 tonnes annually, according to investment-sector reporting. The facility includes chillers and a freezer to support horticultural exports.
Additional opportunities are emerging in fisheries. Tanzania’s 2026/27 livestock and fisheries programme includes planned 40-tonne cold-storage facilities at Pangani and Mchinga, while infrastructure at Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port includes fish-processing, cold-storage and ice-production facilities.
These developments point to potential business opportunities across the wider supply chain. Investors could participate in cold-room construction, refrigerated trucking, ice production, equipment installation, maintenance and temperature-controlled distribution. Local engineering and logistics companies may also find opportunities in servicing the facilities once they become operational.
Nevertheless, cold storage involves more than building refrigeration units. Businesses must account for electricity costs, equipment maintenance, transport availability, storage fees and the ability of farmers or traders to pay for the service. Facilities also need sufficient and consistent demand to remain commercially viable.
Location is another important consideration. Storage facilities need to be close enough to production areas, collection points or major transport routes to justify the cost of moving perishable goods. Reliable links between farms, processing centres, warehouses and final markets are essential if investment is to deliver value across the supply chain.
For smaller producers, the benefits will depend on whether storage services are affordable and accessible. Cooperatives, shared facilities and partnerships between producers, logistics providers and processors could help spread costs and improve utilisation.
The expansion of cold-chain infrastructure therefore presents an opportunity to strengthen Tanzania’s agribusiness sector while creating demand for investment, technical services and logistics. Its long-term impact will depend on whether projects translate into functioning facilities that businesses can use at competitive prices.
As agricultural production and food processing develop, reliable cold storage could become an increasingly important part of Tanzania’s efforts to improve product quality, reduce avoidable losses and connect local producers with domestic and international markets.
