Ilala

Ilala District forms Dar es Salaam's commercial and administrative core—housing the Kariakoo market (East Africa's largest open-air market), the port facilities, and major government offices. The DP World partnership's 2024 improvements to port operations concentrate here, with container handling increasing from 12,000 to 27,000 TEUs monthly. Kariakoo's informal economy employs tens of thousands in wholesale trade. The district's high population density (over 1 million on 21 km²) creates intense competition for urban space, driving vertical development. As Tanzania's economic engine room, Ilala generates disproportionate tax revenue relative to its size.