MOZAMBIQUE Trends and Developments Contributed by: José Miguel Oliveira, Kenny Laisse and Caio de Mello Ferreira, VdA
VdA (with GDA Advogados) Rua Dom Luís, 28 1200 151 Lisboa Portugal Av. Marginal, nº 141, Edifício Torres Rani, 10th Floor Maputo Moçambique
Tel: +351 21 311 3400 Fax: +351 21 354 0325 Email: jmo@vda.pt Web: www.vda.pt
Introduction The shipping sector in Mozambique plays a critical role in the country’s economic development, as it offers a significant means of transportation with access to the international markets. Mozambique has a coastline of approximately 2,500 kilometres, three major ports – Maputo, Beira and Nacala – and several minor ports and harbours. The Port of Maputo is the largest and busiest port in Mozambique. In 2024, it handled approximately 30.9 million tonnes of cargo. The port offers diverse transit options for cargo, including sea, road and rail, thereby connecting Mozambique to neighbouring Southern African countries. The Port of Beira also plays a major role in the ship - ping sector, serving as a vital gateway for landlocked countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi and an essential transit hub for fuel, cargo and containers. In the first seven months of 2024, Beira Port’s general cargo terminal recorded a 24% increase compared to the same period in 2023, while the container termi - nal showed robust growth of 40%, handling 226,000 containers. The Port of Nacala is located in the northern region of Mozambique and is one of the deepest ports in Southern Africa. It is mainly used for exporting coal from the adjacent Moatize coal mines. The port also serves as an important hub for exporting other com -
modities, including agricultural products. In 2024, the port registered a 7.6% increase in cargo handling, reaching a historic milestone of 1.4 million tonnes, including 100,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). This growth was made possible by the completion of the port’s rehabilitation, expansion and modernisation works. While Mozambique’s shipping industry has recently experienced several challenges, including maritime security issues such as piracy and organised crime (see the section on the Rovuma Project further on in this article), the industry remains a critical sector for Mozambique’s economic growth, and the coun - try is increasingly becoming fertile ground for ship - ping contracts and legal action on maritime liens. The Mozambican government is investing in infrastruc - ture improvements aimed at enhancing the country’s connectivity and competitiveness in the regional and international markets, particularly in the development of a transportation corridor that connects the central and northern regions and links the ports to the land - locked countries of Southern Africa. Overall cargo volumes at Mozambique’s ports showed positive momentum in 2024, with national port traffic increasing by approximately 10.7% compared with 2023. Notable growth was reported at ports such as Beira and Nacala, as well as at a number of secondary ports across the country, reflecting improvements in operational capacity and trade flows.
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