A nationwide push to upgrade ports, rail lines, roads, and public-private partnership (PPP) models is positioning the country as a central trade hub for southern Africa’s landlocked economies.
Running one of the most strategic logistics networks in Southern Africa, Mozambique operates three deepwater corridors that move the region’s mineral output toward global markets and provide essential maritime access for several landlocked economies.
The country’s transport corridors serve as key trade routes for Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and its ports provide the coastal access these landlocked economies depend on for imports and exports. The weight of this regional dependence shapes the government’s current economic agenda and explains why transport efficiency sits at the center of national priorities.
“We believed from the beginning that logistics had considerable potential and could become a strong alternative, perhaps even more promising than oil and gas,”
says João Jorge Matlombe, Minister of Transport and Logistics.
The ministry’s priorities include the expansion of Maputo’s container terminal and a redesign of the Beira corridor. It is working to increase cargo capacity on the north–south rail lines while also establishing a one-stop border post with Zimbabwe. The program includes a financing package to rebuild the country’s main roads.
The ministry is also advancing a new PPP model that uses fiber ducts and fuel pipelines to help roads generate revenue. Each project improves the flow of goods by shortening travel times and supports Mozambique’s competitiveness as a regional trade hub.
Development finance institutions are adjusting their strategy to match this national momentum. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is aligning its investments with the country’s immediate needs.
“Our main objective is job creation,”
says Mehita Fanny, Country Manager for the IFC’s Mozambique cluster.
“We focus on sectors that can absorb labor while expanding economic output. These include energy, agribusiness, logistics, and tourism.”
The institution is deploying blended finance, trade guarantees, and risk-sharing facilities to help banks and private companies invest at scale. Corridor development is a central theme because it supports both national and regional integration. The IFC is also deepening its advisory work to help establish policies that make large projects viable and to improve the risk environment for long-term investors.
Commercial banks are preparing for the same expansion. Absa Bank Mozambique is increasing support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and widening its ecosystem coverage while improving the digital capabilities of its clients.
“We provide financial literacy programs for young people and support school-level education on money management,” notes Pedro Carvalho, CEO of Absa Bank Mozambique. “We also strengthen remote financial access through mobile money integration.”
These initiatives allow SMEs to participate more effectively in supply chains linked to liquefied natural gas (LNG), mining, agriculture, and logistics. They also help build a more inclusive financial system at a time when the economy is becoming more diversified.
Local companies in engineering, energy, telecommunications, and manufacturing are advancing their own investment strategies in step with the country’s reforms.
“We generate power from gas, and we have expanded our capabilities in electrical engineering, telecommunications, agriculture, and industrial supply,”
says Dr Salimo Abdula, Chairman of Intelec.
Real estate is also moving toward a more professional and compliant phase as investor interest increases.
“We prepare new developments for the regulatory and technical requirements of multinational companies,” states José Castilho, Managing Partner of Broll Mozambique, noting that his firm manages major retail centers and commercial properties across the country.
This preparation is essential because upcoming LNG and logistics activity will require compliant corporate space and efficient property management systems.
Across the economy, multiple sectors are converging around the same objective. The government is modernizing corridors to reduce the cost of moving goods. The IFC is supporting large-scale investments in energy and logistics. Banks are widening digital access and strengthening financial inclusion. Private companies are expanding industrial capacity and training local talent. Real estate firms are raising standards to accommodate new corporate demand.
The focus is on making the economy easier to navigate, improving the speed and reliability of logistics, and creating an investment climate that rewards long-term commitment.
At the same time, Mozambique is advancing investments in LNG, mining, logistics, and tourism to expand export revenues and foreign exchange earnings over the coming decade.
Mozambique holds one of the largest offshore natural gas reserves discovered this century, with more than 100 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves located in the Rovuma Basin, off the coast of Cabo Delgado province. Discovered primarily around 2010, these reserves are now moving from a delayed project phase toward a restarted development cycle.
LNG projects scheduled for decision and start-up within this decade are moving forward, with new floating LNG units and large-scale onshore facilities expected to produce volumes measured in tens of millions of tons per year.
The country’s emerging LNG capacity is expected to significantly alter its export structure.
“Mozambique’s LNG capacity will likely make it the fifth or sixth largest LNG exporter globally,”
says Frank Kretschmer, Chairman of ExxonMobil.
The sector is backed by major global energy players including TotalEnergies, Eni, ExxonMobil, ADNOC, and Mozambique’s state-owned Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH).
Eni has already established Mozambique as an LNG exporter through Coral Sul FLNG, described by the company as a 3.4-million-ton-per-year floating liquefaction facility offshore in the Rovuma Basin.
“Mozambique approved Eni’s Coral Norte development plan for a second FLNG unit at 3.55 million metric tons per year, with production scheduled to begin in the second half of 2028,” states Marica Calabrese, Managing Director and General Manager of Eni.
A separate onshore LNG project in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin, led by ExxonMobil, has entered the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) stage, the final phase of technical planning before a final investment decision. The project is designed with a planned liquefaction capacity of 18 million tons per year. Recent updates indicate that force majeure conditions affecting the project have been lifted, allowing preparatory work to resume.
Mozambique’s energy development is not limited to natural gas. The Cahora Bassa hydropower plant operates with an installed capacity of 2,075 megawatts, and the refurbishment of its electro and hydromechanical systems is underway through the Reabsul II rehabilitation program.
The country is also advancing the 1,500-megawatt Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project, expected to begin operations around 2031. Over the same period, national electricity access has increased from 31% in 2018 to 60% in 2024. The country’s investment case also runs through corridor economics. The Port of Maputo Development Company reports that 30.9 million tons were handled in 2024, while Freight News reports that the Port of Maputo handled 32 million tons in 2025, marking an all-time high.
“Mozambique is the natural gateway for Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and parts of the DRC to access Asian and Eastern markets,”
says Bernardo Aparício, CEO of Standard Bank.
Mining provides a second export pathway that can advance independently of LNG project schedules. In January 2026, the country inaugurated a graphite processing plant in Niassa with an annual capacity of 200,000 metric tons at a Chinese-owned site, marking a shift from exporting raw minerals toward domestic processing before export. Mozambique is also home to the Balama graphite deposit, described as a long-life, large-scale operation.
Mozambique’s coal exports currently depend on imported magnetite used in processing.
Having a domestic supply of magnetite is very good for the country because it will provide sustainability. It will save foreign exchange for the Mozambican government,”
says Himanshu Sharma, CEO of IRC Minerals & Metals.
Supplying fuel across the country depends on infrastructure that moves products from coastal import points to inland markets. Galp operates fuel storage terminals in the port cities of Matola, near Maputo, and Beira, in central Mozambique, which receive refined products before they are transported inland through road networks.
“Mozambique is a large country, and expanding LPG access nationwide remains a priority,” notes Paulo Varela, CEO of Galp.
Investors are also assessing how Mozambique can generate steady income beyond gas and mining, with tourism representing one of the clearest opportunities. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Economic Impact Research, travel and tourism contributed just over 4% of Mozambique’s GDP in 2023 to 2024, generating more than US$200 million in sector revenue.
“Mozambique has extraordinary tourism potential due to its coastline, wildlife, climate, and culture,”
says Noor Momade, Chairman of COTUR.
Taken together, this broadening of export activity positions Mozambique to convert resource development into sustained earnings over the coming decade. As LNG production, mineral processing, corridor logistics, and tourism infrastructure move into implementation, the country’s capacity to generate foreign exchange, fiscal revenue, and employment beyond the extractive phase is expected to strengthen, reinforcing its emergence as one of Southern Africa’s most important trade and investment platforms.
“Our government is determined to continue implementing policies to improve the business environment in Mozambique,” affirms President Daniel Francisco Chapo.
Mozambique: Africa’s Next Investment Frontier
A nationwide push to upgrade ports, rail lines, roads, and public-private partnership (PPP) models is positioning the country as a central trade hub for southern Africa’s landlocked economies.
