The President of the Republic of Mozambique, Daniel

Francisco Chapo, presented yesterday in Brussels an ambitious strategic

vision to transform Mozambique into a central pillar of energy

and logistics in Southern Africa. During a high-level roundtable

with the Belgian Federal Government and business leaders, the Head of State

highlighted the potential of green industrialization and natural gas

megaprojects as drivers of an unprecedented

economic transformation.

The meeting, focused on the global energy transition, served to

cement partnerships in sectors where Belgium holds global leadership,

such as port management and digital innovation.

In the hydrocarbons sector, the Mozambican leader detailed

the progress of projects in the Rovuma Basin, in Cabo Delgado.

The stabilization of security in the north of the country was a crucial point of

the discussion, allowing for the revitalization of stalled projects,

such as that of TotalEnergies. This project began around 2017,

but had to be suspended due to the terrorist threat. Last

year, however, we decided it was very important to resume the

project. Last month, in February, we were in Afungi, in the

province of Cabo Delgado, to restart operations.”

The president’s optimism also extended to the partnership with the

United States, with concrete plans for the short term, as he

mentioned the project led by ExxonMobil. “We are currently

in talks with ExxonMobil and believe that, possibly in

August or September, we will be able to jointly announce the final

investment decision for this project,” the president stated before an

audience of Belgian investors interested in the gas value chain.

Beyond gas, Mozambique reaffirmed its commitment to

renewable energy, positioning itself as a solution to the

regional energy deficit.

“In the SADC region, Mozambique has the potential to become a

true energy hub,” argued the President of the Republic,

highlighting the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Plant as a source of

clean energy that already supplies six neighboring countries. Consequently, he invited the

private sector to join the Mphanda Nkuwa project, which will have a

capacity of 1,500 megawatts.

The national industrialization strategy will involve, according to the Head of

State, the intelligent use of domestic resources to create

added value. “With our domestic gas, we want to promote

industrialization. We want to produce fertilizers, support the

industrialization of the country, and develop various power plants and

transmission lines to supply Mozambique and the region,”

he explained, also referring to the new Temane power plant in

Inhambane as a key piece of this puzzle.

Economic diversification was another key theme of the speech, with a focus on

agriculture and tourism. The Mozambican President highlighted the vast

expanses of arable land and the 2,700 kilometers of

Mozambican coastline, calling for Belgian investment to ensure

food security and to explore the potential of conservation

areas, such as Gorongosa and Niassa, which are home to the

biodiversity of the “Big Five.”

On the logistics front, Mozambique presented its three

development corridors (Maputo, Beira, and Nacala) as gateways

to the interior of the continent.

President Chapo emphasized the modernization of the Port of Nacala,

one of the best deep-water ports in the region, and the intention

to strengthen the digitization of infrastructure. “We want to invest in

the digitization of logistics infrastructure, creating new digital

corridors that complement the development corridors,”

he stated.

Accompanied by the Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation,

Américo Muchanga, the President of the Republic emphasized that

Mozambique’s ambition is also technological.

“Our ambition is to transform Mozambique into a digital hub for

the SADC region. We want to establish data centers in the country,

taking advantage of the availability of energy to serve not only

Mozambique but also neighboring countries,” he declared, emphasizing

the country’s openness to public-private partnerships to realize this

vision.

The meeting concluded with a direct invitation to business leaders from

Belgium, known for their expertise in green industrialization and

port logistics. President Daniel Chapo reiterated that the country

has a clear strategy and a welcoming business environment:

“We are open to working with the private sector—both from

Mozambique and from Belgium and other countries—to develop

our economy and create investment opportunities. Therefore,

you are all welcome in Mozambique.”