Transport Minister Inaugurates New Infrastructure to Expand Port of Maputo Capacity

With capacity to handle more than one million tonnes per year, Slab 9A will enable the Port of Maputo to respond to growing customer demand, strengthen its regional competitiveness and generate significant economic benefits for the country, including the creation of an additional 51 direct and indirect jobs.

The ceremony was preceded by a visit to the expansion works at DP World Maputo Container Terminal, a US$164 million investment that will increase the terminal’s annual capacity from the current 225,000 TEUs to 530,000 TEUs. During the visit, officials were briefed on construction progress, which has reached approximately 45% overall completion and is currently focused on pile-driving works for the new port infrastructure. The expanded terminal is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2027.

In his remarks, the Minister of Transport and Logistics highlighted the importance of the ongoing investments for strengthening the Maputo Corridor and supporting national economic growth. He stressed the need to ensure that increases in port capacity are matched by improvements throughout the wider logistics chain.

“Competitiveness is not determined by a single piece of infrastructure. It is not the port alone that competes. It is the corridor as a whole. Every investment we make in the port must be accompanied by equivalent gains in the railway, at the border and within the systems that support the flow of goods,” said João Matlombe.

The Minister placed particular emphasis on the importance of expanding rail transport capacity, the continued modernisation of the Ressano Garcia border post and the integration of logistics systems to ensure that increased port capacity translates into greater competitiveness for the entire corridor.

On the same occasion, MPDC Chief Executive Officer Osório Lucas stated that the newly inaugurated investment responds directly to growing demand for services at the Port of Maputo.

“For many years, the challenge was attracting cargo to the Port of Maputo. Today, the challenge is creating sufficient capacity to accommodate the cargo that wants to use the port,” he said.

According to the CEO, customer demand continues to grow and has already surpassed the port’s currently available capacity, making the development of new operational areas essential to prevent cargo from shifting to competing regional ports.

Osório Lucas also announced that MPDC is already preparing the next phase of expansion through the development of Slab 9B. The project represents an additional investment of approximately US$8.7 million and will further increase the port’s capacity to accommodate sustained growth in demand.

For further information:

Soraia Abdula – soraia.abdula@portmaputo.com

+258 84 319 91 24

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