Mozambique: Mozal and Gapi-SI reinforce funding for entrepreneurship

• 10.3 million meticais were disbursed to small businesses.

Mozal and Gapi reaffirmed their commitment to financing entrepreneurship and the development of small businesses by delivering 20 financing checks and four grant checks, totalling approximately 10.3 million meticais, to entrepreneurs in the municipalities of Boane and Matola, within the scope of the Nhluvuko Project.

The fourth check delivery ceremony of the project represents another step in the joint efforts of Mozal and Gapi-SI to expand access to financing, strengthen micro and small businesses, and promote job creation, with particular attention to the economic participation of young people and women.

Launched in 2023, Nhluvuko is the result of a partnership between Mozal, Gapi-SI, and the Government, and was designed to address one of the main challenges faced by small entrepreneurs: access to adequate financial resources to start, consolidate, and expand their businesses. To make this initiative viable, Mozal provided approximately 77.3 million meticais, of which 51.6 million were allocated to the credit line and 25.7 million to training and technical assistance.

Through this partnership, Gapi-SI ensures the implementation of financing mechanisms and the monitoring of entrepreneurs, complementing access to credit with training in business management, financial literacy, safety, hygiene and health at work, compliance with tax obligations and ongoing technical assistance. This integrated approach seeks to increase the management capacity of beneficiaries and contribute to the sustainability of the financed businesses.

By September 2026, Nhluvuko had already financed 227 businesses through credit operations totaling approximately 49.4 million meticais. During the same period, the project contributed to the creation and maintenance of 598 jobs, of which 299 were new jobs. Women represent 52% of the financed operations and 53% of the total amount disbursed, highlighting the project’s relevance in promoting economic inclusion.

The results achieved also extend to business capacity building. Throughout its implementation, approximately 256 businesses received training, exceeding the initial target of 240. Simultaneously, 34 micro and small enterprises benefited from subsidies, totaling approximately one million meticais, in recognition of their performance and compliance with repayment obligations. The supported businesses operate in sectors such as commerce, services, production, livestock, and education, having registered, on average, a 94% growth in revenue.

During the ceremony, the manager of the Maputo Delegation of Gapi-SI, Rosita Cumbe, highlighted the importance of ensuring that financing is accompanied by capacity building and technical assistance, in order to strengthen the management and growth capacity of small businesses. She noted that the demand for financing continues to exceed available resources, reinforcing the need to maintain and expand instruments tailored to the reality of entrepreneurs.

In turn, Mozal’s representative for Socioeconomic Development, Dias Bande, highlighted the role of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in boosting the economy, generating income and creating employment opportunities. He also reiterated Mozal’s commitment to the communities, even in the current context of the suspension of the company’s production operations.

Representing the Government of Maputo Province, the provincial director of Industry and Commerce, Ludgero Gemo, considered the fourth ceremony a demonstration of the progress achieved by Nhluvuko in strengthening local entrepreneurship. He stressed that funding is both an opportunity and a responsibility, and should be applied judiciously to ensure business growth, job creation, and improved living conditions for families and communities.

Beyond direct funding, Nhluvuko has promoted the dissemination of entrepreneurship and business development opportunities, reaching 5,633 people in 92 communities through awareness-raising and community mobilization activities.

With the continuation of Nhluvuko, Mozal and Gapi-SI consolidate a partnership that transforms financial resources into concrete opportunities for entrepreneurs, contributing to the strengthening of the local business fabric. The initiative reaffirms the financing of entrepreneurship as an instrument for economic inclusion, job creation and sustainable development of the communities of Boane and Matola.

Source: Gapi / Press Release