What You Need to Know
The Chimoio City Council and the family of Manuel de Magalhães are urging investors to utilize the historic Textáfrica site for business development. They emphasize the importance of this site in fostering industrial growth and addressing unemployment in Chimoio, highlighting the need for government support to attract entrepreneurs.
Africa-Press – Mozambique. The family of the late Manuel de Magalhães, considered ‘the father’ of Textáfrica, has urged entrepreneurs to use Chimoio’s historic facilities to develop their businesses, lamenting the central Government’s failure to properly value the site.
“We have a space here, we rent it out and it could start tomorrow. But this is an important message. Whoever wants to, can start tomorrow. Many companies, depending on their business, have their own timelines; they cannot wait two years,” said Frederico Magalhães, son of the Portuguese engineer Manuel de Magalhães, during the posthumous ceremony honouring his father for his contribution to the development of Vila Pery, now the city of Chimoio.
Frederico Magalhães advocated for the use of the Textáfrica facilities, noting that they could prevent investors from abandoning Chimoio due to the time it would take to build infrastructure and obtain licences.
“So, for Textáfrica, one can come while looking for their land, building their facility, and this is a precious asset that is not properly valued by the central Government. We would like the central Government to direct these people here,” Frederico Magalhães said.
“As the municipal council, we are appealing to everyone, not just in Chimoio, but across the country and around the world, to come to Chimoio. Come all. We have enough support here for everyone. Come; we have facilities, spaces designated for industry. This is what we want – to build a strong industrial base in Chimoio so we can tackle the city’s unemployment,” said João Ferreira, President of the Chimoio Municipal Council.
Mayor Ferreira said at the same event that Textáfrica was a company that contributed to the city’s development.
“At the right moment, when the city needed something to help it grow, Textáfrica delivered. Therefore, it was our responsibility as the municipal council to assist in that regard,” Ferreira said.
The Chimoio Municipality paid posthumous tribute on Saturday to Manuel de Magalhães (1928–2013), who led one of the largest textile companies in southern Africa, recognising his contribution to the city’s growth, according to the local mayor.
The Mayor of Chimoio previously stated that the tribute included a square named after Manuel de Magalhães, in front of the former cotton factory, in a ceremony to honour “the driving force behind Chimoio,” who contributed to the construction of social, human, and industrial services.
The municipality is preparing a mural in honour of the Portuguese entrepreneur, which will include a religious component, with plans to rehabilitate pavements and streets around the Textáfrica site.
Textáfrica, then part of the Sociedade Algodoeira de Portugal, was a benchmark in textile production in southern Africa, producing up to 30 kilometres of fabric per day, but closed over two decades ago, leaving a massive infrastructure in Chimoio.
The posthumously honoured Manuel Albano Rooke de Lima Pereira Dias de Magalhães was born on Rua das Motas in Porto, Portugal, specialised in textile engineering, and travelled to Mozambique at age 28 to build and manage Textáfrica in Chimoio, then Vila Pery.
From the 1950s, Manuel Magalhães directed the company’s board, building schools, hospitals, and other social services around the facility.
In the 1970s, he founded the Textáfrica Sports and Recreation Group (GDRT) – a club that still competes in the country’s top football leagues – and also served as president of the Grémio do Chimoio, a farmers’ cooperative that purchased local produce.
After Mozambique’s independence, he remained in the country, assisting at the request of then-President Samora Machel in building Texmoque in Nampula and Texmanta in Cabo Delgado, but withdrew from the country in 1987 during the civil war.
In 1996, Manuel de Magalhães returned to Mozambique with one of his sons and acquired Textáfrica, which had been put up for sale, but the company closed a few years later due to economic liberalisation policies that did not ensure its sustainability.
Textáfrica was once a leading textile producer in southern Africa, established by Manuel de Magalhães in Chimoio. The company played a crucial role in the region’s industrial development, providing jobs and social services. After its closure over two decades ago, the site remains a significant asset for potential investors looking to revitalize the local economy. The recent tribute to Magalhães underscores his lasting impact on the community and the importance of the Textáfrica facilities in attracting new business ventures.
