Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Provincial Executive Council of Gaza and MozParks have formalized their collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance the Gaza Parks Initiative. Through this initiative, MozParks aims to establish a network of industrial parks that will catalyze economic growth across the province. Built around large-scale anchor projects, each park is designed to generate up to 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, while ensuring that suppliers and related businesses operate within the park itself—creating a concentrated and efficient industrial ecosystem.
This initiative forms part of MozParks’ broader national strategy, developed jointly with the Government of Mozambique, to establish industrial hubs in every province and strengthen the country’s industrial base.
In parallel with its industrial efforts, MozParks is committed to expanding opportunities for young Mozambicans through the MozYouth Foundation. MozYouth develops paid internship programs that bridge the gap between the needs of the labor market and the current educational ecosystem, helping graduates gain practical experience, work-readiness skills, and improved entry pathways into employment. To date, more than 2,000 interns have benefited from MozYouth initiatives nationwide. The introduction of these programs in Gaza marks the beginning of a focused effort to equip local youth with the tools and exposure they need to access emerging job opportunities within the province’s new industrial parks.
During the launch event, Margarida Sebastião Maphandzene Chongo, Governor of Gaza Province, underscored the importance of this collaboration, stating: “With this initiative we are launching today, we must move beyond the idea of selling raw materials alone. Our priority must be to ensure local processing so that transformation generates jobs, income, and exports. To achieve the results we aspire to, we must believe in our capabilities, work in a coordinated manner, and act strategically.”
Onorio Manuel, General Director of MozParks, added: “As long as the province of Gaza and the country of Mozambique depend on importing goods produced elsewhere, it will be extremely difficult for us to achieve sustainable development. Nations progress when their people live from what they produce and when their industries generate value for export. The more we produce internally, the greater the impact on our society: creating jobs, generating income, and improving the lives of our local communities.”
The Provincial Director of Industry and Commerce, Lucia Matimela, also highlighted Gaza’s potential for industrial growth, particularly in value-addition sectors: “Our province has the conditions to become a major center for industrial processing. However, we must strengthen production to ensure that it truly contributes to income generation. Today, we still live in a society that does not fully capitalize on its industrial potential. It is essential that we invest in developing local capacities, with a strong focus on processing and transformation—including the use of agricultural by-products to produce paints, gases, metallurgical goods, and other products—so that these activities become sustainable and profitable.”
About MozParks
MozParks is a developer and operator of Sustainable Economic Zones, established as a public-private partnership between the African Sustainable Economic Zones Alliance (ASEZA) and Mozambican Government Agency for Investment and Export Promotion (APIEX). MozParks manages parks in Beluluane and Nampula, with plans for expansion into Cabo Delgado province. To date, MozParks has attracted over 70 companies from 18 countries, contributing to income generation for more than 120,000 people in Mozambique and securing over USD 3 billion in investments at the Beluluane Industrial Park in Maputo province.
