The President of Mozambique stated that new dredging works, aimed at improving access to the port of Maputo and valued at 131 million euros, will significantly enhance the country's capacity to handle more goods, attract investment, and serve Southern Africa.
Daniel Chapo emphasized that these actions create conditions for Mozambique's deep influence: increasing trade turnover, attracting capital, boosting production and exports, and improving regional service. He noted that this will allow the country to transform its geostrategic position into a powerful economic force in the SADC region (Southern African Development Community).
Speaking in Maputo at the start of the dredging operations for the access channel to the port of Maputo, the head of state called this strategic initiative key to enhancing the efficiency, competitiveness, and overall capability of the port and the Maputo corridor.
Chapo regarded this marine engineering structure as a 'strategic choice' regarding the place the country aims to occupy in the regional, continental, and international economy. He added that deepening the channel is part of building one of the fundamental infrastructures supporting Mozambique's ambitions to become a more productive, industrialized, diversified, and competitive economy.
The President highlighted the country's potential, driven by its geographical location and logistics corridors, but acknowledged existing challenges, particularly the need to turn geography into an economy and strategic location into a competitive advantage. He stated that Mozambique is an Indian Ocean country and the 'gateway of Africa to the world,' considering the Port of Maputo a vital link connecting Southern Africa to global markets.
According to Chapo, this operation is part of the investment program for the Port of Maputo, with a total cost exceeding two billion dollars (1.79 billion euros), preparing the infrastructure for competition in the regional and international logistics system in the coming decades. Furthermore, the head of state advocated for simplifying procedures in the logistics chain and implementing digital technologies to improve institutional connectivity and service efficiency.
According to MPDC – Maputo Port Development Company, which oversees the project, the dredging will increase the maximum channel depth from the current 14.4 meters to 15.3 meters, and also significantly widen it. This will enable the passage of next-generation vessels up to 366 meters long, capable of carrying about 14,000 containers with a draft of about 15 meters.
The company specified that the main change will occur in the channel width: on straight sections, it will increase from approximately 110 to 210 meters, and on curves—from 150 to 295 meters. The creation of a new maneuvering area with a diameter of about 660 meters is also planned. The works will last about a year and require the removal of approximately 21.2 million cubic meters of sediment using seven specialized vessels. The company guarantees that port operations will continue as usual throughout the period of work.
The dredging is integrated into the investment program related to the extension of the Maputo Port concession until 2058, approved by the Government, and takes place during a period of active expansion of infrastructural capacities. In 2025, the Port of Maputo reached a record 32 million tons of cargo handled, which is 3.4% more than the previous year. The current MPDC concession is valid until April 2058 and provides for investments of $600 million (514.2 million euros) in the first three years. MPDC is the result of a partnership between Mozambican Ports and Railways (CFM) and Portus Indico, involving the transnational logistics corporation DP World.