Mozambique is rich in beautiful landscapes and boasts a deep cultural heritage. Now it stands at the threshold of a new transformation. With two-thirds of the total population of this country being youth, filled with zeal to be the leaders of tomorrow and contribute positively to the nation’s development, it has an energetic youth with ambitious hopes for their country. In many ways, today, the surge of innovative ideas and enterprising spirit in Mozambique is capable of transforming economic perceptions and social realities. The blog discusses the diversity in the way Mozambican youth are fostering change, their economic impacts, opportunities, and challenges.

Youth Entrepreneurship Programs: Agor Emprega is a youth entrepreneurship initiative.

Economic Impact: Giant contributions to the growth of the economy through such forward-thinking ventures.

Educational Improvements: Greater access to education and training.

Technological Innovation: It involves adopting and developing new technologies.

Challenges and Opportunities: Addressing challenges to maximise possibilities.

Entrepreneurship ranks among the strongest ways youth are pushing change in Mozambique today. Programs such as Agora Emprega, which are nationally active and backed by the World Bank, aim to cultivate a new generation of entrepreneurs. These programs include grants, mentorship, and business training to empower youth to turn their ideas into real businesses.

Gaspar Sitoé, a youth from the coastal southern enclave of Mozambique, founded Cachichi Clothing Enterprise in 2022. With support from Agora Emprega, Gaspar has sourced the industrial screen-printing machines and business training that have served as a springboard for his clothing brand. Today, his Cachichi Clothing Enterprise already employs five workers, with a couple of contracts to supply school and workwear, pointing to the immense impact such programs could have on job creation and economic development.

Another example is seen in tech-based startups, where young Mozambicans are developing technology to address home-based problems, such as mobile payment systems and agricultural tech solutions to enhance productivity. These initiatives create jobs and mobilise incoming investments—all fundamental indicators that enable the underlying scaling up of Mozambican youth’s contribution to the country’s national product.

It is young entrepreneurs who will contribute significantly to this recovery and growth in the Mozambican economy. The country’s GDP grew by 5% in 2023, driven by strong activity in liquefied natural gas production, agriculture, and services (World Bank). Young Mozambican entrepreneurship, therefore, will be a major driver of this growth, as it will create innovation and jobs, thereby stimulating economic activity.

The recently launched 2023-2027 Country Partnership Framework for Mozambique, issued by the World Bank, aims to assist the country in moving toward a more inclusive and resilient economy. Action underpinning this framework will deepen in two directions: creating better jobs, notably for women, and integrating marginalised communities into the workforce.

Education forms the cornerstone of the Government’s strategy to increase the country’s human capital by empowering its youth. There have been substantial improvements in the presence of key education variables, especially in girls’ education and vocational training programs. The World Bank has been involved in several projects aimed at improving education outcomes, such as the Mozambique Primary Education Improvement Program, which focuses on enhancing quality and retention rates.

Vocational training programs are also important. They are timely in preparing a directly relevant workforce for vocational activities, thereby improving employability and enabling the youth to contribute more effectively to the economy. Most programs centre on high-growth sectors, such as technology and manufacturing, to ensure the skills taught are well aligned with market demands.

Technology growth is yet another area with a pronounced effect, driven by the youth in the process of innovation. These young innovators are not only embracing new technologies but also developing solutions that are relevant to the local context. From financial inclusion to increasing productivity in agriculture through mobile banking applications and agricultural technologies, the youth stand at the forefront of leveraging technology to solve pressing challenges.

For instance, the mobile payment system M-Pesa, first piloted in Kenya, has recorded exceptional uptake in Mozambique, orchestrated by tech-savvy young entrepreneurs. He brought a revolution to the way people make financial transactions in the country, providing a safe and profitable means to transfer money, particularly in remote areas where banking is not readily available. 

Government backing for digital initiatives, coupled with international partnerships, creates a strong environment for technology growth. It is highly crucial to bridge people through technology across all aspects of society, encompassing various umbrellas, through the accrued benefits of digital investment and partnerships (African Development Bank).

But crises continue to burden the youths of Mozambique: with economic instability, poverty, and poor access to quality health/education facilities, respectively, which is insinuating an increase in the national poverty rate from 48.4 to 62.8% between 2014/15 and 2019/20 – showing the deep impact of economic downturns and resultant effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overcoming these will call not just for investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, but also for those in policies that will lead to diversification of economies and increased areas of resilience, and an enabling environment—inclusive enough to warrant women’s and marginalised people’s participation—will, thus, be required in actualising sustainable development. 

Weak labour markets and low productivity growth are further worsened by the low quality of training and weak links between supply and demand. Fertility that remains at high, unfavourable levels; child and maternal mortality that remain high; and skills levels remaining low among females, further compounded by the low productivity of females in the labour market, lead to the disempowerment of girls and women.

However, in realising the potential of Mozambique’s youth, many measures must be observed. First and foremost, investment in education and professional training should be maintained. Ensuring that young people effectively contribute to the bargaining economy in an enhanced condition argues that they receive quality education and, in that case, relevant training.

A second element is the innovation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem that fosters innovation and risk-taking. By providing access to finance, mentorship, and markets, including the regulatory environment, this will encourage business growth. Programs like Agora Emprega should take place on a broader scale so that many more youths can participate in this country.

Thirdly, the use of technology to drive development will be crucial. This enables young people to access the right digital tools and resources, allowing them to design and implement innovative solutions responsive to various local problems. This should be achieved through government and private-sector partnerships, channelling resources into digital infrastructure to support tech-based startups (African Development Bank).

It is also important that social and economic inequality be addressed. This can be championed, socially, by being enforced in ways that are propelling gender equality and the lessening of poverty, health, education, and economic gains; eradicating marginal situations— that all youths should have equal chances of thriving—the full potential of the youth in Mozambique can be exploited through sustainable development.

It is the youth of Mozambique that serves as a beacon of hope and a driving force for the future. Their entrepreneurial spirit, innovativeness, and resilience are defining the transformation features in Mozambique’s socio-economic landscape. With further investment in education, support for entrepreneurship, and technological development, Mozambique will finally effectively tap into this youth potential, thereby leading itself towards a prosperous and inclusive future.