The concession is part of a modernisation plan that seeks to improve the Port of Nacala’s capacity.
by Blue Africa News
The cabinet of Mozambique has approved the launch of an international tender for the concession of the integrated expansion and development of the Port of Nacala, situated in the country’s Nampula province.
Ministers on February 11, 2026 gave the Ministry of Transport and Logistics a greenlight to seek private partners to modernise and operate the port under a concession model.
Cabinet spokesperson Inocêncio Impissa said Nacala port, a key infrastructure of the Nacala corridor connecting Mozambique to landlocked neighbours of Malawi and Zambia currently has a capacity of 10 million container tonnage per year, having handled 3.5 million tonnes in 2024.
The modernization plan, the spokesperson noted, seeks to improve its capacity. “There is a need to further improve conditions for unrestricted operations,” said Impissa as quoted by club of mozambique.com.
The port has three terminals ranging from a modern container terminal with a capacity of 252,000 containers, a general cargo terminal with 2.4 million tonnes capacity per year, and a liquid terminal with 3.6 million tonnes per year.
Additionally, the port of Nacala features a navigable channel over 18 metres deep, without requiring dredging. Under concession, the State will retain ownership of the infrastructure while investment and management responsibilities will shift to the selected company or consortium.
The selected company or consortium will be charged with optimisation and modernisation of the port and its terminals, establishment of a special economic zone and dry ports to attract foreign investment and industries, alongside the construction of a floating dry dock and repair facilities.
During the cabinet session, said Impissa, the government also approved a resolution establishing the project implementation office for the Beira Development Corridor in central Mozambique.
“This office aims to coordinate, facilitate, reduce bureaucracy, support and monitor the execution of strategic projects, including the construction of the access road to Beira port, the building of a dry port in Dondo district, and the construction of one-stop border posts in Machipanda and Massacatiza.”
Beira, Nacala and Maputo are Mozambique’s major ports, serving as critical international trade gateways for the country and landlocked neighbours like Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi.
Experts say if well handled, the concession plan of Nacala port will open up new corridors in Mozambique and the region at large.
“If executed well,” said Nandan Warrier, General Manager at Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Mozambique – Beira, the development of Nacala port would open up newer efficient corridors in Mozambique at a time when the Beira corridor is severely challenged and hinterland cargoes are moving elsewhere. “With a long coastline ideally, Mozambique can have three efficient ports and their respective corridors,” he added, in a recent LinkedIn post.
The Mozambique cabinet’s move comes within three months after the extension of the Nacala Railway Corridor (NRC) received a new lease of life. In December 2025, athe governments of Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed a ministerial declaration, marking a major step toward establishing a competitive logistics link to the Indian Ocean.
The project, according to Mozambique’s ministry of transport and logistics, targets an integrated rail network of about 2,400 kilometers, running from Zambia’s Chipata area to Serege in DRC, passing through Malawi and Mozambique.
“This is the path for the Port of Nacala to establish itself as a driver of regional integration and a catalyst for shared economic development,” said Mozambique’s Minister of Transport and Logistics, João Matlombe.
The next cause of action is the signing of an agreement in the first quarter of 2026, that will allow the partner states to identify a strategic partner for the construction of the railway line, and logistical facilities along the corridor.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News