Mozambique’s largest business fair opened on Monday, 31 August, in Ricatla, with 2,500 domestic exhibitors, 650 foreign participants and an expected 55,000 visitors. All available exhibition space has been taken up ahead of opening day, but the true test will be whether the fair’s scale translates into export contracts, investment commitments and new commercial partnerships.
The 61st edition of the Feira Internacional de Maputo (FACIM) opened on Monday at the Centro Internacional de Feiras e Exposições de Ricatla, in the Marracuene district of Maputo Province, bringing together companies, investors and public institutions from around 30 countries. The fair runs until 6 September.
The latest figures released by the Investment and Export Promotion Agency (APIEX) put total participation at 3,150 exhibitors — 2,500 domestic and 650 foreign. The organising body also estimates it will receive around 55,000 visitors over the seven-day event.
The updated figures refine the preliminary estimates reported by Diário Económico on Friday, which had anticipated around 3,000 domestic exhibitors and more than 500 foreign companies.
According to APIEX, all available exhibition spaces were taken up before the fair opened, signalling strong interest from both domestic and international companies. The 2026 edition includes representatives from all 11 provinces, pavilions dedicated to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, strategically designated sectors, ministries, public institutions and international business delegations.
Participation Could Rise 25% on 2025
A comparison with last year’s edition puts the scale of expectations into context. The official FACIM 2025 results recorded the effective participation of 2,334 domestic exhibitors and 180 foreign ones from 28 countries — a total of 2,514 participants.
If all confirmed presences for this year materialise, FACIM will have around 636 additional exhibitors, representing growth of close to 25% on the 2025 final count. The increase is particularly sharp on the international side, with foreign exhibitors potentially rising from 180 to 650.
Physical scale, however, will be only one part of the assessment. APIEX intends to monitor the number of agreements signed, expressions of interest in investing, import intentions for Mozambican products and business meetings conducted during the event.
The benchmark set by last year’s edition is instructive: domestic companies signed nearly 815 business and investment agreements, generated through more than 1,170 commercial contacts. Surpassing those figures will indicate whether growth in exhibitor numbers is translating into more actual business.
Brazil and Niassa in the Spotlight
Brazil is participating as Country of Honour, while Niassa Province holds the position of Province of Honour. The programme includes business forums between Mozambique and several of its key economic partners, namely Brazil, China and the United Arab Emirates.
These forums are expected to present concrete investment opportunities, facilitate company-to-company meetings and enable contacts with government representatives, financial institutions and entities responsible for implementing public and private projects.
The edition runs under the theme ‘Digital and Energy Transformation Towards a Sustainable Economy’, reflecting the fair’s intent to position itself alongside the modernisation of the Mozambican economy and a new investment cycle across sectors including energy, infrastructure, agro-industry, logistics, tourism, financial services and digital technologies.
Among the innovations introduced this year is the digitalisation of several stages of participation: registration, stand reservation and payment, programme access, meeting scheduling and business-to-business encounters are now supported by digital platforms.
Portugal Brings Over 100 Companies
Portugal will have one of the most significant business presences at the fair. More than 100 companies with Portuguese capital are expected at FACIM, around 20 of which will have their own dedicated exhibition spaces.
The delegation will be accompanied by Portugal’s Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, and by the president of the Portuguese Agency for Investment and External Trade (AICEP), Madalena Oliveira e Silva. The Portuguese institutional stand is expected to serve as a meeting point for companies, investors and public and private entities from both countries.
The presence carries particular weight in a market where nearly 500 Portuguese-capital companies are active and to which more than 1,100 companies from Portugal export. In 2025, bilateral goods trade between the two countries exceeded 193 million euros, keeping Portugal among Mozambique’s principal suppliers.
The Portuguese agenda continues on Tuesday, 1 September, with the 2026 Mozambique-Portugal Business Forum, focused on competitiveness, legal certainty, local content and new investment opportunities.
Impact Extends Beyond the Exhibition Grounds
The movement of thousands of exhibitors, visitors and delegations is expected to produce immediate economic effects across Maputo Province, particularly in accommodation, catering, transport, security, logistics and infrastructure assembly services. The fair is also expected to generate temporary employment and boost sales for formal and informal suppliers in the Marracuene area.
At a structural level, FACIM seeks to position itself as an entry point for investment and a platform for promoting Mozambican exports. The objective is to bring domestic producers closer to foreign buyers, integrate small businesses into supply chains and present business opportunities in the economy’s priority sectors.
With all exhibition spaces occupied, the first indicator of demand has been met. The decisive assessment, however, will come after 6 September: how many of the contacts established in Ricatla will convert into contracts, export orders, financing and productive investment for Mozambique.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=535221
