Vicente Sitoe opens a new cycle of reflection on the role of human capital in the country. The author advocates for the urgency of humanizing organizational practices, updating the training of young people, and revisiting forgotten ideas from Pan-Africanist thought.
The Mozambican author Vicente Sitoe, executive director of the recruitment firm SDO Mozambique (a human resources company), admits that the emotional dimension was present in the writing process of one of his most recent books, “HR With H For Human.” The work includes the story of a young man who witnessed several suicide attempts by his father, a painful story that Sitoe decided to transform into a book (with due authorization and without identification). The aim is to shed light on issues frequently ignored in organizational and family contexts, particularly those related to mental well-being. “Our people carry stories that influence the way they are and work. Humanizing also means recognizing these realities,” he emphasized.
The conversation with the author also reveals an analysis of the challenges young nationals face in accessing employment and building relevant skills. Vicente Sitoe identifies political polarization as one of the most harmful phenomena of the moment, as it hinders dialogue among youth. “If you’re not A, you’re B. This kind of division doesn’t help the country. Young people need to sit together again to create and think,” he stated.
Academic training is another critical point. According to the author, curricula remain misaligned with the demands of today’s world, which compromises the competitive capacity of Mozambican youth compared to students from other regions. “There was a time when our young people competed on equal terms with Europeans. Today, that is no longer evident. We need a serious and realistic reform in the education sector,” he revealed.
Gender remains an issue
Gender inequality continues to be an open wound in the labor market. Women still, according to Sitoe, “mostly occupy the informal sector,” reflecting the lack of opportunities in the formal sector and the reluctance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to hire young women, especially of reproductive age. “We still see women earning less for the same work. Even without detailed statistics, the signs are clear and repeated,” he pointed out.
Women continue “to mostly occupy the informal sector,” reflecting the lack of opportunities in the formal sector and the reluctance of small and medium enterprises.
Another element that distinguishes Mozambique from other Southern African countries, in the writer’s analysis, is the lack of definition in the national economic model. Sitoe believes the country oscillates between socialist and capitalist practices without clearly taking a direction, creating uncertainty for investors and employers. “Those who arrive cannot work under uncertainty. This affects management, investment, and even recruitment,” he highlights.
Humanization, AI, and a debate yet to be had
The principle of humanization occupies a central place in the book dedicated to human resources. The author emphasizes that “humanizing” is not “paternalism or favoritism, but respect, transparency, and dignity in organizational processes—from recruitment to retirement.” He recalls that many workers are informed of their retirement only at the last moment, a gesture he considers “painful” and contrary to any responsible practice. “It is possible to humanize without turning the organization into a charitable institution. It’s just about respecting those who have worked a lifetime,” he stressed.
Artificial Intelligence emerges as an unavoidable theme in the author’s work and concerns. For Sitoe, the central question is not just whether AI will replace certain functions, but how each professional can remain useful in an accelerating transformation scenario: “AI will replace those who cannot answer the question: where am I still needed? As long as we find spaces of utility, we will remain relevant.”
The book “HR With H For Human” includes articles written and published over recent years across various platforms, from newspapers to social media. The work was launched in November at the auditorium of the headquarters of Banco Comercial e de Investimentos (BCI), before an audience of around 200 people, mostly from the human resources management field. On the occasion, Vicente Sitoe called for collective reflection on identity, social responsibility, and the future. “Today we launched this conversation. Now we need to think together about who we are, what we want, and the country we intend to build,” he concluded.
Text: Nário Sixpene • Photograph: D.R.
