A lack of awareness, high consultancy costs, and inadequate preparation continue to limit Mozambican companies’ access to quality certification. The National Institute of Standardisation and Quality (INNOQ) is working to reverse that trend.
INNOQ’s central motivation is straightforward: it views certification as a fundamental step in raising the competitiveness of the private sector. Certification opens access to new business opportunities, particularly in sectors linked to large-scale investment. As Mozambique seeks to strengthen the participation of domestic companies — under the banner of local content — in the supply chains of major projects, quality certification is increasingly emerging as an indispensable requirement for market access and for building client confidence.
INNOQ’s director-general, Geraldo Albasini, argues that the primary challenge remains a poor understanding of the benefits and procedures required to achieve certification. Many companies, he explains, still regard it as an administrative document that can be issued quickly, without appreciating that it involves the implementation of management systems and audits.
“The certification process takes time. It is like academic certification. Nobody goes to university just to ask for a degree certificate,” he said. INNOQ is the public body responsible for implementing national quality policy through activities spanning standardisation, metrology, certification, testing, and inspection. In the area of certification, the institution is responsible for assessing management systems and products, enabling companies and goods to carry quality seals — and expanding that reach is the goal.
“If a company is well organised, it can achieve certification within three months,” Albasini noted. Although INNOQ’s fees are relatively accessible compared with those charged by international bodies, companies frequently need to engage specialist consultants to prepare their management systems ahead of the final audit.
“Consultancy costs are relatively high,” he explained. For that reason, he advises companies to make use of support mechanisms offered by the Institute for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (IPEME), which provides financing programmes designed to offset the costs associated with the certification process. However, he cautions that external support should not substitute the organisations’ own commitment. “It is essential to ensure that the organisation itself has the capacity to maintain certification,” Albasini stressed.
To reduce the information deficit in the market, INNOQ has been stepping up its awareness activities, using digital platforms, seminars, and outreach campaigns. “We use every available means,” Albasini confirmed. Among the planned initiatives is a seminar dedicated specifically to certification, aimed at explaining the requirements, costs, and benefits associated with different management systems.
“Our appeal is for companies to be aware that they need to be certified. They should not wait only for major project tenders and then seek certification. The ideal is to prepare in advance,” he said. Failure to do so risks falling behind better-organised competitors.
“Companies should not wait only for major project tenders and then seek certification. The ideal is to prepare in advance.” — Geraldo Albasini, Director-General, INNOQ
The gradual lifting of restrictions related to the natural gas project in the Rovuma Basin is stimulating demand for quality certifications. According to Albasini, there is currently a scramble by some companies to meet the requirements for integration into major investors’ supply chains, particularly among service providers, goods suppliers, and food distribution companies.
INNOQ is participating in a project to support the certification of approximately 52 domestic companies, developed in partnership with an investor. Half have already completed the certification process, while the remainder are still in the preparation phase. Albasini warned that some companies end up undermining their results due to internal changes during the process. “We have noticed that some companies, after benefiting from this support, change their activity or change management, and that complicates the implementation of the system,” he said. He was insistent on a broader point: certification should not be viewed merely as a requirement imposed by major projects. Above all, it is a management tool capable of improving efficiency, internal organisation, and client confidence.
The experience of SDO Mozambique illustrates the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to meet international quality standards. The company’s director-general, Vicente Sitoe, told E&M that SDO already had solid internal procedures in place, but in 2021 decided it was important to frame them within a formally recognised international system. To that end, the company hired a specialist consultancy to guide it through the process. INNOQ subsequently conducted the initial audit, identifying areas requiring improvement. “We implemented INNOQ’s recommendations and managed to achieve certification,” he recalled.
Despite the successful outcome, the process took longer than initially anticipated. Financial constraints and successive crises affecting the country forced the postponement of several stages. The company also contended with the impact of recurrent flooding and the post-electoral unrest of 2024.
For Sitoe, the experience demonstrates that certification is within reach of small and medium-sized domestic companies, provided there is commitment from management. “From our experience, we believe it is both possible and advisable.” He considers that many organisations still underestimate the internal benefits.
Clear and standardised procedures, he explained, reduce operational failures, improve document management, and facilitate accountability to clients and partners. “It is a great comfort to know that my entire team is aligned on procedures,” he said.
For Sitoe, the principal message to domestic business owners is straightforward: preparation must begin before the opportunities arrive. “We should not wait for the big opportunities, because when they come, we may not be ready. Those who are ready will capture them first.”
He also cautioned that obtaining the certificate does not represent the end of the process. The real challenge begins after certification, when it becomes necessary to sustain the standards achieved. “I think the hardest work actually starts now,” he said. That view is shared by INNOQ, which advocates certification not merely as a commercial requirement but as a tool for organisational transformation.
At a moment when Mozambique is seeking to increase domestic companies’ participation in large-scale investments, strengthening management capabilities and raising quality standards could prove decisive in ensuring that the economic benefits of megaprojects are increasingly captured by the Mozambican private sector.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/07/20/negocios/empresas/certificacao-em-qualidade-instituto-quer-certificar-mais-empresas-para-cadeias-de-valor/
