The mining sector in Mozambique has shown great progress in recent times, with the potential to make a significant contribution to the country’s socio-economic development. In this regard, the Mozambican Chamber of Mines (CMM) made it known that the mining industry generates many jobs for young people and various business opportunities.
Speaking during the 5th edition of the ‘German-African Business Summit’, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya, the president of the CMM, Geert Klok , said that over the last 20 years, more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs have been generated, with the sector attracting national and international investors.
He pointed out that the country is a major producer of coal, heavy sand minerals, natural graphite and precious stones, with the mines generally located in rural areas that traditionally lack qualified staff, and the companies have sought to create training programmes to professionalise the workers.
‘Mining companies offer many opportunities for suppliers of spare parts, consumables and logistics and entirely new supply chains that have been built from scratch,’ described Klok, quoted in a statement.
In the same context, the CEO of Altona Rare, Cedric Simonet, also mentioned that the sector in Mozambique has a positive business environment, despite the excessive bureaucracy in the process of acquiring licences.
‘In Kenya, most applications are made online and are usually available within a few hours, but in Mozambique the processes tend to take much longer due to bureaucracy. And this is an aspect that could be improved,’ he argued.
In July, the Mozambican Chamber of Mines (CMM) argued that the country should collaborate regionally in the mining industry to create a supply chain for the production of electric vehicles.
At the time, Geert Klok explained that Mozambique has a young mining industry, where the mineral resources are coal, graphite, precious stones and rubies. However, the mines are often in remote areas, leading the country to depend on the markets of other neighbouring countries.
‘What we need to do, in my opinion, is co-operate with the region. We have to build a supply chain, not at a national level, but at a regional level, which links up with the automotive industry and the market, rather than each country acting individually,’ he said at the 7th Conference on Mining in Africa (MOTA – Mining On Top Africa) in Paris.
