Across 100 editions of E&M, each cover captured a moment. Together, they form a portrait of the country. We selected ten covers that help trace the journey since 2018 — all of which can be consulted online.
Over the course of 100 editions, E&M sought to do more than report on current economic affairs. It sought to interpret events, question them and, at times, anticipate the challenges that would come to define the national debate. Each cover was an editorial choice, a snapshot of the moment, and a commitment to the relevance of subjects that, the publication believed, deserved to occupy the centre of public discussion.
These covers tell a story larger than that of the magazine itself. They tell the story of a country in transformation — of the expectations generated by natural gas, the cycles of growth and slowdown, the crises, the delayed reforms, and the emergence of sustainability as a defining concern.
For this special edition, E&M has chosen ten covers that, for different reasons, marked the publication’s journey. Rather than selecting the ‘best’ covers, this selection aims to show how the country’s concerns evolved — and how the editorial perspective of the magazine developed. Previous issues are available at https://issuu.com/media4development
1. The Pharmaceuticals Market — Issue 9, December 2018
In a sector directly linked to the health and lives of citizens, yet shrouded in processes little known to the public, E&M opened the doors to the pharmaceuticals market in Mozambique to examine how the entire supply chain functions — from importation through to delivery of products to pharmacies and health facilities. The report sought to answer fundamental questions: where do the medicines consumed in the country come from, how are prices set, what mechanisms govern distribution, how is product quality guaranteed, and what are the differences between the public and private supply chains? To address these questions, the magazine drew on contributions from regulators, sector operators, healthcare professionals and other specialist sources.
2. Cyclone Idai — Issue 14, May 2019
The passage of Cyclone Idai marked one of the most dramatic moments in Mozambique’s recent history. With more than 600 fatalities, thousands injured, approximately 1.8 million people affected, and estimated damages exceeding three billion dollars, the disaster exposed the country’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and tested its capacity for response and recovery. Faced with this scenario, E&M sought to analyse the economic and social implications of the disaster, as well as the challenges confronting reconstruction.
Each cover recorded an instant. Together they reveal how the concerns, challenges and expectations of Mozambique evolved and changed over recent years.
The report brought together contributions from government officials, development partners, specialists, and national and international organisations. More than portraying the scale of destruction, the edition sought to point towards solutions and launch a debate on the way forward.
3. Covid-19 — Issue 24, April 2020
Published in the first weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic, this edition sought to anticipate the impacts of an unprecedented crisis on the Mozambican and global economy. The three subsequent editions ceased to circulate in print — an editorial decision driven by the restrictions imposed by the pandemic and the need to protect readers, partners and staff at a time when every precaution was essential to contain the spread of infection. In a context of high uncertainty, when little was yet known about the duration and scale of the health emergency, E&M brought together economists, business leaders, managers and other specialist sources in an attempt to answer the question that dominated the debate and gave the edition its headline: ‘What Is Coming?’
4. TotalEnergies’ Force Majeure — Issue 37, May 2021
The natural gas exploration project in the Rovuma Basin represented one of the greatest economic expectations in Mozambique’s history. But in 2021, everything stopped: the armed attack on the town of Palma led TotalEnergies to suspend the investment and invoke force majeure to halt all subcontracts on the Mozambique LNG project. The largest private investment in Africa was postponed and, despite the resumption announced this year, several more years must pass before there are meaningful prospects of exploitation capable of driving development in Cabo Delgado and across the country.
Faced with such long-anticipated wealth, the question everyone was asking was: ‘Are We Losing Gas?’ Today, doubts remain: has the country missed the best window of opportunity to establish itself in the strategically vital global energy sector?
5. The Science and Technology Park — Issue 42, October 2021
In a world undergoing rapid technological transformation — where innovation, research and the digital economy have come to occupy a central role in development strategies — the Maluana Science and Technology Park emerged as one of Mozambique’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. E&M sought to understand the true potential of this initiative and to answer fundamental questions: what impact could an infrastructure of this nature have on Mozambique’s economic transformation? What conditions were necessary for it to function? How could it contribute to the development of talent?
More than recording events, the covers contextualised themes, identified trends and anticipated challenges for the country.
Through interviews with institutional leaders, specialists and actors linked to science and technology, the magazine analysed a vision for the future that ultimately could not be realised and was eventually discontinued. A reflection that remains relevant today — on missed opportunities and the promise that ‘The Future Lives Here.’
6. The Economic Acceleration Package — Issue 64, September 2023
At a moment when Mozambique was seeking to recover from the accumulated effects of the pandemic, external shocks and a business environment still marked by significant constraints, the government launched the Economic Acceleration Package (PAE) — an initiative presented as a stimulus to business activity, investment attraction and improvement of the economy’s competitiveness.
E&M analysed this strategy to determine whether the measures announced could represent structural change or merely a short-term response to the economic challenges of the moment, in a context where different sectors were advancing at different speeds. It was a portrait of a country where some segments were growing while others remained constrained — a true ‘Two-Speed Economy.’
7. Post-Electoral Protests — Issue 79, December 2024
The post-electoral period of 2024 opened one of the chapters of greatest economic and social uncertainty in Mozambique’s recent history. Protests contesting the electoral process caused disruptions to economic activity, disturbances in supply chains, restrictions on the movement of people and goods, and severe losses across sectors including trade, transport, tourism and industry.
From major investments to national crises, each cover recorded a chapter of recent history.
E&M sought to measure the scale of the effects and answer the questions that demanded a response: how much would this new wave of uncertainty cost the national economy? What effects would it have on businesses, investment, employment and public revenue collection? And what signals were necessary to restore confidence among economic agents? This edition sought to show that, beyond the immediate effects, what was at stake was one of the most important assets of any economy: stability. Because when confidence is shaken, everyone ends up paying ‘The Price of Uncertainty.’
8. The End of US Aid — Issue 82, March 2025
For decades, Mozambique built a strategic cooperation relationship with the United States, with American assistance playing a crucial role in areas such as health, agriculture, governance, social development and humanitarian response. The Trump administration’s decision to suspend foreign aid opened a debate on dependence on international resources, along with the associated risks and opportunities.
E&M sought to understand the implications of this change and to answer fundamental questions: what was the real weight of American cooperation in the economy and public services? Which sectors would be most affected? Was Mozambique prepared to replace these resources or to accelerate the mobilisation of domestic revenues? Faced with the interruption of one of the most significant external sources of support, the question became inevitable: ‘The Tap Has Closed. What Now?’ The volatility of the administration continues to keep uncertainty in the air.
9. 50 Years of National Independence — Issue 85, June 2025
Half a century after the achievement of national independence, Mozambique reached a symbolic moment of reflection on the path it has built. More than a historical celebration, E&M looked at the 50 years as an opportunity to revisit the country’s economic trajectory.
With contributions from economists, academics, business leaders and figures who have accompanied different phases of nation-building, the magazine proposed a reading that was both critical and forward-looking — a journey to understand ‘Where We Have Come From… And Where We Want to Go.’
10. The Fuel Crisis — Issue 98, July 2026
The United States and Israel’s attack on Iran in February of this year triggered a fuel crisis characterised by supply difficulties, pressure on prices and growing concern among economic agents. E&M decided to explain a distribution chain that, despite featuring in everyone’s daily lives, remains poorly understood by most consumers.
The magazine sought to answer fundamental questions: how is fuel imported? Who participates at each stage, from international procurement to distribution? What factors determine the final price paid by the consumer? A complex equation to understand the crisis, the possible solutions, and to find out ‘The Price of Every Litre.’
By Celso Chambisso
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=543425
