Mozambique approves $37 million upgrade of Machipanda border post

The Mozambican government has approved a public‑private partnership to modernise and expand the one‑stop border post at Machipanda in Manica Province. The project, budgeted at about US$37 million, will be built by a Chinese consortium comprising UnionPortlink Capital and Zhongmei Engineering Group under a 25‑year concession that will later revert to state control.

Work is slated to start in October and will include three new bridges over the Machipanda River, a 35,000‑square‑metre multimodal cargo terminal, warehouses, bulk‑cargo handling facilities and a residential area for staff. The upgrade aims to cut waiting times for the more than 2,000 trucks that daily cross the corridor linking Mozambique’s Port of Beira with land‑locked neighbours such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and the DRC. The project is expected to create around 700 jobs – 500 during construction and 200 for ongoing operations – and improve safety and sanitation for traders.

The concession will see the consortium finance the construction, operate the facilities for 25 years, and share a portion of revenue with the state, while the Mozambican government retains a minority stake through the Roads Fund and local investors.