António Jorge Costa
Administrator, Visabeira Group
When Visabeira started out in Mozambique, we had considerable know-how in terms of telecoms infrastructure. Mozambique was on a development path, and Visabeira identified an opportunity to combine the market with the country’s capacities. When Visabeira decided to operate in what was a virgin market, we used our competencies to meet the market’s demands of that time, where few other companies were able to do so. Today, many companies are coming here to take advantage of existing opportunities, but at that time we considered ourselves to be pioneers. Importantly, we believed in the true potential of the market, and identified its opportunities. Our group understood this 22 years ago, and today this is a market that relies on our know-how.
Clement Isikwe
CEO, United Bank for Africa Mozambique
Our strategic expansion into Mozambique was based on the unique nature of the country, blessed as it is with very rich mineral resources, a growing economy, and a highly stable and well-run government. Since investment will only go to where it feels welcome, we intend to carry out many long-term investments in the country because of the business opportunities available and the solid governance enjoyed by the country. We celebrated our third anniversary in the country at the end of 2013, and currently have two branches in Maputo, while a third one will open shortly in Nampula. We have recruited and trained staff for this new branch. Our primary focus is corporate and commercial banking, while also reaching out to retail banking, mainly through our e-banking channel. Our business philosophy entrenches value-chain banking.
Rui Marques
Branch Manager, Rui Marques
Siemens has been present in Mozambique for around 60 years. We built the railway to South Africa, the pylons for the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Project, and the HVDC solution that delivers power to South Africa. Siemens was present in the country before anyone even began to talk about gas and coal. We have been supporting Mozambique in terms of energy, education, and healthcare for decades. Mozambique is a very important country for Siemens, and a key market in our growth strategy. Indeed, in 2013 we received a visit from the executive management in Germany underlining the importance given to this market. As a company, Siemens sees many growth opportunities in Mozambique. With the opening of our new branch office in 2013, we are gearing up for continued expansion.
Cheng Lizhu
Managing Director, Huawei, Mozambique
We are in a window of opportunity in Mozambique right now in the telecommunications sector, and cannot miss this opportunity. We have been here for a decade and having faced both opportunities and challenges, still have some advantages. For example, Huawei has a very close relationship with all local operators. In Mozambique, Huawei provides products and services alike for all communication operators—Vodacom, Movitel, TDM, and Mcel. The second aspect is that we have a majority of local staff at over 70%. Over the past decade, we have built on that relationship and trust with our local resources; hence, when an opportunity arises, we have a good chance of succeeding. Our core value is customer-centric innovation, which means we do not always give deliver state of the art technology to our customers; rather, we work to meet their specific needs and requirements with the best solution for the task at hand.
Abilio Madalena
Director General, Galp Energia-Petrogal Mocambique
We have operations in the downstream segment in all African Lusophone countries and some others under the brand Galp. In Mozambique, we have had a presence for more than 50 years. The downstream operations in Mozambique are some of Petrogal’s most important operations beyond the Iberian Peninsula. Petrogal also has operations in Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea, Gambia, and Swaziland. Obviously, Swaziland and Gambia are not Portuguese-speaking countries, but we operate there nonetheless. African operations are very important for the future because we see high growth on the continent. In 2012, Petrogal’s business in Mozambique grew by around 12%, and in the future, the country will become one of our most significant markets. Indeed, as we move into natural gas, Mozambique is rapidly gaining importance. One of our advantages here is that we already have the contacts and know the right people, the rules, and the culture, as well as speaking the same language. Therefore, it is easier for us than for others unfamiliar with the country.
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