Good afternoon. Mozambique is preparing a new concession for the N4 and another phase of investment in the Ressano Garcia railway. Both projects concern one of the country’s most important economic arteries. The question is whether Mozambique can make prosperity move east along the corridor, bringing investment, production and jobs into the country, rather than letting value, consumers and opportunities keep flowing west into South Africa.
The Maputo Corridor has done what transport corridors are supposed to do, moving people, goods and money. Between 1,500 and 2,000 trucks cross the border from South Africa every day, most heading to Maputo Port and the terminals at Matola. When post-election protests shut the border in 2024 and 2025, South African businesses complained of billions of rand in losses. The corridor is central to the regional economy.
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But too much of the value has been captured on one side of the border. Mbombela, formerly Nelspruit, grew into a significant city, largely off the back of providing retail and services for Mozambican consumers. Komatipoort, closer to the border, is becoming more useful as a last stop before Mozambique. Meanwhile, the Mozambican side has too often remained a place to pass through.
Transport Minister João Matlombe is right to call for a correction in these imbalances, while announcing a competitive process for the N4. But a new concessionaire will not solve that issue. Roads and railways create opportunity only when the state also makes it easier for businesses to invest, employ and produce around them.
