Mozambique General Information

Mozambique Time zone: Mozambique is GMT plus 2 hours

Mozambique Currency: Mozambique Meticas (MT).
Approximate exchange rate: US$ 1 = MT23 ZA Rand 1 = MT3 £1 = MT46

Banks and foreign exchange bureaus in Mozambique will change all major currencies into Metical the local currency, South African Rand and US dollar are also widely accepted, ATM’s are spreading across the popular locations but travellers cheques are difficult and expensive to exchange.

Mozambique Official Languages: Portuguese with English widely spoken. A number of local languages are also spoken varying from area to area.

Mozambique Power Supply: Electricity 220 - 240 V AC, 50 Hz
Electric Plugs can be European plug with two circular metal pins or South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin.

Mozambique Weather

Mozambique is a popular holidaying place for tourists from all over the world. The Mozambique weather is ideal for tourism related activities all around the year.
Mozambique crosses the tropic of Capricorn giving the country of Mozambique a tropical climate. There is plenty of sunshine all through the year. The Mozambique weather is characterized by seasonal rains at a specific time of the year. Rainfall is heaviest during the months of December to March. A few spells of rain occurs during the months of April to November. Mozambique enjoys 8 to 9 hours of sunshine daily throughout the year.
Climate varies according to area. Inland is cooler than the coast and rainfall higher as the land rises, with most rain between January and March.

More information on Mozambique Weather & Climate...

Visas and Entry Requirements for Mozambique

All visitors need a current passport with a minimum of 6 months validity. Visa’s are required by most countries (South Africa being the main exception), these can be obtained in advance at a Mozambique embassy, It is also possible to obtain a visa at most entry borders. Please consult your booking agent or contact us for up to date information.

All visitors require a passport, valid for 3 months with two clear pages.

Visa’s are required for most countries and are available at all entry airports:
Maputo, Inhambane, Vilankulo and Pemba
and at the following border posts:
Kosi Bay, Renao Garcia (Komatipoort) – From South Africa
Milange, Zobue – from Malawi
Kotwa, Mtare – from Zimbabwe
Fee at these border posts and airports is currently US$25 per passport and can be paid in US$, South African Rand and Mozambique Mets – Currently Euros and GB Pound are not accepted.
For other borders at the moment it is best to get a visa beforehand from a local embassy. These vary according to nationality from US$25 to US$100 and requirements vary from embassy to embassy.
Passport holders from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana no longer need visa’s and will be granted a 30 day stay at point of arrival (Admin fee R17 per passport)

Mozambique Cuisine

Not surprisingly seafood is the main speciality of Mozambique cuisine, fresh fish, lobster, calamari, prawns, crab served with rice or chips. For those who like it spicy there is generally a great sweet chilli sauce available. Chicken is also generally available, in the north a delicious Zambezi chicken is a traditional coconut based dish. Vegetarians will love the freshly grown fruit, there is always something in season: banana, mango, pineapple, avocado, paw paw, tomato and more.

Mozambique History, Culture & People

Mozambique has a population of approximately 21 million people. There are 19 main groups of which the Makua are the largest group.

The largest proportion of the people live along the long (2500 km) coastline, with fishing and simple agriculture providing the essentials of life.

Mozambique gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and became a Republic in 1990 after years of civil war.

Religion is split between Christian (mainly Roman Catholic), Muslim, Hindu and many also follow traditional beliefs.

What to wear in Mozambique

For most of the year light clothing is a must in Mozambique (along with swimming gear), evenings can get cool from June to August requiring a shirt or light jumper. A long sleeved top is handy for keeping off the sun and don’t forget the suncream and sunglasses.

Health & Safety in Mozambique

Mozambique is a malaria area so please consult your doctor on a suitable anti-malarial, (remember some malaria medication is not suitable for diving). Also an up to date Tetanus while polio, typhoid and hepatitis A are recommended, consult your doctor for further information.

Insurance for Mozambique

Travel insurance with medical cover is recommended.
All trips with dives included are covered by DAN dive insurance, this is for dive related incidents only and does not replace travel insurance.

Communications

Mobile phone networks cover all the main areas, local sim cards are also widely available with Vodacom and MTN. Internet is still slow and limited to major areas.

Scuba Diving & Snorkelling in Mozambique

Superb diving is available all along the coast, still very uncommercialised there is huge variety of reef and underwater life for all levels of diving.

Fishing in Mozambique

There is fantastic fishing along the whole coast, with big game fish such as Marlin and Sailfish, tiger fishing is also available. All should be done on a catch and release basis.

Mozambique Souvenirs

There are many good bargains available to remind you of Mozambique, brightly painted landscapes by local artists, woven baskets, bags and hats, colourful cloth work, silver jewellery, sculptures, ceramic work and wood carvings.

We request that you do not buy shells as this promotes the fishing of live creatures.