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Harbor- and Airport Procedure, Transportation, Communication, Costs of Living, Supply and Care, Medical Care, Discriminated Groups, Educational System, Adult- and Further Education
Before arriving in Mozambique, all non-Mozambican passport holders need to acquire a visa to be allowed entrance into the country. This is possible in you country of origin or neighboring country with Mozambique consulate.
There is a Mozambican Diplomatic Mission in Berlin:
Tel 030-3039876500
Fax 030 - 39876503
It used to be possible to acquire a visa at the Maputo airport but that is no longer so. A visa must be attained before coming. There are reported incidents of people not being let on planes at the Johannesburg airport because they did not have a visa for Mozambique.
There are three types of visa issued by the (Mission aboard Embassies and consulates), namely: one entry, two entries and multiple entry (up to 10 days each stay within the country). There are nine categories of entry visas: Diplomatic, courtesy, official, tourist (a stay for up 90 days), transit (a stay up to 7 days), visit, business, student (up to 12 months, renewable each year) and residence.
For those who intend to reside in the country for a long-term contract, you must indicate to the Mozambican Mission that you will be applying for residency so that they give you the right category of entry visa. If you do not arrive with a residence visa there can be difficulties in applying later for the residency permit. The residency permit (called a DIRE, pronounced "deerree") should be solicited shortly after arrival. A wide range of documentation is required to apply for a DIRE namely:
These forms are available at a minimal cost from the Ministry of Immigration.
Top Taxi can be reached:
in Maputo at 01-311085, 311004 or cell phone 082-313018
in Beira at 03-328592
in Nampula at 06-218090
It provides 42 hour service. Other taxi numbers in Maputo include the Mozambique Taxi Company 494773 whose cars have taximeters and the Polana and Town Taxi Stand 493255 or Omega Taxis 418627.
Be sure to agree on a rate when entering a taxi without a meter. Normally, prices from the airport in Maputo to the city center should not exceed 9 US$. It is recommended for security reasons to only use taxis organized from major stands, for instance in front of hotels, universities, the hospital etc. and not pick them up from the street.
An international drivers license is valid in Mozambique and cars are driven on the left hand side of the road. Although officially you can be fined for the act of using a driver’s license from another country rather than Mozambique, this rarely occurs. To obtain a Mozambican drivers license, you must turn in any drivers license issued in anther country and take both driving classes and an exam.
Police do carry checks that require drivers to show vehicle registration papers and the driver's license. Infringements that commonly result in fines include speeding. Front row passenger’s not wearing seat belts, and not having two warning triangles. Fine minimums are about 1.000.000 Mts.
Note that officially all bicycle riders also require a license that can be obtained for a minimal cost at your local conselho Municipal.
Luxury bus services are available daily from Maputo to Nelspruit onward to Johannesburg, for instance by Panthera Azul on the corner of Av. Julius Nyerere and Av. 24 de Julho and by Intercape on Av. 24 de Julho. Similary, there are services available from Beira to Chimoio onward to Mutare an Harare.
Linhas aeras de Mozambique (LAM) has local flights to Beira, Tete, Quelimane, and Lichinga. To get to Chimoio, one can fly to Beira or Harare, Zimbabwe and drive the rest of the way. From Beira, it takes about 2 ½ hours or more to drive to Chimoio. Mozambique Express (MEX, Tel 466008) flies to Inhambane.
There is a national highway that connected most of the provincial capitals together. However, the heavy flooding of March 2000 wreaked considerable and sometimes it is not. Where a it used to take approximately six hours to drive between Maputo and Inhambane, when the road is open, it is now taking at least 8 hours and 4x4 vehicle is advisable. It is recommended that all road travelers make sure they get current information on the road situation.
Public road transportation via chapas (vans) and machibombos (buses) while inexpensive and relatively safe in terms of personal safer is not advised mainly because of traffic accident potential. Similarly, railway service is extremely limited.
The mail system in Mozambique is useful for sending letters but less so for receiving them. To send a letter or parcel you have several services, including the routine service, the "Ultima Hour" last minute service for which you pay more and registered mail. Mail is delivered to house addresses and postal boxes bat is not necessarily reliable. Courier systems work well and DHL (Tel: 307290/3, Post office and Sky net Tel: 305353) provide good services.
Generally, connectivity via email and Internet is reliable however there can be problems with getting connected on the initial attempt. Sometime reception speed is poor and large documents can create blockages. These challenges are worse in the provinces although currently there are satellite serves in Beira and planned for Quelimane an Nampula. Chimoio has a local server whereby email is reliable but Internet connections are very slow.
There is affair variety of Internet service providers (ISPs) in Mozambique. Common choices in Maputo include virtual connection (417022), Tropical mail (Tel: 308355/4), and the Informatics Centre at the University of Eduardo Mondlane (492601) Prices tends to be around US$ 35 per month.
Outside Maputo, Teledata (Maputo Tel: 302580 or teledata@teledata.mz) is the main ISP Choice because it offers local dial-up numbers in all provinces. One has to pay in advance for six months. The service tends to be reliable though in can get busy in the evenings.
Depending on the type of telephone line installed in your house, you should be able to telephone directly to South Africa and other regional countries from your own phone. However most other destinations still require you to telephone 100 to get an international operator to connect the call. As telephone costs are via the number of pulses, the tariff system does result in some time periods costing less. For instance, the Mozambican telephone company, TDM, is currently advertising 20h00 to 6h00 from Monday to Friday as Saturday, Sunday and holidays as the low cost period when interurban calls are 50 % less. Public telephones are situated around town and require a telephone card, which is available at "Tabacarias" and other stores.
There is a cell phone service in Mozambique called Mcel ( http://www.mcel.co.mz or mcel@mcel.co.mz) and they have various stores around Maputo city as well as a store in Beira and Chimoio. At the beginning of October, 2000 they introduced a pre-paid phone card service called "Giro".
Generally spoken, life in Mozambique is hard. Even by having a regular income, it is not easy to manage to pay the costs of living. Many products on the Mozambican market come from South Africa, this means that prices are especially affected by instable inflation rates in Mozambique. Following we list some prices, based on Maputo standard. Please consider that import goods get more expensive the further north you go, as transport is long and awkward.
| Product / Service | Price in Meticais | |
| Accomodation | ||
| Rent for a small flat | 3,000,000 | |
| Rent for a normal flat (cheap area) | 5,000,000 | |
| Rent in a average area | 12,000,000 | |
| Water and Energy | ||
| Water | 10,000 in city up to 200,000 | |
| Energy | 200,000 until 1,000,000 | |
| monthly fee for Communication appliances | ||
| TV | 12,000 / mth | |
| Radio | 7,000 / mth | |
| Internet (no limits to surf) | 30 US$ / 6 mths | |
| Newspaper | 8,000 | |
| Telephone (tax only, calls excl.) | 192,000 / mth | |
| Cars | ||
| Car second-hand | 10,000 - 20,000 US$ | |
| Car new | 20,000 - 80,000 US$ | |
| Fuel | ||
| Petrol | 11’310 / l | |
| Diesel | 12,000 / l | |
| Transportation | ||
| Public transport within city | 5,000 | |
| Public transport 100 km | 30,000 | |
| Public transport 500 km | 100,000 | |
| Household appliances | ||
| Bed | 3,000,000 | |
| Fridge | 5,000,000 | |
| TV apparatus | 3,000,000 | |
| Fan | 300,000 | |
| Shopping | ||
| Haircut | 70,000 | |
| Toilet paper (1 roll) | 6,000 | |
| Toothpaste | 15,000 | |
| Pair of trousers | 350,000 | |
| Mosquito net | 55,000 | |
| Food | ||
| Mineral water | 1,5 l | 13,000 |
| Beer | 0,5 l | 15,000 |
| Bread | 250 g | 3,000 |
| Rice | 1 kg | 14,000 |
| Potatoes | 1 kg | 10,000 |
| Oil | 1 l | 30,000 |
| Apples | 1 kg | 15,000 |
| Oranges | 1 kg | 5,000 |
| Beef | 1 kg | 60,000 |
| Chicken | 1 kg | 40,000 |
| Fishcarpão | 1 kg | 25,000 |
| Eggs | 12 | 25,000 |
| Butter | 250 g | 20,000 |
| Main dish in restaurant | 70,000 | |
The applicable VAT rate is 17 % and is levied on transactions involving the following: importation of goods, non-ratuitous transfer of goods and provision services.
Boiling and filtering water is the common procedure recommended locally by health officials to ensure safe water. Drinking and brushing teeth with bottled water is also common. Good water filters can be purchased in Maputo, Beira an Nampula, although it is harder to find the filter candles. As well, both the filters and filter can readily be purchased in South Africa.
Sometimes for instance during very heavy rainy periods, there are cholera scares in the urban areas. Direct contact is unlikely in most of the neighborhoods where expats live. However precautions, like washing fruits and vegetables in clean water with a little bit of bleach, is prudent.
Bilharzia is present in many lakes and slow moving rivers. Swimming in these places should be avoided.
In Mozambique there is a fairly good choice. Supermakt and smaller shops in Maputo are choice super Mercado Luz no Av. Vladimir Lenin has the best variety of food, especially dairy products however it is also the most expensive. Vosso surpermercado just off of Av. Mao Tse Tung has a great selection of dried goods at reasonable prices.
However, the variety of foodstuffs variable is growing all the time. To choose the best quality being sold, for instance of pasta and cracker products, it is worth checking expiry dates. In general it is difficult to get good dairy products. Fresh milk is variable only in certain stores in Maputo but UHT milk is variable throughout the whole county. Do be careful with frozen product, which sometimes melt and are refrozen because of long distances or poor transportation facilities to low temperature.
All provincial have central markets that sell fresh fruits and vegetables. Even as far away as Nampula fresh market products from South Africa sometimes arrive.
Malaria is one of the major illnesses that affect people living in Mozambique. Precautions can be taken to not be bitten and hence not enter in contact with the disease. For instant, use good quality mosquito nets repellents and long sleeve clothing at dusk and dawn hours. Doctors to recommend malarial prophylactics and several varieties are available in the pharmacies.
HIV/AIDS is very common in Southern African countries. In Mozambique, HIV prevalence in the adult population is around 15 %. The prevalence is higher in mobile people, in areas bordering commercial corridors and frontiers with neighboring countries. Although there are more AIDS cases reported in urban areas, the disease is also very common in rural areas, where the non/availability of the HIV test makes the diagnosis difficult. In general, any sexual relationship with unknown partners needs to be considered a risk for contracting HIV.
Testing is available in almost all hospitals but only for blood safety purpose.
Treatment for opportunistic diseases related to HIV/AIDS is available in Government clinics and hospitals, although there is a risk of shortage of drugs due to deficiencies in the procurement and distribution system. Private clinics offer different sorts of treatment, including anti-retrovirals but prices are high and unaffordable for the majority of people (for instance, currently about US$ 1.000 per month of treatment). This does not include cost for the physician and laboratory tests. In contrast, costs for treatment, laboratory test and physicians are lower in South Africa but additional costs for travel and accommodation are incurred.
There are some very good pharmacies in Maputo namely the Farmacia Calendula on Av. Mão Tse Tung, Farmacia Rocha in the Interfranca shopping center on Av. 24 de Julho, the Farmacia Moderna on Av. Eduardo Mondlane on and the Pharmacy at the shoprite mall. Although a bit furthers a field, the main pharmacy in Matola is also very well stocked.
In Beira, a new private pharmacy, Famacia Sena, it is well stocked (even with the new Chinese material treatment). Similarly it is possible to find medicines likes antibiotics, ant allergy, ant-fungal, cough syrups, paracetamol, malarial prophylaxis and vitamins in Chimoio where a pharmacy in the clinica Fatima is opened on a 24 hr. basis. People living in Beira and Chimoio often purchase medical supplies at pharmacies in Mutare. In Nampula, Farmacia Calenderia also has a good reputation.
The constitution of the Republic of Mozambique contains a law to combat discrimination. In the eyes of the law, all people are equal and have the same rights. The following comments are in parts extracts from the constitution.
... have the right of protection, health, education, sport, work, creation of own associations, etc. Some various associations, NGOs and the Mozambican government fight in favour of handicapped people by appealing to moral and material values. Some associations and NGOs have founded special centres with the objectives of schooling, reintegration and professional education. All over the country more than 60 organisations working for and with handicapped people can be found.
... and the movement towards a better acceptation of women are supported by the government. Women are participating in politics, economy, in social and cultural matters of Mozambique. The work of women is regarded by the state and no discrimination will be tolerated.
... have the right for protection within their family and in the society in general. The children get good conditions, to allow extensive development. Children at the compulsory schooling age must not work.
... are encouraged by the state to build their own personalities and to take an active role in the development of the country. They get involved in the activities of the communities and start their integration into their productive life. The state support youth initiatives in the area of education, politics, culture, art, recreation, sport, etc.
... have the right for protection in their family, the society and the state. This means the creation of good living conditions in family circles and in communities, a marginally living in special old people's home must be avoided. This is a way to keep elderly people integrated in society, politics, culture and development.
... need special protection. The state promotes the establishment of necessary conditions for economical and social integration of infected people. Rehabilitation and care is an important factor of the governmental programme, for this reason it supports the creation of specialised public and private services. Pregnant women and children are a particular important target group.
... live mainly in the big cities. In Mozambique no laws exist to protect homosexual people, and for the time being there is no public interest to debate on this subject. It is not accepted to show homosexuality in public.
The government of the Republic of Mozambique considers education as a right for all citizens. Since the national independence in 1975, putting all people - children such as adults - to school, became an important matter to aim for. However, until 1992 the development of the education sector was hampered by reasons of war.
The assembly of the Mozambican Republic approved the annual programme of education. It builds an important instrument to improve conditions of life, as well as to rise the technical and scientifically labour level. This is the base for a solid understanding, for social development, peace and national reconciliation. According to this governmental programme, a considerable volume of human resources was made available in order to allow further development to the education system. Effectively, education is a main condition to enable projects in perspectives of health, nutrition and environment a good success. Solid education is important to assume the responsibility in political, economical, social and cultural life.
General objectives
This integral formation is destined for all people living in Mozambique. It treats polytechnic and socio-economic development of the country. At this level of studies it is important to make sure that the students get to know all the possible upper degrees of education.
The main aim of this level is to eradicate illiteracy amongst adults. The focus lies on technical-professional education in order to supply more people with management skills for jobs in economical areas and to be able to participating actively in the society. Most of the students have a job next to their studies.
This level is to assume an integral technical formation for people from 18 upwards, to prepare them for future professional work.
Supply the teachers with extensive knowledge in such a way that they are able to guarantee systematically teaching to the next generation.
The aim of this level is to get more specialists with a solid formation in scientifically and technical areas. After finishing the degree, the students are able to apply their knowledge for social-economical development of the country.
It is important that the work in the scientifically area is linked tightly to the scientifically research. The political strategy for super education wants to reach improved access for interested students and better quality of teaching, such as getting a better efficiency, good services and representations.
For every sub-system there is a different type and duration, according to the requires of the students. The distance learning is destined to those Mozambicans, who can not - for different reasons - follow the regular lessons. The Ministry of Education is about to implement the system of correspondence course, the distance learning. Every sub-system has four levels
Primary level
The primary level is divided into 7 classes. The 1st degree goes from class 1 to 5 where as the 2nd degree consists of class 6 and 7.
The children, usually in the age between seven and fourteen years, learn at this level:
Secondary level
The secondary level is divided into classes 8 to 10. The children are in the age between 14 and 17 years and learn at this level:
After graduating from this level, the students are supposed to have the capacity of going to the middle level.
Middle level / Pre-University
The 3rd level consists of the classes 11 and 12. The studies at this level gives an enlarged formation and prepare the people for a possible next step into university.
Super Level / University
Going through the 4th level requires at least five years. The last two concentrate on the state examination.
There is one university located in Maputo. However, in Mozambique there are twelve institutions of higher education. Six in Maputo, three in Beira, two in Nampula and one in Quelimane.
For children between 1 and 6 years there are places in crèches available. The crèches are run privately and have different activities such as singing, playing and learning Portuguese or English on the programme.
Children with special need can go to a special school. The children have to cope with mental or physical difficulties, other ones struggle about social acceptation and integration. Special schools try to give a basic education, which permits these children to find their way in the society and get a future existence.
The illustration above is based on the official governmental information. It is possible, that some modifications and adaptations can be found in certain regions of the country. This always in order to give best possible qualifications to the students of the national education system.
The National Policy of Education is to guarantee that the access to education is provided to a larger number of pupils, and to improve the services provided in all teaching levels. Therefor it is intended to an access to the population and provide an acceptable quality of education. This is an appropriate education and a process of teaching which approves a continuous evolution in knowledge, habits, attitudes ,and veleos to satisfy the needs of the society.
In the sequence of the approval of the national policy of education in August 1995. The Ministry of Education elaborated a strategic plan of education, of which the government interferes in the sector of education, and offers a list of decisions about the allocations of the internal and external aid. The strategic plan of education is an integrated program of which the immobilisation of the necessary resources are done for the materialisation of its objectives:
Being so the technical professional education is a component of the national system of education, which guarantees the citizens an access to a highly qualified scientific formation to correspond to the needs of the economic and social development.
The needs of the formation vary according to the specific characters of the different target groups:
Adult education has the main function of erasing analphabetism to guarantee an integral formation of technical professionals and access it in the diverse levels of the national system of education, to all workers, in a form of preparing them to assume the directional functions of the society and economy. The superior education has the compactability of assuring a higher level of technical specialists in the diverse state of scientific knowledge necessary in the development of the country and to achieve a straight connection with the scientific investigation.
Maputo City
Maputo Province
Gaza
Inhambane
Sofala
Manica
Tete
Zambézia
Nampula
Cabo Delgado
Niassa
The duration of these technical professional levels are of 1 to 5 years and the fees are payable according to the seal corresponding to
Monitor International School
Av. Somara Machel, 202-2ºander
Tel.:+258-1-323431/323432
Fax: +258-1-320973
| Professional vendor course | 8 months | 2.890.000 |
| Practical secretary course | 8 months | 2.890.000 |
| Drawing and art course | 8 months | 2.890.000 |
| Practical English course (cassettes and books) | 8 months | 1.900.000 |
| Cutting and sowing course | 8 months | 2.890.000 |
| Health and feminine beauty | 8 months | 2.890.000 |
The University of Eduardo Mondlane (Uem)
Pedagogic University
Mozambique has evening lessons (school) to help the ones who cannot go to the formation schools because of other occupations during the day, because they want to do other professions to obtain a promotion in their professional careers.
The are various institutes of technical professional education in the country from north to south. The technical professional schools only exist in the big cities. There are also institutes for basic education which lesson during the evenings to give access to the ones who have a formation but not the level that the company or profession demands. The schools give various courses depending on your choice, such as:
Accounts, Informatics, Project management, Secretary, Business management, Languages, Electronics and Mechanics, Administration, human resources, Financial management, Law, Medicine, Rural development, Time management etc.
The costs vary according to the course and its duration. Each institution has its own price. The countries currency has no stability it varies constantly, inflations are observed each month. The prices hereby mentioned are per person.
| Course | Cost per Person (£) | Duration |
| Informatics | 200 | 1 month |
| Watering and planting | 300 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Degree in informatic engineering | 3.000 | 5 years |
| Degree in pharmacy | 3.000 | 5 years |
| Rural development | 50 | 6 to 12 months |
| Credit and administration | 150 | 6 months to 1 year |
| Bachelors degree | 2500 | 3 years |
| Sewing and Cutting | 200 | 6 months |
| Degree in law | 3.000 | 5 years |
| Degree in accounting and auditing | 3.000 | 4 years |
| Degree in management | 3.000 | 4 years |
| Environmental studies | 250 | 6 months to 3 years |
| Administration and management | 250 | 1 month |
| Administration and finance | 300 | 6 month to 3 years |
| Sales production | 100 | 4 weeks |
| Elaboration of projects | 100 | 4 weeks |
| Media management | 350 | 2 years |
| Electronics | 100 | 5 months to 1 year |
| Animal breed | 250 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Basics | 100 | 4 to12 months |
| Export and import | 130 | 6 weeks |
| Insurance and Management | 55 | 8 weeks |
| Public relations | 65 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Project management | 90 | 6 weeks |
| NGO management | 250 | 7 weeks |
| Language course | 150 | 3 months |
| Forestral engineering | 2.000 | 1 year |
| Secretary | 200 | 3 years |
| Auto mechanics | 100 | 3 years |
| General electronics | 300 | 3 years |
The companies also provide formation for the workers as long as they have been working there for 6 months, and they sigh a term of compromise stating that they will woke in the company for the period of years stipulated by the company. The formation provided by the company depends on its necessity.
There are two means of payment:
The second mean of payment is to guarantee that the person does not dishonour the agreement with the company.
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