Mozambique

In Mozambique, Switzerland is working to improve access to high-quality basic services and to develop the economy, employment and incomes. It supports local projects, mainly in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula. At the national level, it engages in political dialogue in order to fight poverty and promote political and economic transition.

Map of Mozambique
© FDFA

Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world. In 2020, almost 64% of its population lived below the poverty line and the national budget was still largely dependent on foreign aid. About 80% of the population depends on small-scale farming, which is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. The consequences of the debt crisis in 2016, the two cyclones in 2019 and COVID-19, as well as armed conflicts in the north, pose further challenges to the country's development.

In order to effectively address these complex challenges, Switzerland's approach in Mozambique combines the instruments of development cooperation, humanitarian aid and peace policy. At the national level, Switzerland is committed to political dialogue and supports the government in its various institutional reforms. At the provincial and district level, it works with local communities, concentrating its aid in the north of the country.

The 2022–25 programme focuses on improving access to high-quality basic services and increasing employment and incomes. 

High-quality basic services

Institutions that guarantee services for everyone

Switzerland works to ensure access to basic services that meet the needs of the population. It supports local governments in their efforts to make budgeting and planning processes effective and inclusive, and encourages civil society to engage in dialogue with the authorities and to demand greater transparency and accountability.

In the areas of land rights and natural resource use and extraction, Switzerland strengthens collaboration between local government, civil society and the private sector. This encourages investment and allows the population to receive the legally prescribed share of the profits made in these areas.

The SDC is also strengthening the capacity of the Attorney General's Office to fight corruption and economic crime. In 2020, stolen heritage assets worth USD 95 million were recovered and returned.

As regards health services, over the past four years Swiss development and humanitarian interventions have provided approximately 90,000 people in the north of the country with new access to safe drinking water.

Good governance

Health – a prerequisite for development

Water – a vital resource under threat

Developing the economy, employment and incomes

Poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth

In order to absorb the country's growing young workforce, Switzerland focuses on the development of vocational skills adapted to market needs, particularly in areas that show promise for the future. It also supports small businesses in their efforts to strengthen value chains, in collaboration with the private sector, and promotes micro-financing. Thanks to Switzerland's contribution, over the past four years around 67,000 farmers (46% women) have benefited from improved access to market opportunities and have seen their incomes increase by a total of USD 18.5 million.

SECO complements the SDC's activities with technical advice to stimulate the national economy.

Private sector development and financial services

Transversal themes

Gender equality, good governance and strengthening civil society

Switzerland is committed to gender equality, integrating gender into each phase of its projects and through partnerships with organisations active and competent in the area of gender. In addition, all of its interventions take into account the principles of good governance, for example through policy dialogue. Switzerland's cooperation activities also help to strengthen civil society by fostering an environment that provides more space for expression and increased participation in institutional processes. 

Gender equality

Approach and partners

The 2022–25 programme is implemented by the SDC in close cooperation with SECO and the Peace and Human Rights Division.

Switzerland’s main partners in Mozambique include:

  • Swiss NGOs: Helvetas, Swisscontact, Solidar Suisse, Solidarmed, Terre des Hommes, Pestalozzi Foundation, etc.;
  • Ministries, provincial and district authorities;
  • Mozambican non-governmental and civil society organisations, e.g. Centro de Integridade Pública, Instituto de Estudios;
  • Multilateral partners: UNICEF, World Bank, WHO, UNFPA, UNDP;
  • International NGOs: e.g. Netherlands Development Organisation, Concern Universal;
  • Donor community (G19).

Current projects

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Economic Policy for Inclusive Growth

01.01.2026 - 31.12.2029

The planned intervention aims at supporting inclusive growth that improves the living standards for the Mozambicans, in particular women and youth. It will be pursued through increased analytical capacity and better informed policy making, by means of focussed support to economic analysis and discussion in and between government and non-government institutions. Emphasis on non-government institutions will enhance the demand for and accountability for effective policy making for inclusive growth


Cholera Response Mozambique 2023

07.02.2023 - 31.07.2023

A cholera crisis is spreading across Southern Africa. Malawi is undergoing the wost crisis since years. Numerous cases have also been diagnosed in Mozambique, where the epidemy is developing very fast since January 2023 . This contribution aims at containing the spread of the outbreak through Infection and Prevention Control (IPC) measures as well as medical treatment of people affected by cholera in Mozambique.


Increase Cabo Delgado

01.11.2022 - 31.10.2024

Applying the triple nexus approach, the project aims at creating an enabling environment to build resilience, foster economic development and social cohesion among the conflict affected communities of Cabo Delgado province through the improvement of essential services (energy, water); support of economic development (capacity building, income generation); peacebuilding and conflict mitigation through social cohesion activities between internally displaced population and Host Communities. 


Health System Strengthening Support Program

01.01.2022 - 31.12.2023

With its contribution to the health common fund, Switzerland supports the Government of Mozambique, in particular local governments, to support equitable access to primary health services focused on women, children and people living in rural areas. As the current format of the health common fund is going to end in 2024, Switzerland, with its last contribution, will advocate for improved coordination among donors and the various existing health funds.


RBCM - Solidar Suisse Resilience Building in Central Mozambique

01.12.2021 - 30.06.2023

After having provided emergency relief and recovery support (response to Idai 2019, Chalane 2020, Eloise 2021), Solidar Suisse is assisting climate change and conflict related displaced persons and host communities in Central Mozambique with durable solutions mainly in the sectors of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), housing, and agricultural production, thus increasing resilience and enabling the beneficiaries to resume a normal life.


African Risk Capacity Programmes in Zambia and Zimbabwe

01.11.2021 - 31.10.2026

This programme will contribute towards strengthening national systems for disaster preparedness through support to drought insurance premiums and capacity building. Switzerland is thus consolidating its engagement in climate change mitigation and disasters risk reduction with the aim to sustainably minimize risk to loss of lives and assets for vulnerable men and women. The Africa Risk Capacity, a specialized agency of the Africa Union, will implement this programme. 


Rural Resilience in Southern Africa / R4 Initiative

01.07.2021 - 30.06.2025

The R4 Rural Resilience Initiative for Southern Africa enables smallholder farmers’ adaptation to climate risk through improved resource management, insurance, livelihoods diversification, microcredit and savings. Through R4, Switzerland has become a credible and trusted partner in resilience building and its learnings have fed into policy dialogue. The emphasis of this final phase is on strengthening government and private sector, as well as the gender approach.  


SIM! - Skills for Youth in Mozambique

01.06.2021 - 31.12.2026

The Skills for Youth in Mozambique project builds on Switzerland’s global long standing experience in addressing skills gaps of vulnerable groups. It aims to enhance the (self-) employment opportunities of rural and peri-urban youth, in equal gender proportion, by increasing their access to relevant skills, supporting the transition to the labour market and contributing to policies conducive to their economic inclusion. This project complements interventions in SDC’s portfolio in Mozambique to reduce poverty.


Futuro Microbank

08.03.2021 - 31.03.2024

Limited access to financial services is a key constraint of rural micro and small women and men entrepreneurs (including farmers) to develop their business and to generate employment and income. The Swiss supported Banco Futuro is successfully providing affordable financial services to rural entrepreneurs (80% women), thus allowing them to enhance business and livelihood opportunities


SYP Safeguard Young People in Eastern African countries

01.03.2021 - 28.02.2024

The SYP program contributes to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of young people, thus  reducing gender based health inequities. It supports the adoption, domestication and implementation of policies, and strengthens young people’s competencies on and access to SRHR services. The expansion to Tanzania and Rwanda leverages on the  experience in Southern Africa financed by SDC, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)’s thematic expertise and convening power.


O3+ Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future

01.10.2020 - 14.09.2025

This project uses targeted interventions in post-secondary educational institutions in Zambia and Zimbabwe to improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among 18-24 year-olds. Working with UNESCO and Ministries of Higher and Tertiary Education, the project brings Switzerland’s lengthy experience in the HIV/SRHR field to bear by targeting an often neglected cohort of young people with tailored interventions to reduce HIV infections, unintended pregnancies, and gender-based violence. 


Contribution to WHO and UNICEF for the COVID-19 response in Mozambique

01.09.2020 - 31.03.2022

With this complementary contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Switzerland supports the Government of Mozambique to reduce morbidity and mortality due to the COVID-19  pandemic. The program envisages a comprehensive approach with health and Water Sanitation Hygiene components, and aims to develop local long term pandemic preparedness and response capacities for future public health emergencies.   

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