For two days we sailed through the Mozambique channel. The first day we had very rough seas. We even put on our pressure bands to ensure we didn’t get seasick. Fortunately we ride the waves well.
Today we were in Maputo, Mozambique. That is a place I never anticipated I would be writing about.
Maputo is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within 120 kilometres of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a population of 1,088,449 distributed over a land area of 347.69 km². Our guide, however, suggested that 10% of the country’s 33 million people live in the city—perhaps he was talking about the wider metropolitan area.
Today, Saturday, the city was so quiet. No maddening crowds or crazy traffic. We found the city generally clean and organized. It is very green, something that surprised us greatly. Being on the water there are many places where we had great sea views as well. It has many colonial buildings that are dilapidated but we were surprised at the number of modern, well-maintained buildings as well.
We learned that education is free for primary school but not so after that point. Most people in the city have 3 children but in the countryside they often have 20 children because this creates a “legacy” for the man with his expansive family.
The country became independent from Portugal in June of 1975 after a revolution and armed conflict. Our guide explained that the Portuguese didn’t allow the locals to be educated beyond basic reading and writing, and that when the Portuguese left there were no engineers or people with business experience to run what had been a robust manufacturing center. So now there is little industry and they rely heavily on their mineral resources and international financial support to survive.
The Chinese have been a big support. There is a massive bridge, built by the Chinese, from one side of the bay to the other, that recently replaced the ferry across. When our guide was asked what the Chinese received in return he shrugged with a sly smile….
As of early 2026, the average gross monthly salary in Mozambique is approximately MZN 18,000–20,000 ($280–$310 USD), although the median monthly income is significantly lower at roughly MZN 5,000 ($78 USD). Most Mozambicans work in subsistence agriculture, and the country faces high inequality with a low GDP per capita.
Today was about 30C and the locals felt it was a little cold as it is technically winter. Our guide explained that in the summer the typical temperature is 45C and that is a temperature to which they feel more comfortable. The country is particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures and seas.
Maputo has a number of landmarks that we visited including Independence Square, City Hall, the Cathedral of Maputo (the majority of people in the country are Catholic), Maputo Fortress, the central market, Tunduru Gardens, and Maputo Railway Station (considered to be one of the most beautiful train stations in the world).
The railway station was particularly interesting but was so quiet. It is mainly used for cargo transport, and it has commuter trains during weekdays only in the morning and again in the evening. So today it was eerily quiet. We were pleasantly surprised at how well maintained and clean we found the station.
The Central Market also was very clean and organized. The fruit and vegetables looked fantastic. Fortunately we saw no unrefrigerated meat on display.
We also went to the craft market. Everywhere we went we were visited by vendors selling their wares. They were polite and were not too aggressive. We however resisted temptations.
The Maputo Fortress had some interesting cannons to see. Also, they had uninstalled the statues left by the Portuguese from around the city and placed them in the fort as a reminder of their history. There was one statue of a gentlemen on horseback that was taller than the fortress walls.
David had a conversation with our guide. Apparently his mother had three children, of which he is the oldest. His father died and she remarried subsequently having twins, after which she became mentally unstable, forcing him to bring us his siblings. He is now 32 and has been married for 10 years but is holding off having children until they can afford their own home and are financially able to support their children. That said, his wife is receiving huge pressure to have children. Fascinating how the younger generation is finding their own way.
The port is located directly at the center of the city. The ship departed at 7:30 pm so we were able to look out over the city as evening fell. It was so quiet. So strange for a Saturday night.