Maputo, Sept. 8, 2026 (Lusa) - The number of large companies operating in Mozambique rose by 26.1% in 2025, to 1,255, employing nearly 248,000 workers, with the city of Maputo accounting for more than half of these companies, according to the national statistics institute (INE).
The report «Statistics on Companies and Non-Profit Organisations 2025», published by INE, to which Lusa gained access on Tuesday, indicates that the country saw the number of active large companies rise from 995 to 1,255 between 2024 and 2025.
It adds that more than half of these companies – 687 – were concentrated in the city of Maputo, which accounted for 54.7% of the national total, followed by the province of Maputo, with 195 large companies (15.5%).
The highest growth rates were observed in Manica, where the number of large enterprises rose by 209.5%, from 21 to 65, and in Cabo Delgado, with an increase of 172.7%, from 11 to 30 enterprises.
According to the report, large enterprises employed 247,789 workers in 2025, an increase of 8.9% over the 227,498 recorded in the previous year.
Maputo city also led the way in this indicator, accounting for 136,759 workers – equivalent to 55.2% of the total number of people employed in large enterprises – followed by Maputo province, with 33,250 workers (13.4%), and Sofala, with 30,266 (12.2%).
Cabo Delgado province once again stood out for its growth in employment in large enterprises, with a rise of 67.3%, whilst Tete recorded an increase of 45.7%. Conversely, Niassa and Gaza were the only provinces to record decreases, of 13.1% and 7.0% respectively.
In terms of legal form, private limited companies continued to dominate this business segment, accounting for 67.6% of active large enterprises. Public limited companies accounted for 17.8%, whilst sole traders now accounted for 8.0% of the total.
The report also notes that sole proprietorships recorded a 152.5% increase in the number of large enterprises, rising from 40 to 101, whilst sole traders increased by 155%, from 20 to 51 enterprises.
In terms of employment, limited liability companies employed 147,195 workers, equivalent to 59.4% of those employed in large enterprises, followed by public limited companies, with 69,049 workers, or 27.9% of the total.
PVJ/AYLS // AYLS
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