Maputo - What To Expect?

Are you planning a trip to Maputo, or are just interested in going in the future, but unsure about what to expect in the Mozambican Capital? I went there in November 2023, and here's my experience about what you can expect as a tourist in Maputo.

It's a huge difference if you go to a resort along the coast or if you go to Maputo as a city destination. I went to explore the city and see the sights. So this text will be from the perspective of that.

I know that most of the few tourists in Maputo spend most of their time at one of the resorts along the coast just North of the city. In which case it will probably be similar to any other resort vacation. There are no major security concerns for a trip like that and Maputo has the perfect climate for a beach vacation. To be honest, the potential for tourism in Mozambique and Maputo is huge! It could be one of the major tourist destinations of Africa, like Zanzibar or the Seychelles.

Few Tourists (Except In Specific Places)

I knew that there would not be that many tourists in Maputo, but I was still surprised by just how few there were. I was expecting to see some more than what I saw. I think I can count the number of tourists I saw in the city center during my two and a half days in the city on my two hands.

I suspect most tourists to the area stay in the resorts outside of the center, and don't really wander Downtown. When I went for lunch at Waterfront Restaurant I saw more tourists there than I saw in the city during my days combined. It's one of few upscale restaurants catering to expats and tourists in Maputo, and the prices were also at a much higher level than comparable dining elsewhere.

Even at the major sights of the city, it was something that was missing, and that was other tourists. Outside the Cathedral it was me and another couple who took pictures. Inside the Cathedral, with free entrance, it was also just us plus a handful of locals.

Me and my friend could explore Maputo Fortress all alone. At the Central Train Station, known for its colonial architecture, it was also just me and my friend there being tourists.

Surprisingly Left Alone

Despite the lack of tourists, which made me stand out like a sore thumb with my camera, I was for the most part left alone. It was nothing like Morocco or certain cities in Southeast Asia where people come up all the time trying to talk and sell things, and usually not taking a no.

Street sellers tried to sell their products, obviously, but a simple no or obvious disinterest was all that was needed most of the time. And they didn't jump in front of you trying to physically stop you, as can happen elsewhere. The people were very nice in general, and helpful when asked for. When not asked for, they focused on their own stuff.

There was one guy who followed us for several quarters asking for money, but he was an exception, and I saw the same guy do the same thing to another pair of tourists later. But that was the only time it was a problem in this regard.

People Speaks English

Mozambique is a Portuguese-speaking country, along with a large number of indigenous languages. I was prepared for a degree of communication issues, especially after my last visit to a Portuguese-speaking country (Brazil). It was with a bit of surprise that I quickly found out that English is very common in Maputo. I had no issues at all regarding language, and it was not even necessary to ask if someone spoke English or not, almost everyone did.

The geographical position of the country, near South Africa, probably plays a role in this. Almost all neighboring countries have English as their lingua franca so it's natural that English is taught at some level in Mozambique too to ease trade and relations.

Empty On Sundays

It's also worth noting that the city center is completely deserted on Sundays. One of my days was a Sunday, and Downtown Maputo was empty of people. There was no activity at all. Which is common in many countries, such as Germany. It's always weird for me because it's not like that in my home country (Sweden).

Contrary to places like Germany for example, stores were still open on Sundays. It's just that the people are not there. Most people don't live in Downtown, and when they're off on Sundays they simply don't go there.

Avoid The Police!

This is something I saw as a warning before going to Mozambique, so I was prepared. The police, which you will find at certain street corners, will likely target you as a tourist and try to get a bribe from you. The first thing the receptionist at the hotel said was that we needed to bring our passports with us at all times. You will read it in pretty much any travel guide for Maputo too. This is something you should adhere to!

They will stop you and ask to see your passport, which they will inspect thoroughly, looking for anything to complain about. I was only stopped once, but that was mostly due to that we quickly learned that it was better to go across the street and go around them whenever you saw policemen at a corner ahead. It was less headache that way.

The size of the bribe you have to pay will be dependent on whether they find anything to complain about or not. If you don't have your passport with you, they've caught you with a real crime as foreign citizens must carry their documents at all times by law. In this case, it will be very expensive for you, and you won't be able to talk yourself out of it because even if you ask to go to the Station and settle it they are now in the right.

If you have everything in order you can always ask to settle the issue at the Station with their superiors and you might get yourself out of it. Or just be friendly and chat with the Officers for a while, if they have nothing on you they will eventually let you go without anything. They are hoping that you are not having your passport on you, and if you have they will try to squeeze something small out of you. If they don't get it, they will let you go.

People Wear Weapons In The Open

But it's still good that the police are there and that they are visible. Another thing that caught my attention was that there were many people with automatic weapons (AK-47s) standing around on the streets. I think most of them were security guards for banks and stores, but many of them were not in official uniforms and looked more like rebels than guards.

The good thing is that they never caused any problems and they were not interested in me as a tourist at all. I did have to think a little bit about where and when I used my camera due to these guys, but even though they clearly saw the camera, they never cared to stop me or say anything.

Despite this, Maputo is an excellent city for street photography!

Uneven Streets

Another hazard to look out for is the uneven pavement and disappearing sidewalks. There might randomly be huge holes in the sidewalk for example. And sometimes you have to jump on stones to get by without stepping in a garbage-filled hole.

The city is not accessibility friendly at all and I can't imagine navigating in a wheelchair or if you have trouble walking in general. Not only can the sidewalk disappear and become a large hole, but there are huge elevation differences between quarters. Parts of the city are built on hills and Downtown is divided by hills that in some parts are too steep to build anything on. It might be hard to notice on a map.

Frelimo Everywhere

Lastly, you'll quickly note that there are these posters everywhere. The Frelimo posters are literally all over the place. It's posters for the ruling party, that has been in charge uninterrupted since the independence in 1975.

Officially, Mozambique is a democracy, but in reality, it is something that can be questioned. The Economist has Mozambique as an Authoritarian state in their Democracy Index, it's the worst category. Freedom House ranks Mozambique as Partly Free.

I would probably recommend you to not try to discuss politics while in Maputo...