FAQ - Travelling in Mozambique

How do I get to Mozambique?

By Plane:
Most international flights arrive from South Africa, although there are also direct international routes between Mozambique and Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya and Portugal.

There are also several flights from South Africa to Maputo. After checking in at the airport, you need to get a tax stamp on your boarding card. For local flight the tax is 200 Mts and for international flights it is 500 Mts, to be paid in cash.

By Train:

From Malawi:
There is only one train line in Mozambique, connecting Nampula with Cuamba, near the Malawi border. This train carries first, second and third class passengers and is usually overcrowded. From Nampula, the train leaves early and the station is usually packed with people travelling to Malawi.

The journey is long and slow and you will get to Cuamba by mid afternoon. Once you arrive in Cuamba, chapas will take you to the border. Please note that this road is very rough, so expect to the chapa trip to take a fair amount of time.

Once you arrive at Entre Lagos, the border formalities are located within the station building. This process might take some time. From there it is about a 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) walk to the Malawi side of the border. Remember that the Malawi border closes before the Mozambique one, but there is a guest house close by in case you are late.

By Car:

From Johannesburg:
The highway from Johannesburg is in a very good condition. From Johannesburg, take the N4 towards Nelspruit. From here you continue on the N4 to Komatipoort, the last town on the South African side. Just past Komatipoort is the Lebombo/Ressano Garcia border post.

Please note that current car registration or a good fax thereof is required to get a car past the border. If you are not the owner of the car, you will need a letter of permission from the owner. Once you are on the Mozambique side, follow the N4 (now called the EN4) for another 100 kilometres (62.1 miles) to the capital city of Maputo.

From Swaziland:
The road from the Swazi border to Maputo is in a reasonable condition. Please avoid driving after dark as there is a high amount of traffic without sufficient lights. The border ceremonies are similar to those on the South African side, although there is less traffic so it shouldn’t take too long.

By Bus:

From Malawi:
There are as few border crossings to/from Malawi, but the easiest and most frequently used is Zorbue. The road is in good condition. Daily chapas run to and from Tete to the border.

From here you will have to walk about 300 metres to get Malawian transport. There are daily buses from Chimoio and Beira that also use this crossing. There is another border crossing to the north at Dedza, which may be more convenient for Lilongwe.

To leave or enter Malawi from the east, there are 2 crossings, Milange and Mandimba. Milange is in the south east of Malawi and to get there you can catch one of the daily vehicles that run between Mocuba and Milange. At Milange, there is another 2 kilometre walk to the border, followed by another 1 kilometre walk to where the Malawian transport leaves.

Mandimba is further north and used mainly to get to Malawi from Lichingi. Several vehicles run daily between Lichingi and Mandimba, followed by another 7 kilometres to the border.

From South Africa:
There are buses that run from Johannesburg to Maputo and vice versa on a regular basis. One departs in the morning and the other runs through the night and is safe and comfortable. There are bus connections to and from Durban three times a week. There is also a service from Nelspruit and Komatipoort to Maputo.

From Swaziland:
The border at Namaacha is heavily travelled and is situated west of Maputo. There are chapas that travel directly between Maputo and Mbabane and also Manzini. You can choose to do this trip in stages, swapping vehicles at the border. Chapas run throughout the day between Maputo and Namaacha.

How do I get around Mozambique?

Mozambique is a massive country and getting from one destination to the next can take days. Roads are in poor condition, although improvements have been made.

Buses and chapas (minibuses) are common forms of transport in Mozambique, with many of them leaving early in the morning, like 4:00am. Please note that connections away from the main cities may not be in the best condition, and breakdowns do occur.

Domestic flights are the fastest and best way to get around the country, but only for those who can afford it. Trains are not an option, as there is only one that is in the far north of the country, travelling from Nampula to Cuamba near the Malawian border.