STATE-RUN INITIATIVES

From newspapers to technology parks and TV channels, Mozambique’s government is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to encourage fresh perspectives and create new opportunities.

Júlio Manjate EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, JORNAL NOTICIAS

OUR 94 YEARS of history and presence in every province of the country make us the biggest and oldest newspaper in Mozambique. Our main task is to report the truth, as the main national reference point for the written press. This ultimately makes us the market leaders in Mozambique. Around 60-80% of Mozambican journalists have begun or pursued part of their careers at our newspaper. We see ourselves as a school providing training in the business of social communication, and we are certainly aware of the great responsibility we hold as a result. Sociedade do Noticias owns three newspapers: Noticias, Domingo, and Desafio. We do 12,000 copies a day, and while we sit at the top of the table in Mozambique, there is still clearly much room for growth given Mozambique’s total population of around 29 million. Over the past few years, we have also been investing in the online segment to serve our digital readership. Our main goal is to improve our coverage and content. In terms of coverage, one of our main problems is the limited circulation of printed media beyond the capital city of Maputo. We have plans to begin printing in Beira and Nampula, which would facilitate penetration in the central and northern provinces and enable a much speedier distribution. We also intend to improve our online news coverage. In terms of content, we look forward to training more young people and encouraging them to bring fresh perspectives.

Julião Cumbane CEO, NATIONAL ENTERPRISE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARKS (ENPCT)

IN 2008, the government approved a program for the creation of science and technology parks in Mozambique to kickstart development in the three macro-regions within Mozambique: the north, the center, and the south. In 2012, we created Mozambique’s first science and technology park, the Maluana Science and Technology Park, which occupies an area of 950ha along the Limpopo Regional Development Corridor in the southern province of Maputo. We later formed an entity to oversee the development, exploration, and management of all planned science and technology parks, namely the National Company of Science and Technology Parks (ENPCT). The company serves as one of the instruments to implement the strategies of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Higher and Technical Vocational Education (MCTESTP). We have formed partnerships with universities, research institutions, and business organizations to bring students, professors, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to our parks and participate in our mission. We want our science and technology parks to become the centers of innovative research, technology development, and business incubation, focusing on the creation and development of local, cultural, artistic, and intellectual resources. In the science and technology parks, we create and develop the value chain of scientific knowledge, so that it can become the backbone of other value chains that make up the economy. Our central aim is to allow for quick absorption of scientific knowledge and emerging technologies in order to create new businesses and opportunities.

Faruco Sadique CHAIRMAN, TELEVISION OF MOZAMBIQUE (TVM)

AT PRESENT, our main goal is to spread information on prevention measures and bring some truth to the many rumors that have spread since the beginning of the pandemic. We are appealing to our audience to take the necessary precautions in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are spreading our message in 16 different Mozambican languages. Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen an increase in the consumption of television content. For this reason, we have been investing in producing high-quality content, at the same time ensuring that the public-assisted TV shows get information about the pandemic and the necessary preventive measures. TVM was established 39 years ago in Maputo. In the 1990s, TVM was able to expand throughout the country through provincial delegations. We have continued to invest in the quality of our content, and we are currently working on improving and renewing our equipment to ensure that the content we provide is up to international standards. Many of our collaborators are currently undergoing courses abroad, in Germany and China, in order to learn from the manufacturers of new digital equipment. We are still at the beginning stages of digitalization in Mozambique, but we are seeing interesting leaps forward. TVM has established itself as the leading TV network in Mozambique due to nationwide coverage. We see some competition in urban areas; however, once we go digital, all broadcasters will be at the same level, pushing us to put out top-quality content.