Beluluane Industrial Park welcomed Luísa Diogo as their new Chairperson, marking a new era for its leadership. Also joining the board is Cadmiel Muthemba, who has been elected president of the General Assembly. Adrian Frey has been appointed Managing Director and the other board members include Gregor Binkert, Evaristo Madime, Belarmina Capitine, Gil Bires and Pires Sengo. Vitor Timóteo has been appointed Vice-President of the General Assembly and Nirza Ó da Silva will be performing the role of Secretary. Herculano Nhacudima will be representing the company as Sole Auditor.
Together, these individuals will bring a wealth of experience and expertise in strategic business management to Beluluane Industrial Park – Mozambique’s biggest industrial park and free-trade zone. The park was established in 2000 as a Public-Private-Partnership between the Mozambican Government Agency for Investment & Export Promotion (APIEX) and Swiss-Mozambican investors. It is strategically situated in Maputo Province’s Boane district and sits in the heart of the Maputo Development Corridor, offering investors easy access to the Southern African, European and Eastern markets.
Beluluane Industrial Park enjoys access to a large labour market of 2.5 million people living in the Maputo and Matola metropolitans and is positioned around the Mozal Aluminium smelter. Together, they represent almost 30% of industrial employment in the Maputo Province and approximately 10% on a national scale. The park currently hosts 40 companies and has created over 5000 jobs in the Maputo Province. At the signing event, Frey commented that the park would attract as many as 500 new businesses, potentially creating more than 50 000 new jobs.
About Luísa Diogo
Luísa Diogo was the first female Prime Minister of Mozambique (2004-2010). Prior to that, she served as Minister of Planning and Finance for five years. She also served as Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations and was recognised by Times Magazine as one of the hundred most Influential people in the World in 2014. Forbes Magazine also named her one of the hundred most powerful women in the World.
About Cadmiel Muthemba
Cadmiel Muthemba occupied a number of esteemed positions during his career, amongst which the Governor of Tete (1987-1995) is one of many. Between 1995 and 1997, he was the secretary of the Central Committee of Frelimo and he also served as Minister of Fisheries until 2004. During the period of President Armando Guebuza (2005-2015), Muthemba held the position of Minister of Public Works and Housing.
About Adrian Frey
Adrian Frey is a board member and also the Managing Director of Beluluane Industrial Park. Adrian was born in Switzerland and holds a Law Degree from the University of Zürich. He has spent the last 20 years living in Mozambique where he has built a Swiss-Mozambican Investment company. He is the owner of Club of Mozambique and also currently serves as the president of the Mozambican-Swiss Chamber of Commerce. Adrian is also a board member of the European Business Club.
More than 375 young Mozambicans will benefit from a new internship programme that aims to address the need for vocational training and better employment opportunities amongst the youth, especially women. Beluluane Industrial Park and the JOBA Programme have partnered to empower work-ready youth in the Maputo Province of Mozambique.
Funded by the UK Government, the internship programme will respond to the specific demand from existing companies situated in the Beluluane Industrial Park and Free-trade Zone. The programme will establish an effective link between local training providers and park tenants. It will address the growing need for a more robust labour market and better-prepared work force that is equipped to meet the demands of the developing Mozambican economy.
With its main objective to improve the employability of young Mozambicans, the internship programme will place a strong focus on empowering young women with skills for employment and self-employment. Candidates will receive work-readiness training prior to their internships to introduce work ethics, communication, basic functional English, first aid, and health and safety skills. The programme is also designed to equip trainees with soft skills in CV writing, interview skills and job search techniques.
Participants will receive on-the-job training linked to their field of study, which will increase their chances of employment upon graduation. Beluluane Industrial Park will act as an intermediary to provide a value-added service by establishing links between companies, local training providers and their graduates, thus ensuring that companies do not have to worry about the bureaucratic and legal aspects of internships and training.
Commenting on the impact of the project, Regina Diomba, wife of Maputo Province Governor Raimundo Diomba said: “The growth of our economy is dependent on the ability to offer high quality training – especially to young women. This project will make a real difference to the lives of our people. By empowering them with critical skills, the programme will improve the quality of our local workforce.”
Dr. Rosie Lugg, Team Leader from JOBA, added: “This is a great opportunity for young graduates and particularly girls and young women from local training providers in the Boane and Matola region to gain access to an international standards internship programme. It will provide a valuable bridge to full-time employment for young people. The success of this project will present a blueprint that could be implemented in other locations and on a national scale.”
Beluluane Industrial Park Managing Director, Adrian Frey also commented: “It is the first time that an internship programme has been designed from an employer perspective. Our goal is to facilitate better opportunities for employers, as it will ensure a steady source of skilled-entry-level employees, whilst uplifting our communities.”
