Onorio Manuel, MozParks General Manager
Beluluane Industrial Park and Free-Trade Zone is home to Mozal and 40 companies from 15 different countries, supporting a workforce of 5000 employees. Beluluane Industrial Park is a Public-Private-Partnership between the Mozambican Government Agency for Investment and Export Promotion (APIEX) and Swiss-Mozambican Investors. The Park’s mission is to support its clients with the necessary infrastructure and value-added services to successfully conduct business in Mozambique. Managing Director Adrian Frey answered some questions about the park:
Q: What makes Beluluane Industrial Park such an attractive location for business?
A: The park is situated in Boane, Maputo Province. It sits on the backbone of the Maputo Development Corridor and offers the best entry to the SADC, Asian and European markets. Companies operating within the free-trade zone may qualify for attractive exemptions on customs duties and tax offered by the Mozambican Government. We are located in one of the most industrialised and productive regions of Mozambique and have access to the biggest industrial workforce in Maputo Province. We know that almost 30% of industrial employment in the Maputo Province comes from our park.
Q: There have been some positive recent changes at the park?
A: Yes, we have invested in Beluluane Industrial Park in 2017 and since then turned the business around! Since we took over, we have secured 10 new companies that will create over 1000 new jobs! Our leadership and operational team have extensive knowledge in helping investors enter the Mozambican market. We have a very dynamic team of young professionals who serve as an example how young Mozambican people lead business development in Mozambique.
Q: You have a new development plan. What is your long-term vision for the park?
A: Our strategic plan includes the further development of roads, fencing, energy, water, drainage, sanitation, security and landscaping. We are fully invested in maintaining world-class environmental standards. Beluluane will have dedicated zones for downstream aluminium, heavy & light industries and a dry port. The long-term vision is to develop a multi-sectoral park that will serve the fast-growing Mozambican and regional markets. To date, Mozal has been the anchor project and many were established to service their needs. The presence of Mozal offers ample business opportunities to companies locating there as suppliers of components and services for its operations.
Q: The park companies and neighboring communities are separated by the green belt buffer zone that runs around the perimeter of the park. What is the purpose of this?
A: Government established the green belt buffer zone in 1997 when the land for Mozal (300ha) and the park (600ha) was allocated. The main purpose of this zone is to protect the environment and the people in our surrounding communities. This was approved by the resolution 2/99 (revised by resolution 1/2000) of the Provincial Government, following a pre-approval from the Council of Ministers (see Mapa 11 for details). All occupants of this area where compensated and resettled to Djuba, which means that the area is since then reserved only for developing and protecting the natural environmental and habitat. Beluluane Industrial Park is committed to the sustainability of our land and park companies can therefore not make direct and uncontrolled use of the Matola Rio.
Q: Which value-added services do you offer?
A: We are a one-stop-shop for investors that establish their business in the park. As a result of our Public-Private Partnership with APIEX, we are able to facilitate relationships between investors and the various governmental institutions. APIEX was created in 2016 to promote and facilitate investment, bringing together the promotion of public and private investment and exports. The role of APIEX is to support the Mozambican business environment, optimise resources and create greater synergies in areas that impact the country’s economy. We also support our clients with regular workshops to ensure they are up to date with legislation and other developments in the industrial sector.
Q: What are some of your biggest challenges?
A: There is a growing need amongst our clients for better skills. We partnered with the UK Aid and the JOBA Programme to bridge the gap between young graduates and employers. Our internship programme is a first for Mozambique and offers young graduates the opportunity to gain practical skills at the park. We are committed to promote youth employment. Further to creating 1000 new jobs, we are also promoting entrepreneurship and have opened a training centre.
Q: What does the future hold for Beluluane Industrial Park?
A: Mozambique’s investment deal pipeline is promising over US $100 billion in the next 10 years! The industrial sector is showing more than 6% growth per annum and there will be many opportunities for downstream aluminium, industrial manufacturing, construction, transportation, logistics and food processing. We know that our prime location, dynamic leadership and complete services offering will allow us to expand and host more than 500 companies.
Beluluane Industrial Park – Mozambique’s largest industrial park and free-trade zone – is pleased to announce the addition of Beleza to its free-trade zone. This week, the large-scale manufacturer of synthetic hair products will celebrate the pre-opening to introduce a new state-of-the art facility to its nearly 1,800 employees.
Beleza is a subsidiary and manufacturing unit of the Indian conglomerate, the Godrej Group. Operating in Africa since 2006, the Godrej Group is parent to a number of distinguished brands within hair and personal care products including Darling – a leader in the Mozambican market. Other brands include Frika, Kinky, Inecto, Renew and Mega Growth.
Comprising almost double the size of their current Matola factory, the new premises cover 22 000 square metres and is expected to capacitate a threefold increase in production. This signals major growth for both Beleza and Beluluane Industrial Park as Beleza aims to employ 5,000 people within the next five years.
Comments Jai Gandhi, CEO of Darling: “I am extremely pleased with our joint efforts to actualize the inauguration of this state-of-the-art factory. Besides our objective to produce superior-quality products, we are committed to supporting the Mozambican industrial workforce through contributing towards their economic upliftment.”
The new premises offer a more conducive working environment to Beleza’s employees – complete with eco-friendly water treatment plant, medical centre and canteen that can accommodate approximately 1,000 workers at any given point in time. Further to these upgrades, Beleza will employ new technologies to decrease temperatures within the production areas.
According to Gandhi, their team experienced a notable difference in the setup process as a result of Beluluane Industrial Park’s advocacy and established relationships with the Mozambican Government. This enabled them to enjoy a seamless setup process that was completed in just over 12 months.
He adds: “Beluluane Industrial Park provided the perfect provision of services. Without their support especially in terms of licensing and the infrastructure setup, we could not continue to grow our business.”
Export-driven business
Beleza was established and is situated within Beluluane’s free-trade zone to support Darling’s export-driven business objectives. Further to the fiscal benefits associated with doing business in the free-trade zone, Beleza will benefit from its location and proximity to the Port of Maputo, Maputo International Airport and EN4 highway – some of the many factors conducive to a successful expansion strategy.
Comments Executive Chairman of Beluluane Industrial Park, Adrian Frey: “It is remarkable that the majority of Darling’s production within Mozambique are already exported to South Africa and other SADC countries. They are truly setting the example for other manufacturers to prove that Mozambique has the potential to compete as one of the leading manufacturing industries in Africa.”
Darling has pioneered the African continent as it offers the widest range of hair extension products within the Southern region. Its strong foothold in Mozambique and the positioning of Beleza within the Beluluane Industrial Park will enable them to establish and grow their export hub to serve the rest of Africa.
Frey concludes: “Beluluane Industrial Park offers a variety of investment opportunities for savvy investors. We are convinced about the tremendous potential for growth; we believe that the park will attract as many as 500 new businesses, potentially creating more than 50,000 new jobs. Its location, an established and cost-effective work force and fiscal benefits means that Beluluane Industrial Park will fast become the hub for many more companies who wish to follow in the footsteps of Beleza.”
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