By Rebecca Chimjeka Matemba, Nacala, Mozambique:
Mozambique has called on the Malawi Government to expedite the construction of a long-planned dry port at Nacala.
Filomena Bene, Director of the Mozambican Port of Nacala, made the call this week during a high-level visit by a delegation from the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera), led by Board Chairperson Charles Kambauwa.
The visit aimed to strengthen bilateral cooperation and assess progress on joint infrastructure and energy-related projects.
The Nacala Port, located on the Indian Ocean coast in northern Mozambique, is Malawi’s shortest and most cost-effective route to the sea.
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As a landlocked country, Malawi relies heavily on foreign ports for its international trade, with Nacala and Beira in Mozambique and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania serving as major gateways for fuel and goods.
Over the years, Malawi has increasingly looked to the Nacala Corridor, which includes road and rail links stretching from the port to Lilongwe and Blantyre, as a strategic alternative to congested and more expensive trade routes.
The idea of establishing a dedicated dry port—a logistics facility where goods are handled and cleared away from the seaport—has long been in the pipeline but has seen delays due to technical, financial and policy uncertainties.
During the meeting, Bene said Mozambique had already allocated land within the Nacala Port zone for the dry port project.
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“This infrastructure is expected to speed up customs clearance of goods and make transport logistics more flexible, especially for fuel and fertilisers.
“The concession of space for the dry port is a product of deepened diplomatic and bilateral relations between our two countries. It will help Malawi significantly reduce transportation costs and, ultimately, lower the price of goods,” Bene said.
Speaking on behalf of the Malawi delegation, Kambauwa said consultations were ongoing to determine the best operational model—either through a public-private partnership or a fully state-owned enterprise.
“We are working closely with the government through the Embassy of Malawi in Mozambique to finalise the operational model. The dry port venture at Nacala will give Malawi a strong advantage in transporting goods and fuel by rail, thereby decongesting roads and improving delivery timelines,” Kambauwa said.
He said that the project is aligned with Malawi’s broader energy security and logistics goals, especially amid recurring challenges in the reliable supply of fuel due to dependence on road transport and regional bottlenecks.
Nacala Logistics Commercial Manager Dharmesh Patel also welcomed Malawi’s growing interest in the dry port.
He said the current infrastructure already facilitates the importation of up to 196 million liters of fuel through the corridor.
The proposed Nacala Dry Port is expected to house railway sidings and terminals to facilitate bulk movement of fuel and cargo, warehouses and bonded storage areas for customs clearance, cargo handling equipment for efficient loading and offloading, and fuel depots and pipelines to ensure continuous fuel flow to Malawi.
The final design and operational model of the facility will be subject to agreement by the Malawian government.
“The government of Malawi will have to decide on the operational model of the facility, whether to embark on a public-private partnership or create a fully-fledged state-owned enterprise to optimize the direct link between Nacala and Blantyre,” it reads.
