Top Business Leaders in Mozambique

Marcopolis ranked the top business leaders in Mozambique. The ranking is based on an executive survey with the top businessmen as part of the business report on Mozambique. Ernesto Gove is No. 1 and Mhamud Charania, at No. 2, is the second top business leader in Mozambique.

The research team asked the interviewees, who they think are the five top business personalities in Mozambique. The interviewees anonymously nominated a total of 20 leaders. Out of the 20 personalities nominated by our interviewees, 10 leaders were a common vote amongst them.

The List

#1 Ernesto Gove, Governor of the Bank of Mozambique (BM – Banco de Moçambique), is noted for helping stablise the economy through tight monetary decisions. Through his initiatives, the local currency is stable, inflation has steadied and investor confidence has returned. This has resulted in an uptick in foreign direct investments, partly placing the country among the league of countries with handsome FDI inflows.

#2 Mhamud Charania holds numerous leadership positions in corporate Mozambique. His leadership roles include: Chairman of the Board of Directors of ADC S.A., a fast moving consumer goods manufacturing distribution company (F.M.C.G). He is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Merec Industries and Merec Financial Corp. He has substantial shares in all the three companies and has, through his business interest, made a lot of impact in the business community.

#3 Momade Bachir Sulemane is the owner of Grupo MBS and the Maputo Shopping Center. Sulemane is considered one of the wealthiest and most influential business people in Mozambique. He is also seen as a philanthropist, with a heart of compassion and willingness to support, where necessary. He has made fame through his business line and he is considered a mentor, entrepreneur and role model for many.

#4 Miguel Afonso Dos Santos is in charge of the day to day operations of one of Mozambique’s finest hotel: Polana Serena Hotel. His excellent guidance of the hotel through innovation and customer service delivery has earned him praises from patrons and stakeholders in general.

#5 Fernando Amado Couto is the CEO of Portos do Norte S.A., a private Mozambican company responsible for the management of terminals and movement of all types of cargo in the Nacala Port. His business operations model is key to the Mozambique business community given that his company manages the operations terminals and movement of cargo in a port considered one of the largest in the East African coast.

#6 John Peffer is Country Manager of Anadarko. He has over 27 years of oil and natural gas industry experience, all with Anadarko and its affiliates. Prior to his current position as General Manager of Anadarko in Mozambique, he spent three years working as Middle East Business Development Manager in London.

#7 Rogério Samo Gudo is President of Escopil Internacional. He was born in Mozambique, and graduated in Electronic Engineering from Universidade Eduardo Mondlane. He was part of the foundation of both Escopil in 1998 and MCNet (Mozambique Community Network) in 2009. He is CEO of both companies.

#8 José Zilhão is Country Manager of Mota-Engil, one of the best civil construction companies in Mozambique, with a history of providing tailor-made products for clients for 24 years and counting. He worked in various civil servant positions before working for Fibreglass Sundlete and then Mota-Engil in 2003.

#9 Safura Da Conceição, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Movitel, is one of the few females robbing shoulders with males in Mozambique’s corporate sector. Although launched in 2012, the company is currently number 3 in terms of subscribers, thanks to Safura’s rigorous leadership.

#10 Lourenço Sambo is the General Director of Mozambique Investment Promotion Centre (CPI). He has helped to market the country to investments, raised foreign direct investments and given the economy a good outlook in the eyes of the international local business community.

Our interviewees considered a number of Mozambicans, however chose their nominees based on their influence and power in the country. Their innovation, inspiration, wide-range endeavors, and philanthropy have been recognized by the business world and have landed them on the list of Marcopolis’ top businessmen in the country.