Japan is putting fresh money into the Nacala Corridor, with a ¥1.691 billion (€9 million) grant to rebuild the Natete Bridge in Nampula Province, in a move aimed at improving the movement of freight along one of southern Africa’s most important east-west transport routes.

The project, financed through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will replace a bridge constructed in 2014 that was damaged by extreme weather.

The works will include a new bridge, improvements to connecting roads and riverbank protection, to keep the route open during floods and improve the reliability of road freight.

The investment comes as countries along the corridor seek to strengthen links between Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia and the Indian Ocean, using Nacala as a gateway for regional trade.

The Nacala Corridor is built around the Port of Nacala and a rail network stretching about 912 kilometres from Moatize in western Mozambique, through Malawi, to the Indian Ocean. The corridor also connects to road and rail networks serving Malawi and provides a potential logistics route for Zambia and other land-linked markets.

A previous assessment of the corridor put potential general-freight capacity at about 4 million tonnes a year, in addition to the 18 million-tonne coal capacity. The same assessment identified Nacala as a critical outlet for cargo moving between the land-linked economies of Malawi and Zambia and the Indian Ocean.

The combination of deep-water port infrastructure, rail and road links gives Nacala an important advantage as a regional logistics gateway. It allows cargo from the interior to move towards the Indian Ocean without relying exclusively on southern routes through South African ports or alternative corridors.

Against this background, the Natete Bridge may appear relatively small compared with the billions of dollars invested in the Nacala logistics system, but its importance lies in network reliability.

JICA Deputy Resident Representative in Mozambique Takahashi Sulimara said the project reflects the commitment of Japan and Mozambique to improving regional connectivity, facilitating trade and creating infrastructure capable of withstanding climate-related disruptions.

Japan's ambassador to Mozambique, Hamada Keiji, said the Nacala Corridor was important not only for northern Mozambique but also for linking Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia to the Indian Ocean.

The investment follows commitments made at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), where the Nacala Corridor was highlighted as part of efforts to improve connectivity and logistical efficiency.

The Natete reconstruction forms part of a broader effort to turn the Nacala route into a more dependable regional trade corridor, one capable of moving larger volumes of cargo between the mineral and agricultural hinterlands of Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia and global markets through the Indian Ocean.

The Japanese government is separately providing ¥258 million (€1.3 million) for a human-resource development programme that will support postgraduate studies for up to 10 Mozambican public servants each year.