Tete Province

Tete Province exists because the Zambezi exists—the great river cutting through northwestern Mozambique created both the Cahora Bassa gorge, now one of Africa's largest hydroelectric installations, and exposed the coal seams that have made Tete the engine of Mozambique's extractive economy. Portuguese geological surveys barely touched this interior before independence; afterward, exploration revealed what analysts describe as 'one of the largest coal plays on the globe.'

The Moatize coal project, developed by Vale and later acquired by Indian consortium ICVL, transformed Tete from agricultural backwater to export driver. Coal production reached 14.3 million tonnes in 2022, and since 2018, coal has been Mozambique's top export by value—accounting for roughly one-third of national export revenues and surpassing the aluminum that had previously dominated. The Sena railway rehabilitation, upgraded in 2024 to 20 million tonnes annual capacity, connects Tete's mines to Beira's port, creating the infrastructure that extraction depends upon.

Cahora Bassa Dam, completed in 1974 just before independence, generates 2,075 megawatts of electricity—most of it exported to South Africa under contracts that predate majority rule in either country. The dam flooded 2,700 square kilometers of the Zambezi valley, displacing communities whose descendants still await the resettlement promises made decades ago.

The extractive economy creates familiar patterns: jobs concentrate in mining while agriculture struggles to absorb the workforce; coal revenues flow to Maputo while Tete's infrastructure lags; and environmental damage accumulates faster than remediation. A 2024 study found coal mining correlating with increased consumption and reduced poverty—but also with women shifting from agriculture into mining services.

By 2026, Tete's trajectory depends on global coal demand—and on whether Mozambique can extract value before decarbonization strands the assets.