The first thing to say is that you can get most things you need for your holiday in Mozambique. Mozambique may be a very different country to South Africa and there certainly isn’t a Pick N Pay in every town and village. But, you can easily get all of the food, drink and supplies you need for your trip in Mozambique. Remember, buying in Mozambique helps and supports the struggling Mozambican economy and the local families who you will buy from. That said, more technical items like diving equipment or specialist car parts will be much harder to find, especially outside of the main cities.
Food and Drink
Costs and availability
Most food and drink does cost more in Mozambique. This does not mean you are being ripped off or should bring all of your food and drink with you. It is as much a reflection of the very low prices of food and drink in South Africa as the high cost of them in Mozambique. All major cities have a wide range of supermarkets, butchers, fish markets and bottle shops, where you will be able to stock up with everything you need. The further out into the bush you get, the less will be available. Most towns will have some sort of basic supermarket. In almost every village you will be able to get beer and soft drinks, rice and other basic dried goods and locally grown fresh fruit and veg. Seafood is very widely available along the coast. Just ask people you meet and they will find you freshly caught fish, prawns, squid and more. Most tourist towns such as Ponta Do Ouro and Bilene have basic supermarkets, butchers and bottle stores with beer, wine and spirits available.
Bringing drink with you
It is illegal to bring beer into Mozambique. As 2M and other beer is available almost everywhere, there seems little point trying to bring any into the country. There is a limit of 2.5 litres of wine, and a l litre limit on spirits. If you want to come and experience Mozambique then enjoy the local drinks too. Relax in the sunshine and enjoy a bottle of Mozambique’s most famous beer, 2M. Tap water is not drinkable in Mozambique, but bottled water is widely available.
Bringing Meat with you
It is currently illegal to bring meat from any hoofed animal into Mozambique. This includes pork, beef and lamb. This includes all cooked, raw, dried and vacuum packed meat. This is simply to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease into Mozambique. Mozambique is a very poor country without the ability to contain foot and mouth if it did break out in the country. Not bringing South African meat into the country is the main defensive measure Mozambique has to prevent Foot and Mouth entering the country. Please support them in this and do not bring meat into the country. If you are coming from South Africa there is a good butcher in Ponta Do Ouro and many in Maputo, (along with Spar and Woolworths) where you could pick up supplies on your way through.
Bringing other food with you
Fresh fruit and veg is widely available in Mozambique and so there seems little point travelling with it. Other cooking staples are available but you may also bring them into the country.
Car parts
In the cities most brands of car are supported and there are some excellent garages (and some less good as in every other city in the world). The further you get out of the cities the fewer garages there are and the harder it becomes to get car parts. Every village will have a mechanic, although the skills of these mechanics will vary wildly from place to place. What they are universally good at is a patch and make do repair to get you a bit further on your journey. Be careful what you agree to with a mechanic and don’t let them touch anything until you have a full agreement of what they are going to do and how much it will cost. The labour on any repair should not be expensive, but the parts may be more expensive than you are used to and the quality of the parts can vary.
Medicine
Pharmacies are available in all towns. They are reasonably stocked and if you have something unexpected happen to a member of your party they will be able to help. All will have basics such as antibiotics. Some basic medicines such as ibuprofen and paracetamol are very expensive and worth bringing with you. Some Malarials are available but not all types. I would strongly recommend bringing your own Malarials with you. Malarone, a commonly used Malarial in other countries, is not available in Mozambique. If you take any regular medication ensure you bring it with you as you cannot be sure you will be able to get a supply. If there is something more specialist you need, pharmacies in the big cities, or private hospitals will be the best place to try. If you are bringing medicines across the border, ensure you carry your prescription with you.
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