What are people looking where there is a language gap? (Mozambique)

For all investors and companies that have been working in Mozambique for the last 10 to 15 years, the prospect of business is what we all have been waiting for the last years.

Although the prospect is huge, much much bigger then our imagination, there are big challenges comming forward.

Today we will speak about two of them: the language gap and what investors are looking for when there is language gap in the country they wish to invest.

The Portuguese speaking countries are on the world business agenda specially those with high growth development expected for the next years. Mozambique is one of these countries.

I have been in Mozambique since 1997 and have had a very big learning curve in what concerns to language gaps. And one of the most important aspect to understand in Mozambique is not to speak the same language but rather to LEARN to communicate.

And when you learn, you listen until you understand the meaning what people tell you and or what they mean on the underlines. Always LEARN, never teach. If you start to teach you have missed a huge opportunity to reduce your level of problems coming to you. Meaning that they will come much sooner, in case you have not understand my previous phrase…..

All this above is, of course, for Portuguese speaking investors on this initial phase.

After a few years you will become an expert on communication skills. You become a translator sort of speak.

For those who do not speak Portuguese, it is a much bigger problem. Because at one point you will have to trust someone that can help you with the new venture. It`s all about trust after all. 

When you are asked about any issue of Mozambique, it is not enough anymore to make a description of the reality of the country. You will need much more to gain trust.

Diagnosis, organizational culture, strategy from the negotiation to the implementation stage, correct assessment of political, social e cultural are just a small part of the volume of information that you will need to know to assess foreign investors. This is the beginning of the entire build up process for that trust so needed to assist new projects.

From all this years in Mozambique it is a surprise to watch the complete inexistence of an aspect absolutely crucial in projects in most of big and major projects: Risk Management.

Many projects have had huge escalation of costs due to very poor or inexistence of this matter.

The key to realize an ambitious goal in Mozambique is by working with people who knows it best.