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.
