Market research
in Mozambique
Consumer research, customer experience, data intelligence, media intelligence and opinion: how IMMAR supports advertisers, agencies and institutions in the Mozambican market since 1999.
The Mozambican market at a glance
Mozambique is a growing Lusophone market in Southern Africa, with an economy driven by agriculture, where smallholders account for most production, as well as by significant gas and coal reserves and strong hydroelectric potential. Consumption remains largely informal, with an informal sector that accounts for a large share of the labour force, and is concentrated in Greater Maputo, in the south, along with a few regional hubs along a vast coastline. Mobile money is developing, carried by M-Pesa, and South African retail chains are present. Portuguese is the official language, mostly urban, alongside many Bantu national languages such as Emakhuwa and Xichangana.
Conducting research in Mozambique: what matters in the field
Running reliable research in the Mozambican market means taking several realities into account:
- Extensive territory and coastline: the population is spread along a vast coastline, which calls for sampling plans and logistics that go beyond the capital alone.
- Survey languages: Portuguese structures urban life and business, but general-public collection runs through national languages (Emakhuwa, Xichangana, among others) depending on the region. Every interview is administered in the language actually spoken.
- Largely informal economy: most purchases happen in proximity trade and markets, which shopper studies must be designed to reach.
- Rise of mobile money: M-Pesa and mobile payment are growing, reshaping purchase journeys and supporting certain collection modes.
- Concentration on Maputo: Greater Maputo concentrates a large share of modern consumption, which shapes sampling before extending to the provinces.
The sectors IMMAR covers in Mozambique
In the Mozambican market, IMMAR supports players across several sectors, with set-ups tailored to each:
- FMCG: consumer understanding, brand tracking, retail execution
- Telecommunications: customer experience, network quality, brand image
- Banking, finance and mobile money: trust, customer experience, mobile-payment adoption
- Retail: mystery shopping, in-store experience, shopper studies
- Media: audience, editorial intelligence, ad monitoring
A response built around your question
Every assignment starts with a question, posed by an advertiser, an agency, an institution or a local player. That question shapes which expertise is brought to bear. IMMAR brings together five complementary areas:
| Area of expertise | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Consumer Research | Quantitative and qualitative studies, panels, U&A, segmentation: understanding local behaviours, needs and usage |
| Customer Experience | NPS, CSAT, mystery shopping, network audits: measuring the service quality actually delivered |
| Data Intelligence & AI | Data analysis and activation, decision dashboards, modelling |
| Media Intelligence | Media monitoring, audience measurement, ad monitoring, social listening |
| Opinion & Society | Barometers, opinion studies, societal and institutional dynamics |
A market research or Market Intelligence project in the Mozambican market?
Talk to an IMMAR expertFrequently asked questions
How do you conduct market research in Mozambique?
Cover a very large coastal, largely rural country, collect in Portuguese as well as in national languages (Emakhuwa, Xichangana, among others) depending on the region, and account for a largely informal economy where mobile money (M-Pesa) is developing. IMMAR deploys local teams and adapted logistics.
Which language should studies be conducted in, in Mozambique?
Portuguese is the official language and that of business and the media, especially in cities. General-public collection also draws on Bantu national languages, such as Emakhuwa in the north or Xichangana in the south, depending on the region. IMMAR administers each interview in the language the respondent actually speaks.
How do you cover a market as informal and extensive as Mozambique?
The economy is largely informal and the population spread along a vast coastline, from Maputo in the south to the gas-rich north. IMMAR designs sampling plans that start from Greater Maputo and the major regional hubs, then extend according to the objective, combining face-to-face with mobile collection where access allows.
Why is the Mozambican market strategic?
Mozambique is a growing Lusophone market in Southern Africa, driven by agriculture, significant gas and coal reserves and hydroelectric potential. Its consumption, still largely informal and concentrated in Maputo, and the rise of mobile money make it a developing market, where fine field knowledge is decisive.
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