Mozambique
This profile summarises the Key Insights arising from the completion of the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) for Mozambique, provides context through the Country Landscape.
Mozambique's RAM data and Country Report are publicly available and can be downloaded below.
Key Insights
Mozambique is in the early stages of AI adoption and is working towards establishing governance frameworks that align with UNESCO’s Ethics of AI recommendations. The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education (MCTES) is leading efforts to develop national AI policies, though specific AI legislation remains absent. Existing regulatory instruments, such as the Electronic Transactions Law (2017) and a draft Cybersecurity Law, provide a partial foundation, but gaps in governance and digital policies present challenges for AI implementation.
Mozambique faces significant infrastructure barriers. The country’s internet penetration rate stood at 20.7% in 2023, limiting digital access. Additionally, a shortage of data centers and slow connection speeds hinder AI adoption. However, investments by Vodacom and Raxio Mozambique aim to expand cloud computing and data storage capacity, while MoRENet’s high-bandwidth services currently support 106 institutions, with further expansion planned.
AI research and development in Mozambique is emerging, with universities like Eduardo Mondlane beginning to integrate AI into academic programs. While research output remains limited, increased investment and international collaboration could accelerate innovation. Expanding AI education and specialized training programs would strengthen the country’s AI ecosystem and support responsible AI development.
Mozambique faces a pronounced digital and gender divide. Women have lower rates of internet access than men and are underrepresented in STEM fields. Targeted initiatives to improve digital literacy, increase STEM participation, and enhance workforce inclusion will be critical to ensure equitable AI-driven development.
Interest in AI-driven entrepreneurship is growing, particularly in agriculture, healthcare, and financial services. The government recognizes AI’s potential for economic transformation and aims to create policies that encourage innovation and private-sector investment. Strengthening AI governance, expanding infrastructure, and fostering research will be key to Mozambique’s ability to leverage AI for sustainable development.
Country Landscape
AI systems shape and are shaped by a socio-technical landscape of institutions, geographies, and cultural contexts. Therefore, to better understand the environment of the design, development, and deployment of AI systems within countries, it is critical to view these processes with a lens towards the country as a whole.
The share of population with access to electricity is calculated by the World Bank and displayed by Our World in Data. The World Bank defines access to electricity as 'having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours a day'. This data was last reported as 33.20% for Mozambique in 2022.
The share of the population using the internet is compiled by the ITU.
Last documented in 2023, they reported 19.8% of the population using the internet in Mozambique.
The World Bank scores countries on various statistical performance indicators including data infrastructure. This score 'measures the hard and soft infrastructure segments, itemizing essential cross-cutting requirements for an effective statistical system'. The score is based on a range of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the best score.