Youth Economic Opportunity Ecosystem Analysis: Mozambique Country Report

This report is the key output of an assessment implemented in Mozambique, as part of YouthStart Global inception phase. The report aims to capture a picture of the youth economic opportunities ecosystem in Mozambique by:

• Providing an overview of the employment challenge and demand for financial services;
• Presenting a comprehensive analysis of the demand for and the supply of labor;
• Identifying high-potential opportunities for youth.

It also provides an overview and mapping of the current youth intervention landscape and the supply of financial services, as well as an assessment of key gaps for each of the high-potential opportunities for youth. The key findings presented in the report are:

1. Mozambique’s labor market is severely demand-constrained; there is a broad consensus that self-employment and enterprise development are viable mechanisms to create more opportunities for youth;
2. Accessing capital is a major and consistent challenge limiting youths’ ability to successfully start a business;
3. Five sectors, such as tourism, building and construction, extractives, retail and agriculture, have emerged as offering the most promising economic opportunities for youth;
4. Existing programs do not fully address the different elements required for youth to access high-potential opportunities within the most promising economic sectors.