Mozambique: What price the benefits of foreign investment?
The Mozal aluminium plant is a symbol of Mozambique's red-hot economy, touted as a symbol of the investor-friendly environment that led the Wall Street Journal to declare the country "an African success story".
Mozal - making money for whom? (Image: BHP Billiton)
Mozal's exports have increased Mozambique's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by between 3.2 and 5 percent. Its output represents almost half the country's growth in manufacturing.
In spite of these apparent benefits, Mozal has contributed little to the country's development. Initial investment in the project amounted to approximately 40 percent of GDP, but only created around 1,500 jobs, of which nearly a third are held by foreigners.
