Salimo Abdula, one of Mozambique’s most prominent business leaders, is extending his influence beyond boardrooms into classrooms, incubators and startup hubs. Through the Salimo Abdula Foundation, he has signed a memorandum of understanding with FieldReady to support 15,000 young Mozambicans with entrepreneurship training, mentorship and seed capital.
The initiative addresses one of Mozambique’s most pressing challenges: youth unemployment. By equipping young people with business skills and providing them with direct access to opportunities, Abdula aims to transform a generation from job seekers to job creators.
“This is an investment in the country’s future workforce,” Abdula said. “By combining training with access to real opportunities, we can give young people a foothold in a difficult labour market while contributing to the broader economy.”
From job seekers to job creators
The agreement builds on the Elevate Program, an innovation and entrepreneurship initiative launched by the Foundation. Elevate combines digital training, mentorship and competitions to help youth transform ideas into sustainable businesses.
A nationwide digital platform will be rolled out, ensuring accessibility for thousands of participants regardless of location. Alongside it, a competitive challenge will spotlight the most promising youth-led projects. Winners will receive tailored mentoring, incubation and for the top five ventures, seed funding to launch their businesses.
The approach is pragmatic: it couples skills development with real-world opportunities, creating pathways for youth to engage directly with investors, companies and incubators.
Abdula’s business footprint
Abdula is widely regarded as a cornerstone of Mozambican enterprise. He is the founder of Intelec Holdings Group, a diversified conglomerate with interests spanning agriculture, energy, finance, construction, mining, telecommunications, and textiles. He also sits on the board of Vodacom Mozambique, where he is one of the largest shareholders.
His business influence provides the initiative with credibility and networks that many young entrepreneurs lack. By positioning the Salimo Abdula Foundation as a bridge between aspiring innovators and the industries shaping Mozambique’s growth including energy and natural gas Abdula hopes to ensure that youth are not just participants but leaders in the country’s economic transformation.
A wider African relevance
Abdula’s commitment resonates beyond Mozambique. Across Africa, a young population faces the dual challenges of underemployment and limited access to resources. Programs like Elevate demonstrate how private-sector leadership can complement public policy, providing scalable solutions that blend digital tools with practical business development.
By championing young entrepreneurs, Abdula is betting on the continent’s most powerful resource: its people. His approach reflects a growing recognition across Africa that sustainable growth depends not just on natural resources or infrastructure, but on unlocking human potential through innovation, entrepreneurship, and skills development.
A legacy of opportunity
The partnership with FieldReady is more than philanthropy, it is a strategy. By investing in youth today, Abdula is cultivating the workforce and leadership that Mozambique’s economy will depend upon tomorrow.
It is a vision that blends optimism with pragmatism. Abdula’s legacy, built on Intelec’s industrial footprint and Vodacom’s telecommunications reach, now expands into nurturing an entrepreneurial ecosystem for young Mozambicans.
At its heart, the initiative is a call to action: to see Africa’s youth not as a challenge to be managed but as a generation of entrepreneurs waiting to be unleashed.
