Quelimane

has established itself as a leading example of sustainable urban mobility in sub-Saharan Africa. The city has the highest cycling modal share among Mozambican cities, with bicycle taxis emerging in response to the absence of formal bus services and later institutionalized by the municipality as a regulated economic sector. Quelimane was also the first city in Mozambique to build a dedicated cycleway, with support from the Portuguese Government. In 2023, it was selected among 10 global cities for the Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) initiative, with funding directed toward protected cycling lanes, pedestrian space, and dedicated bicycle taxi parking.

Road safety and public space improvement have advanced in parallel. In 2022, the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) financed a tactical urbanism intervention at a high-accident crossing in Quelimane. In recognition of this broader trajectory, the city was named Africa’s first City of Sport 2024 by ACES Europe — demonstrating that mid-sized, low-income cities can build cost-effective, low-carbon urban systems without relying on buses, metros, or large capital investment.