How did the Mozambique Company, Niassa Company, and Zambezia Company govern parts of colonial Mozambique?

In the 1890s, the Portuguese government, lacking the resources to develop the region independently, leased large tracts of land to the Mozambique Company, the Niassa Company, and the Zambezia Company. These chartered companies were granted the privilege of exploiting the lands and inhabitants of specific areas in exchange for obligations to develop agriculture, communications, social services, and trade.12

In practice, these companies prioritized their own economic interests, often at the expense of the African population. They developed sugar, copra, and sisal plantations that relied heavily on conscripted labor, and they constructed railways to link Beira with the British South Africa Company territory and Malawi. These infrastructure projects were built at a high cost to the African workforce.12

Ultimately, the Portuguese government terminated these charters to bring the territory under direct rule. Throughout this period, colonial governance was characterized by the exploitation of African people and resources through forced labor, forced crop cultivation, high taxes, and the confiscation of land.12