Nov 9, 2026 |
The 2026 Dhow Regatta brought together 39 sailing boats, local fishers, partners and neighbouring communities in Santa Maria, in the Matutuíne district.
The festival, held on 6 and 7 November in the Machangulo Administrative Post at the initiative of Bemugi’s Place, drew residents of Matutuíne, KaNyaka and other areas of Maputo province and Maputo city to the beach, as well as visitors from outside the country.
Alongside the regatta there were canoeing and swimming races and a range of cultural and recreational activities, as reported by Maputo National Park (MNP).
According to the MNP, the main race was only decided near the end, when Sibonguli, supported by Bemugi’s Place, moved ahead in the final stretch and won, leaving in second place Ximovana, crewed by fishers supported by Maputo National Park.
Nyeleti took third place in the event’s main competition. The prizes awarded reached 65,000 meticais for the race winner, 15,000 for second place and 10,000 for third.
In the canoeing competition, which took place in parallel, José Nhonguane won ahead of Jonas Masinga and Lucas Nhonguane, and in the swimming the first place went to Vucani Mala.
The MNP attended the festival side by side with the communities and says the gathering serves to show that conservation is also achieved through social interaction and by valuing the traditions of the sea.
Its team’s participation was sponsored by Peace Parks Foundation, through the Blue Action Fund, a fund that awarded Peace Parks Foundation and ADRA Germany €5.9 million, with money from the Green Climate Fund, to strengthen marine and coastal protection in the Maputo Environmental Protection Area, as reported by Space for Giants.
Photo: MNP
