From August 31 to September 6, 2026, MMF’s education team took Inhambane’s ocean to FACIM, the Maputo International Trade Fair. Over seven days, 2,074 people watched our virtual reality (VR) film of the province’s marine life, among them President Daniel Chapo, former Presidents Joaquim Chissano and Filipe Nyusi, and Prime Minister Benvinda Levi.
Prime Minister Benvinda Levi tries MMF’s VR film at the Inhambane Province stand.
Inhambane at the national fair
FACIM, Mozambique’s largest annual trade fair, brings together government, businesses, provinces, and international exhibitors each year to present the country’s economy and innovation. In 2026, we joined the Inhambane Province delegation, representing marine conservation. Country Manager Emildo Patricio Vilanculo led our team at the stand, inviting visitors to step into Inhambane’s underwater world through the film.
A wide and influential audience
By the fourth day, nearly 1,000 people had tried the film; by the close of the fair, 2,074 had, the largest and most varied audience MMF has reached at an event of this kind. Visitors included President Daniel Chapo; former Presidents Joaquim Chissano and Filipe Nyusi; Prime Minister Benvinda Levi; Fredson Bacar, Secretary of State for Tourism; and Maputo Governor Manuel Tule. Ministers, parliamentarians, the Administrator of the National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC), and delegations from Nampula and Niassa provinces also visited, as did the celebrated Mozambican saxophonist Moreira Chonguiça. Alongside them came students, children, families, and members of the public, many of whom had never seen a manta ray or a whale shark.
Former President Joaquim Chissano's visit to the stand
Maputo Governor Manuel Tule's visit to the stand
Saxophonist Moreira ChonguiçaRecognition for the province
The response was overwhelmingly positive, and “wonderful” was the word the team heard most often. Our stand was also recognized as a key contributor to Inhambane being named the second most innovative province at FACIM 2026. The team has since been invited to show the VR film at the Mozambique Tourism Summit in November.
Young visitors at the Inhambane Province stand.
Our thanks go to the Inhambane provincial government for including us, to ElasmOcean for donating the VR equipment, and to everyone who put on a headset. The same film reaches schools and community events through our education work in Mozambique, which brought VR to 4,810 people in 2025. Events like FACIM carry it further, to people who may never dive in the ocean, including the decision-makers who shape its future.