The King’s Baton Relay brought art, community spirit and environmental awareness to Mozambique as the Baton travelled through Maputo and Boane from 1 to 5 September 2025.
Unlike many stops along the route, Mozambique’s Baton took shape during the celebrations themselves. Students and teachers from the National School of Visual Arts (ENAV) in Maputo added colour and texture to it across the week, transforming it into a vibrant symbol of the nation’s creativity and pride. The evolving design reflected the energy of the festivities and the collective spirit that defines Mozambican culture.
The journey officially began at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Maputo, where the Baton was welcomed by officials and the British Deputy High Commissioner, Dominic Ashton, who highlighted Mozambique’s close ties with the Commonwealth community.
Throughout the week, the Baton visited places that capture the rhythm of daily life in Maputo, including the Central Market, Francisco Manyanga Secondary School and FEIMA, the city’s popular craft and food fair. Each stop invited people to engage with the Baton and celebrate Mozambique’s place in the Commonwealth story.
A highlight of the programme was a large-scale clean-up at Costa do Sol Beach, led by the Mozambican Recycling Association (AMOR), CGA Mozambique, and community volunteers. Athletes, officials and local residents joined forces to collect plastic waste, blending sport and sustainability in support of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign.
The Relay concluded in Boane, where visits to the Olympafrica Centre and Casa do Gaiato, a local charity supporting children and families, captured the inclusive and hopeful spirit that ran through the celebrations.
At the closing ceremony, the British Deputy High Commissioner presented the newly decorated Baton to Commonwealth representatives, athletes and officials, marking the completion of Mozambique’s chapter and the continuation of the Baton’s journey across Africa.
Mozambique’s Baton was shaped by the people who carried it, decorated as it travelled and celebrated as a living work of art, a reflection of a nation whose creativity and community are at the heart of its Commonwealth story.
