Maputo International Airport (MPM) sits close to the heart of Maputo, Mozambique's capital, and a rental car here opens up both the city and two of the country's most important road corridors. Pickup is straightforward at this modest but well-connected international terminal, with international and local desks handling the flow of business travelers and visitors alike, and the airport's proximity to downtown Maputo means you can be exploring the capital's wide colonial-era avenues within a short drive of landing.
From MPM, most road journeys fall into one of two directions. The N4 highway runs west toward the South African border at Ressano Garcia, then continues on to Nelspruit/Mbombela in Mpumalanga - a well-paved toll route often called the Maputo Corridor, popular with travelers combining a Mozambique coastal stay with a South African safari leg, and the crossing typically takes a few hours depending on border queues. The N1, Mozambique's principal north-south artery, runs along the coast connecting Maputo to towns like Xai-Xai and, much farther north, Beira and Nampula, though most visitors renting from MPM use it for shorter hops rather than the full length of the country.
Driving in Mozambique is on the left, a detail worth remembering if you are used to right-hand traffic, and rules of the road otherwise follow fairly standard southern African convention. Road quality is generally good on the N4 corridor and the main routes near Maputo, but conditions can deteriorate on rural stretches farther from the capital, with potholes, informal crossings and livestock on the road all realistic hazards outside urban areas. Fuel stations cluster around Maputo and along the N4 toward the border, so it is sensible to top up before any longer rural leg. Given the mix of good corridor roads and rougher rural ones, a solidly built sedan or small SUV suits most itineraries out of Maputo well, whether the plan is a short city stay or a longer cross-border journey into South Africa.