ATMs at Maputo usually beat the Currency Exchange Maputo rate
In Terminal A, Currency Exchange Maputo mainly handles metical (MZN) for arrivals from South Africa and Europe, but regulars say the spread is rough compared with airport ATMs. You’ll see “currency exchange points” signed inside the terminal building, but reviewers on Airlinequality and SleepingInAirports both flag them as basic, last-resort counters rather than value plays.
Hours aren’t clearly published, so don’t land at 02:00 assuming it’s open; treat it as a backup if the ATMs near arrivals in Terminal A are down. Travelers report better deals pulling MZN directly from those machines or using cards in town, then only using the desk to dump leftover meticais before flying out. Expect tourist-facing rates that shave a noticeable margin off interbank.
What regulars do: withdraw a small starter amount of MZN from the airport ATM, then keep USD or South African rand (ZAR) handy for the taxi into Maputo, which usually runs a few hundred MZN or the ZAR equivalent. Some frequent visitors say they skip Currency Exchange Maputo completely and compare rates at city banks or exchanges the same day.
Watch out for assuming there’s an airside counter on departure in Terminal A; guides mention exchange points inside the terminal but don’t clearly separate landside from airside, and several flyers report only seeing desks before security. One practical move: on arrival, grab just enough cash landside for the first taxi and hotel tips, then reassess your FX plan once you’ve checked into town.