PEMBA AND THE REGION NORTH TO THE RIO ... - MozGuide

Goods and Services.
Pemba has Supermarkets (no Shoprite yet) where you will find imported goods (mainly from
South Africa) at up to three times the price that it is reasonable to be expected to pay.
Pemba is a damned expensive place, but you can live well if you ignore anything imported
and buy fish from the beach and veggies from the bairros. So get to the bairros and the
bazars where you will find almost anything you want at a negotiable price. I like bazar
Mbangui in Bairro Natite reached by taking the road (25 de Setembro) away from the military
garrison (right if coming from airport, left if coming from town) a few hundred metres down
towards the Praça dos Heroís on the way to Wimbe and turning left at the Cooporativo
Makonde. Pick pocketing and theft is a big worry in these crowded places so carry only the
cash you need for the day’s purchases.
Health and Medicines.
Malaria is very common in Pemba but the main resorts have a spraying campaigns and air
conditioning which is also a big deterrent to mosquitoes. Nevertheless I would still ALWAYS
take those preventative measures and drink the tablets according to your doctor’s advice.
HOSPITALS.
There are no private clinics or doctors in Pemba and while Pemba’s Provincial hospital on
Rua Base Moçambique, tel: + (272) 20348 or 20539, and Clínica Cabo Delgado 10 Rua
Forças Armadas, tel: + (272) 2 14 47 may have a few ‘good’ doctors and offer malaria tests,
for any emergency you must immediately activate your emergency med-evac insurance. For
medical evacuation and roadside vehicle assistance look up www.mozhelp.co.za and for
evacuation insurance try www.tic.co.za or consult your own insurance broker.
PHARMACIES.
Pemba has a few pharmacies and I have been served well by the old EE (Empresa Estatal or
State Pharmacy) now called Farmacia Pemba on Rua do Comercio one street up from the
port. There is also Farmacia Nova (private) tel: + (272) 2 02 27 located on the main avenue
in town (Eduardo Mondlane), the Farmacia Carlos Lwanga (private) on the road behind
Supermercado Osman Yacob , on the RHS as you go into town. You will be able to get a
range of antibiotics, malaria medications and other scheduled drugs over the counter without
a prescription.
DENTISTS.
The clinic (Centro da Saude) near Mbanguia market in Bairro Natite offers dentistry services
and the dentist appears to run a sterile practice and gave the assurance that he does have a
good stock of anaesthetic on hand. Failing this, a bottle of ‘best’ Rhum Moçambicano usually
does the job – it leaves you with a headache worse than the toothache.
CRIME.
Petty crime (usually non-violent but this is now starting to occur), especially theft and pick
pocketing, is very common in town especially in crowded areas such as the bus and taxi
stops and the bazaars (markets). Carry only a notarized (at a Notário Público in Mozambique)
copy of your passport, or some other form of identity such as an I.D book displaying your
photo and enough money for the day. Don't leave anything unattended on the beach while
you swim but rather ask the folks Pemba Dive and Pemba Dolphin or at one of the quiosques
or bars to keep your stuff. Cars are sometimes robbed in town but are now often broken into
on the more remote beaches with tourist 4x4’s being a particularly tempting target due to the
pile of goodies loaded into the back.
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