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Mozambique Surf Community Faces Challenging Recovery After Cyclone Gezani

Originally posted on SURFER | By Lucy Small | Last updated Feb 24, 2026 1:09 PM ET

The East African surfing hub of Praia do Tofo has been left reeling after Tropical Cyclone Gezani lashed the Mozambican province of Inhambane last weekend. Home to Mozambique’s biggest up-and-coming surf community, four people have lost their lives, hundreds were injured, and 17 000 were left without power after the cyclone ripped through the coastal community.

Across the province, more than 1,200 homes have been destroyed, with widespread collapse of trees and power lines as winds of up to 215 km/h (134 mph) were recorded in Inhambane. Prior to making landfall in Mozambique, Gezani had already left destruction in its wake in Madagascar, where it decimated the port city of Toamasina, killing 59 people.

Mozambican professional surfer Sung Min “Mini” Cho, who hails from Tofo, said the atmosphere in Tofo was surprisingly positive following the storm: “After [Cyclone] Dineo everyone knew what the worst looks and feels like, and this wasn’t that, which was good for the spirits,” he said. “The heart of Tofo wasn’t as heavily affected as the rural areas - lots of locals lost houses, roofs and belongings.” Tropical Cyclone Dineo hit Tofo in February 2017, the first major cyclone to make landfall in the Inhambane province in a decade. That cyclone affected 650 000 people, killing seven.

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Mozambique is at particular risk from the effects of climate change, with an already volatile subtropical climate worsened by increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The southern part of the country, which includes Inhambane, was already grappling with the effects of severe flooding in January that displaced more than 100 000 people. The Southern African region experienced its average annual rainfall in 10 days, something World Weather Attribution (WWA) described as "unprecedented". Tropical Cyclone Gezani has compounded this damage and expanded the zone in need of repair.

The floods caused the collapse of the main highway connecting the Mozambican capital, Maputo, with the north of the country, halting tourism and restricting the delivery of crucial supplies and driving up the cost of food, fuel and gas. With more than 90% of homes in Mozambique made from a natural material called adobe, and with already limited infrastructure to respond to weather events, Mozambicans are left vulnerable in the face of a changing climate. Despite contributing very little to global climate emissions, Mozambicans continue to bear the brunt of the worsening climate situation. “Poor housing quality and inadequate infrastructure significantly increased exposure and vulnerability to flooding,” the authors of a WWA report into the flooding told Mongabay.

While surf tourism in Mozambique has grown in recent years, frequent weather events and bouts of political instability have made the sustainability of the surf tourism economy difficult. In 2024, political protests following a national election led to a temporary drop in tourism as areas became inaccessible due to the unrest. While Inhambane was largely shut down to tourists, a swell hit that delivered all-time surf for the locals.

Now, as cyclone recovery efforts continue, lingering swell has lit up the much-loved local point in Tofo, bringing surfers back to the Indian Ocean.

“It’s been a tough start to the year for Mozambique with all these natural disasters,” Mini said. “We’re ok and we’re building back up,” he added.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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