Tipping in Mozambique

• Tipping private butlers & chefs
Some of the very exclusive and luxurious properties in Mozambique offer a private butler service for some or all of their rooms. Your butler will not usually get a share of the communal tip box, so if you would like them to receive a tip you may need to tip them directly.

• Tipping guides
An exciting and successful excursion depends largely on the quality of your guide. With this in mind, many places suggest tipping them separately, and they are not usually included in the communal staff tip box.

• Tipping the managers
It is not common practice to tip the hotel or lodge manager, and we wouldn’t normally recommend you doing so. However, if you want to appreciate outstanding or very extraordinary service, then please do.

When to tip

Another question often asked is “when is the best moment to give a tip?” Some people may feel its appropriate to tip little and often, for example after each activity, or at the end of every day.

However, no one expects you to tip after each meal or activity, not least as they understand that you may have put your money in the safe and may not want to access it a number of times a day.

We feel that best practice is to tip just once, and always at the end of your stay at each safari lodge or camp.

How to tip

The most usual way to tip is to use the communal tip box, often found in the lodge’s central area or reception; if not, you may find helpful information on tipping amongst the literature left in your room, or ask the manager. It is also worth asking at each property about their tipping policy and if the tip box is shared by all or just some of the staff. You may want to tip anyone excluded from the tip box separately.

It is always your decision on who to tip and how much to tip. You may choose to put everything into the box, or to tip some team members separately and more directly.

It’s most common to tip in cash, ideally in Mozambican Meticais or US dollars.

If you want to be highly prepared, it can work well to bring a small supply of envelopes, perhaps with a note inside on which a ‘thank you’ could be written. Towards the end of your stay, you can name the envelopes for the people or groups of people whom you wish to tip, put the appropriate cash tip into each, then either hand them out to individuals or put them into the general tip box.

How much to tip

The amounts suggested below are just guidelines from our own travels in Mozambique. Tipping really does depend on your own experience and individual satisfaction – moderated by some understanding of the issues mentioned above.

Given that, we’d recommend that for good service, our travellers tip around:

US$8–10 per guest per day for a group guide

US$8–10 per guest per day for a personal butler

US$5–10 per guest per day for a private chef

US$3–5 per guest per day for the general staff

US$3–5 per road transfer

To put this in the contect of the local economy, bear in mind that the average income in Mozambique is about US$2 per person per day. In contrast, the equivalent GNI in the UK is about US$118.74 per day; in the United States about US$150.58; in New Zealand about US$109.80; and in Germany about US$125.45.

In conclusion, tipping is a normal part of the service industry in Mozambique and, while it is a sensitive issue, there is no need to feel embarrassed about it. But please always keep in mind that comparatively affluent visitors can have a big impact on the local economy and social balance, and offer your tips wisely.