Belzénia Matsimbe is an Independent Consultant and Researcher with extensive experience in sustainable mobility, road safety, and transport systems across African and international contexts. Trained as a Civil and Transport Engineer, she has supported governments, institutions, and organizations in developing inclusive and sustainable mobility strategies that integrate technical expertise with community-driven approaches. Her consultancy work bridges practice and policy, helping stakeholders implement solutions that prioritize accessibility, equity, and resilience. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Transport, covering both infrastructure and operations, which strengthens her analytical and research capacity while keeping her practice evidence-based. She has collaborated with universities, research centers, and international networks, consistently committed to delivering impactful, practical, and innovative outcomes. Her vision is to empower communities and decision-makers through feminist, climate-responsive approaches to transport, ensuring safer and more inclusive systems across Africa and beyond.
Selected publications or texts
Matsimbe has presented her work at several international conferences and policy forums. She co-authored and presented Technologies for the Improvement of African Informal Public Transport at the SSATP Annual General Meeting (2025). At the 22nd Meeting of the Transport Studies Group (2025), she presented Analysis of Trends and Frequency of Electric Scooter Accidents in Portugal. She also delivered Environmental Risk Factors for Road Accidents in a Climate Change Scenario (RISCOS, 2025) and Characterization of Road Traffic Accidents in Maputo and their Associations with Climatic Variables at CLME2025.
Selected speaking engagements
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SSATP Annual General Meeting (2025): Technologies for the Improvement of African Informal Public Transport.
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V Symposium Ibero-African-American on Risks, University of Cape Verde (2025): Environmental Risk Factors for Road Accidents in a Climate Change Scenario.
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CLME2025 – 10th Luso-Mozambican Engineering Congress (2025): Characterization of Road Traffic Accidents in Maputo and their Associations with Climatic Variables.
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ISUTC SheLeads Mozambique Launch (2023): SheLeads Mozambique: Empowering STEM & Careers, a gender-focused initiative promoting female leadership in engineering, transport, and STEM careers.
Awards and recognitions
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Team Leader of one of the five winning research teams in the SSAC/SSATP Call for Research Papers (2025), on technologies for the improvement and integration of African informal public transport.
- Research Fellowship, Ciência LP – International Science Programme for Portuguese-speaking Countries (2024).
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Recognition from ISUTC Gender Strategy (2023), for leadership in launching SheLeads Mozambique: Empowering STEM & Careers.
