The migration of Russians to Mozambique during the colonial period was minimal and only began after the country gained independence on June 25, 1975. After the departure of more than 200,000 Portuguese, Mozambique needed skilled specialists, and the USSR assisted in this matter. By the end of 1980, more than 1,500 Soviet citizens lived in the country, including teachers, doctors, geologists, gas specialists, and pilots. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, just over 40 teachers and doctors remained in Mozambique. Some Mozambican students who studied in Russia married Russian women and returned home with them.

By the early 2000s, the Russian diaspora in Mozambique had fully formed and adapted to local conditions. It mainly consists of doctors, teachers, and women married to Mozambicans, as well as Russian entrepreneurs.

There are two millionaires from the Russian diaspora in the country. One of them, Andrey Vladimirovich Yudin, started with land reclamation and organized several firms. He is now involved in construction, including road construction, and owns construction companies.

Another successful entrepreneur, Igor Timofeevich Rabievsky, manages a company in Mozambique's fishing industry, which brings significant profits. Attempts to organize fishing began as early as the 1980s. After the liquidation of a trading company in Maputo, businessman A. Shik purchased four vessels and gathered interested parties around him. In 2002-2003, Igor Rabievsky became a representative and then the owner of the company.

Currently, contract fishermen are mainly recruited from the Kaliningrad region. Their stay in Mozambique depends on contract conditions and production needs and can vary from several months to several years. Fishermen arriving without families live on fishing vessels, while managers and businesspeople rent housing in the city.