Mota-Engil hails ‘outstanding’ growth in Africa

Mota-Engil reported a strong increase in sales in Latin America, driven by rail projects in Mexico (Image: Mota-Engil)

Mota-Engil, which is part-owned by China Construction Communications (CCCC), reported that its overall turnover for the first nine months of 2025 was flat at €4.1 billion (down 1%).

Its backlog increased by 1% to €15.7 billion, while net profit increased 20% year on year to €92 million, which was a margin of 2.3%.

But the strong increase in turnover in Africa to €1.6 billion over the nine-month period made up for a 27% decline in Europe where revenue was just €334 million, and a 29% fall in Latin America, where revenue was just under €1.6 billion.

The company’s business in Europe was impacted by delays in tendering and awarding of key projects in Portugal due to unexpected legislative elections. Activity is expected to gain momentum in 2026.

In Latin America, the decline in turnover reflected two years of very strong growth supported by the Tren Maya project.

The company’s total EBITDA for the one-month period was €699 million, a 15% increase on the year before. Its EBITDA margin was 17% for the group, ranging from 8% in Europe to an ‘exceptional’ 25% in Africa.

By segment, the majority of Mota-Engil’s backlog was in ‘roads and others’ (42%), followed by railway (28%), industrial engineering (24%), and civil construction (6%).