The Mozambique Ridge is an aseismic oceanic plateau in the southwestern Indian Ocean. The existence of active normal faulting in the central part of the ridge was demonstrated by single and multichannel seismic surveys. Numerical modelling of the stress distribution caused by the crustal structure of the Mozambique Ridge and the adjacent oceanic basins suggests the possible existence of a zone with average horizontal tension up to 70 MPa along the central part of this passive ridge, which may cause the modern fault activity. These stresses also cause an additional dynamic anomaly which can explain small variations of the geoid anomaly over the ridge.