economic diversification · the government’s plan is to revitalize agriculture, not only...

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Angola’s rich nat-ural resources are rightly re-nowned around the world, spe-

cifically when it comes to its mammoth oil reserves. Yet while the country’s famous “black gold” is largely found in fields out at sea, much less is universally known about the massive natural wealth held by its plentiful land pastures. Such igno-rance is not all that sur-prising, however, consider-ing Angola today imports around 90% of its food.

It wasn’t always this way though. During colonial times the country was a producer of almost every major crop and provided for both domestic and export markets. Yet with the chaos caused by Angola’s long in-dependence struggle with Portugal, and thereafter a devastating civil war which ended just 13 years ago, the agriculture industry and the nation’s infrastructure was left in tatters.

While Angola has expe-rienced rapid growth and development since the end of the war in 2002 – almost single handedly thanks to oil production – like many oil-rich countries it has been guilty of neglecting its farming sector. This is something that Angola is now determined to rectify.

The government’s plan is to revitalize agriculture, not only increasing production to ensure greater food se-curity, but also to spearhead the country’s economic di-versification process. With 90% of Angola’s export earn-ings currently attributed to oil, the government now wants to open up the inte-rior of the country to eco-nomic activity, and promote alternative exports in order to wean itself off an almost

total reliance on extractive industries for foreign ex-change and employment.

“Agriculture occupies a central place in the eco-nomic and social life of the country,” says Minister of Agriculture, Afonso Pedro Canga. “It plays a key role in our social development.”

“We are now in a phase that is mainly aimed at en-suring food security,” he continues. “While family farming aims firsthand to ensure food for the fam-ily, expanding our entrepre-neurial agriculture produc-tion in medium and large scales will increase supply to the domestic market, boost the agro-industry, re-

duce imports and also boost international exports. This is our strategic vision.”

With its billions of dol-lars in annual petroleum income, the government is now pouring vast financial resources into upgrading or creating new rural infra-structure, including roads and bridges to improve mar-ket access for farmers. It is also providing training pro-

grams for rural residents in farming, animal husbandry, soil treatment and irrigation training programs while es-tablishing agricultural study and research centers. The sector is likewise experienc-ing serious foreign invest-ment, one stand out exam-ple being Biocom.

Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht has joined forc-es with the local company Damer and the Angolan gov-ernment in a public-private partnership worth $500 mil-lion to set up the country’s biggest agricultural project – as well as the largest renew-able energy development – in Malanje province.

Setting the benchmark for Angola’s economic di-versification and industrial development drive, Bio-com will not only produce 250,000 metric tons of sugar per year by 2018, but biomass-fed generators will also produce 28 megawatts per hour of electricity that will be pumped into the province’s power grid to benefit rural residents and local industry.

According to the Secretary of Industry, Kiala Ngone Ga-briel, if the country is to at-tract further vital investments of Biocom’s ilk – especially from foreign businesses who can add knowledge, compe-tition and, most importantly value, to Angolan industries – then the government must itself continue to invest in im-proving the state of transport and industrial infrastructure around the nation.

“We are a country that has yet to really build up our infrastructure through construction, rehabilitation and modernization,” says Mr. Ngone, “in particular with regards to our road and rail network, ports, power, water and airports – from productive areas to

distribution centers. At this point our competitiveness is limited by this lack of in-frastructure, although there is currently a major effort to improve it.”

Indeed, with the help of the private sector, the An-golan government’s recently unveiled National Net-

work of Logistic Platforms (NNLP) initiative looks to spur growth through de-veloping an integrated in-frastructure network. The government announced that it is to invest around $3.9 billion in building 44 logistics platforms, and has already taken its first steps by beginning construction in the provinces of Malan-je, Moxico, Huila, Cuando Cubango, and the dry port of Soyo. When completed, the NNLP will include five logistics hubs, 10 road and rail centers, and five air car-go centers, as well as other supporting infrastructure.

Aside from developing its infrastructure, Angola’s fast-growing banking sector has an equally essential role to play in the country’s eco-nomic growth and diversifi-cation as the country moves forward. The country’s fi-nancial sector, like its econ-

omy, has seen rapid growth in the past decade as the number of domestic banks in the country jumped from 13 in 2005 to 29 in 2014.

Government investment in infrastructure and regu-latory changes to the finan-cial system has also helped the sector expand. Most crucially, the growth has seen the expansion of bank-ing to the country’s popula-tion, including increasing access to finance for the country’s entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“The financial sector will be the center of the country’s development,” says João Júlio Fernandes, CEO of Fundo de Garantía de Crédito (FGC), the state organization set up to secure bank loans for Angolan SMEs. “That is why banks have made an enormous effort here to of-fer services that are offered anywhere in the world. The government has set up initiatives to enhance the banking sector in order to make expansion of loan op-portunities easier. No devel-opment is possible without good lending policies.”

With further regulatory improvements being made resulting in new revenue streams for financial insti-tutions, further bolstering SME growth, Mr. Fernandes says that he hopes many of Angola’s SMEs will soon be in a position to help broaden Angola’s range of exports, particularly to the United States.

“It would be very nice to see the companies that we at FGC are helping, export to the U.S.,” he says. “We know that to achieve that, we have to bring in quality and diversify. The challenge for Angola and African countries is to stop being seen as a market for exports

and rather as a source of many exports to the U.S.”

The total value of trade between the U.S. and An-gola in 2014 was $7.8 billion, making it Angola’s second largest commercial partner behind China; however, this was mainly due to U.S. oil imports. As Angola’s strate-gic relationship with the U.S. takes on greater significance as the former becomes a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2015-16, at the same time, U.S. demand for Angolan oil

will continue to fall owing to the emergence of the Ameri-can shale gas industry.

Owing to this dynamic, if Angola is to continue its healthy trading balance with the United States, eco-nomic diversification will be central to this relation-ship, as well as the very fu-ture of the country itself.

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ANGOLAFriday, April 17, 2015

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The provinces spur economic diversification

Each province has its own strategy for improving the lives of its inhabitants, which ultimately in conjunction will lead to national growth. Indeed, it is the sum of the parts that counts

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“We are now in a phase that is mainly aimed at ensuring food security. While family farming aims firsthand to ensure food for the family, expanding our entrepreneurial agriculture production in medium and large scales will increase supply to the domestic market, boost the agro-industry, reduce imports and also boost international exports”

AFOnSO PeDRO CAngA,Minister of Agriculture

“We are a country that has yet to really build up our infrastructure through construction, rehabilitation and modernization, in particular with regards to our road and rail network, ports, power, water and airports – from productive areas to distribution centers”

KiALA ngOne gABRieL,Secretary of industry

“The financial sector will be the center of the country’s development... The government has set up initiatives to enhance the banking sector in order to make expansion of loan opportunities easier. No development is possible without good lending policies”

JOãO JúLiO FeRnAnDeS,CeO of the Fundo de garantía de Crédito

4 Friday, April 17, 2015 Distributed by USA TODAYANGOLA


Revenues generat-ed from Angola’s oil and mineral resources are being used to

rebuild infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed during the civil war that ended in 2002, as well as to develop brand new ports, airports, schools, hospitals, roads, railways, and water and power networks.

With the establishment of the Malanje Corridor and the decision by the na-tional government to make Malanje Province a strate-gically placed transport, lo-gistics and industrial hub, it is one of the priority areas for infrastructure rebuild-ing and development. In the last few years, the airport and railway have reopened, new roads, schools and hos-pitals have been built, and the number of people with access to power and clean

water continues to rise. The private sector has strongly supported these efforts: companies from Angola, Brazil and China are behind the development of much of the transport infrastructure in the province, such as the refurbished railway.

Angola’s trains grinded to halt during the long-running civil war, but the reopen-ing of the Luanda-Malanje railway in 2011, after it had been out of action for 18 years, was a testament to the rebuilding process in the province and the concerted efforts of the people, the government, and the pri-vates sector to get it running again. “Because we have the railroad that can serve the neighboring provinces in-stead of going to Luanda, Malanje can easily oper-ate as a support hub for the eastern provinces,” explains Governor of Malanje Prov-ince, Norberto Fernandes Dos Santos.

A Chinese company was behind the reconstruction of the Luanda-Malanje railway, which will mark its 130th an-niversary this year. Some have been reluctant to use the line because of the long journey time (eight hours),

but the governor points out that a plan has been draft-ed to improve circulation, reduce travel time and in-crease the use of the line.

Like the Luanda-Malanje railway, Malanje airport was built during the colo-nial era, but had been put out of service due to the civil war. It was reopened a year before the railway, in December 2010, and Min-ister of Transport Augusto da Silva Tomás was on hand to cut the red ribbon on a

brand new airline facility – as was the former governor, Boaventura Cardoso, who said that the re-inaugurated airport would solve trans-portation problems and that its reopening was an “ac-complished dream for local citizens.”

Also vital to solving trans-port problems in this prov-ince is the development of the road network. The con-struction and renovation of primary, secondary and ter-tiary roads and bridges are

a priority under terms for Malanje’s development and under the Southern African Development Community’s Malanje Corridor program, which entails the rehabilita-tion of the corridor (rail and road) between Luanda and Malanje and onward to Cabi-nda Province and DR Congo. Within the province itself, the rebuilding and build-ing of roads connecting the capital city to the 16 munici-palities of the province have been ongoing since 2002.

“The roads are another of our priorities precisely because they facilitate the movement of people and goods; and, during the third stage, we want to widen the current narrow roads and turn them into highways,” says Mr. Fer-nandes Dos Santos.

Beyond transport infra-structure, social infrastruc-tures such as new schools, houses and health centers, have been constructed; and the water and power net-works have been expanded. Investment in electricity has increased capacity in the cit-ies of Malanje and Cacuso by 56% since 2012, from 16MW to 25MW; and National Ru-ral Electrification is helping to light up the rest of Malan-je, through the extension of the existing networks.

“With electricity, educa-tion, and functional roads, the province has the chance to develop more easily,” says the governor. “Only through the combined efforts of everyone can Malanje be restored and move on to-ward development in terms of water, electricity, roads, schools, hospitals and other social facilities that are es-sential to the wellbeing of our people.”

With the airport and railway reopened, and new roads being built, Malanje is on track to becoming one of Angola’s main transport, logistics and industrials hubs, as envisioned by the local and national governments

Malanje regains status as vital corridor

Thirteen years on since the end of Angola’s civil war and the country still

relies heavily on the impor-tation of agricultural prod-ucts. Angola’s oil and min-ing industries have come on strides since 2002, but agriculture has remained neglected, despite the coun-try’s rich potential, fertile soils, vast arable land and favorable climate.

For the Governor of Malanje Province, Norber-to Fernandes dos Santos, this is something difficult to accept: “Thirteen years after the war, we still have to import products that we could very well produce locally, especially here in Malanje, since our soil is naturally very fertile. In or-der to move on to the next stage of development, we must leverage our agro-industry to better cover the chain of production, which has greater impact in terms of employability than the oil or diamond industries.

“What we want is to aban-don our oil dependence by diversifying our economy, to make the country more com-petitive in terms of imported

goods, especially those that our soil can produce.”

The national government has high ambitions to devel-op an agribusiness industry so that Angola can become food self-sufficient, thus re-ducing dependence on food imports which have con-tributed to the capital Lu-anda becoming one of the most expensive cities in the world. A developed agricul-ture sector will also help to end an overdependence on oil and mining.

Central to the govern-ment’s agriculture plans is Malanje Province, once an important hub for the country’s thriving cotton and coffee industries dur-ing colonial times. Agri-culture is starting to take off here again following decades of dormancy, and numerous international in-vestors, particularly from Brazil and China, are offer-ing capital, machinery and knowledge transfer to get the industry off the ground.

“Malanje is an essen-tially agricultural province, which is why the govern-ment considered Malanje as a logistics center for the production of corn, beans, soy and cotton,” says Mr.

Fernandes Dos Santos.“The government is es-

tablishing partnerships with foreign companies to produce sugar and electric-ity this year. Our complete dependence on imported sugar will, little by little, be-come a thing of the past.”

Biocom is one of the larg-est investors in Malanje’s agriculture sector and is producing both sugar and electricity at its agro-industrial unit in Cacuso. Last year it expanded its operations to bring annual production to 18,000 tons of sugar and 3,000 cubic metres of ethanol, a bio-fuel which is a byproduct of sugar cane. The biofuel it produces is fed directly into its ethanol-propelled power station which can generate more than 120 gigawatts.

The company is helping to put Malanje on the path to food and energy self-sufficiency, and production capacity of both sugar and ethanol at its plantation will continue to grow. At a

ceremony last August to celebrate the signing of an investment contract with Angola’s National Agency for Private Investment (ANIP) worth $750 million, the Managing Director of Biocom, Carlos Henriques Mathiasthat, said that with the progress made at its sugarcane plantation, he foresees the c o m p a n y p r o d u c i n g 256,000 tons of sugar per year.

Biocom’s agro-indus-trial unit in Cacuso makes up part of the larger Capanda agro-industrial hub – the epicenter of Malanje’s agri-cultural revival, which was established in 2006 to expand a rural development model that is sustainable, economi-cally viable, environmentally smart and socially inclusive.

Spread out over the mu-nicipal areas of Cacuso, Malanje and Cangandala, the farming project covers

an area of approximately 411,000 hectares with 270,000 hectares of usable land – 256,000 hectares of which is used for rain-fed cropping, and 13,000 hect-ares is irrigated. An envi-ronmental reserve occupies 70,000 hectares, and anoth-er 10,000 hectares has been

used for social housing.Soya beans, corn, cassa-

va, sugar cane, cotton and dairy are pro-duced at the Capanda fa-cility, which

is home to the Pedras Negras,

Pungo-Andongo (run by Gesterra, the Angolan state owned agricultural enterprise) and Biocom farms, as well as the Kizen-ga agro-industrial develop-ment hub and the Malanje Food Company.

The whole project is man-aged by Sodepac (The Soci-ety for the Development of Capanda Agro-Industrial Unit) and is being run on a public-private partnership

model, with Sodepac over-seeing negotiations with the private sector.

The facility is well con-nected by road rail and air. With Malanje Airport and the Malanje-Luanda railway line nearby, it may one day serve as a thriving export hub for Angola’s ag-ricultural products, should the country’s agricultural potential eventually be fully realized in the com-ing years.

The Province of Malanje is playing a leading role in restoring Angolan agriculture to its former glory; and the Capanda agro-industrial hub is the epicenter of Malanje’s agricultural revival

norberto Fernandes Dos Santos, governor of Malanje

“We cannot continue to buy everything through imports. We already have peace and national unity, so we must produce rice, potatoes and other foodstuffs”

nORBeRTO FeRnAnDeS DOS SAnTOS,governor of Malanje

Agriculture is starting to take off here again following decades of dormancy, and numerous international investors, particularly from Brazil and China, are offering capital, machinery and knowledge transfer to get the industry off the ground

Shifting focus from oil to the soil

The reopening of the Luanda-Malanje railway in 2011, after 18 years out of action, was a testament to the province’s rebuilding


5Friday, April 17, 2015Distributed by USA TODAY ANGOLA

Earlier this year, the govern-ment of Malanje signed a memo-randum of un-

derstanding with Angola’s Ministry of Higher Educa-tion in a move that affirmed the province’s continued commitment to empower-ing youth and improving the state of education.

Under the accord, the Ministry of Higher Edu-cation will work with the provincial government to develop education initia-tives in Malanje, while the ministry will also be respon-sible for issuing guidance for the functioning of higher education institutions in the region and offering scholar-ships to local students.

In turn, the deal will see the government of Malanje province taking greater responsibility for contrib-uting to the development of higher education in the region and the country at large, in harmony with Angola’s national develop-ment plans.

“My vision for this prov-ince [is that] we must prepare the youth with good academic education and technical-vocational schools,” says the Governor of Malanje, Noberto Fer-nandes Dos Santos. Indeed the local government has already had a “strong impact in the social arena.”

Mr. Fernandes Dos Santos adds: “[Our social programs] start with education — which in reality goes hand-in-hand with fighting hunger and poverty — and we also have important programs in the areas of health, drinking wa-ter supply and school lunch distribution, because a well-fed child is essential for bet-ter education.”

The government of Malanje believes therefore that the latest developments in its cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Educa-tion will help add to the al-ready admirable progress achieved in the region’s edu-cation sector.

In the last decade, the education and teaching system in the communities of Malanje Province have

improved greatly, accord-ing to authorities. This has been down to the restor-ing of state administration in the municipalities and communes, as well as the construction and rehabili-tation of the social infra-structures spearheaded by the initiatives of Mr. Fer-

nandes Dos Santos’s pro-vincial government.

“In each neighborhood or village, we have prioritized the construction of schools, hospitals and water supply stations. Today in Malanje, education is free, up to and including higher education,” says the governor.

In conjunction with the province’s primary social fo-cus on education, the Gov-ernor says that it is some of Malanje’s other initiatives in the areas of health and wa-ter supply that are equally as important as building schools. “Children are being provided with a place to pre-

pare, learn and play. A place where they are ready to go to school,” he says.

Although much progress has been realized in the education of Malanje prov-ince, Mr. Fernandes Dos Santos says that are many more challenges ahead in finding the funding to train

young teachers and fight-ing the still relatively high levels of illiteracy.

While it was recommend-ed in 2011 that Malanje be-gan creating public-private partnerships with institu-tions in order to develop education, Mr. Fernandes Dos Santos claims that the private sector “does not have a great deal of interest in education.”

Therefore, though Malan-je will hope it can attract greater foreign investment to its education sector, the governor says that the pro-vincial government, along with the Angolan govern-ment, will continue to take main responsibility for the future of the country’s youth.

As Mr. Fernandes Dos Santos explains, taking re-sponsibility not only means investing in youth, but also listening to them. “I work a lot with our youths, because they are our future and therefore must be preserved and taken care of,” he says.

“At the highest levels of the nation, we have been ensur-

ing that openness and trans-parency by listening to the youths so that, together, we can minimize the concerns of the population. Recently, there was a meeting in Lu-anda to listen to represen-tatives of the youths from all over the country, which resulted in the national plan directed at our youth. We encouraged their participa-tion in this process.

He concludes: “There has always been a great concern with our youth in terms of education. We un-derstand that a population without education cannot understand the challenges of a modern world that is extremely demanding and competitive. We will con-tinue to invest in the train-ing of people and of our youths in particular.”

Youth, the basis to build a

sustainable futureWorking with the central government of Angola, the government of Malanje Province has prioritized investment in its education sector, not only by constructing schools and social

infrastructure, but by listening to the people who matter most – the youth

According to the governor, norberto dos Santos, Malanje offers free schooling all the way up through the tertiary level

As one of the na-tion’s most nat-urally beautiful and wonder-fully biodiverse

areas, Malanje undoubtedly holds some of Angola’s most exciting tourism potential.

The Kalundula Falls – just

85km from the city of Malan-je – is perhaps the country’s most amazing natural wonder. At approximately 400 meters wide, Kalundula is Africa’s largest set of waterfalls behind the Victoria Falls in Zambia.

While Malanje has other relatively hidden treasures in

terms of tourist attractions, such as the mysterious an-cient black rock formations of Pungo Adongo (think Stone-henge in England), and the Kangadala National Park, it is no surprise that the region’s tourism promotion strategy takes its name from its most

famous and most marketable landmark – Kalundula.

“The President of the re-public has created the Kalan-dula Development Center,” explains the Governor of Malanje, Noberto Fernandes Dos Santos. “It has the objec-tive of studying the area and

defining a master plan, not only for Kalandula, but the whole municipality.”

Angola is pinning high hopes on Malanje’s tourism potential, with the provincial government, as well as the na-tional government (given that the President himself inaugu-

rated the region’s tourism proj-ect) believing that Malanje can become one of the country’s main tourism centers.

As Luanda – the capital city of Angola – continues to enjoy a growing influx of business tourism thanks to its booming oil and real es-tate industries, it is thought that Malanje has the ability to become the focus of the coun-try’s eco-tourism offering.

Throughout Africa, the eco-tourism market is grow-ing rapidly, as many adven-turous sightseers begin to flock in increasing numbers to the continent’s unspoilt nature spots, encouraged by greater political stabil-ity, improved infrastructure and transport links and the promise of an alternative to some of the overpriced and overcrowded eco-desti-nations in more developed parts of the world.

In Malanje, aside from the obvious attraction of the stunning Kalandula Falls, the Kangadala National Park is an equally as important part of the province’s eco-tourism drive. The park is the natural habitat of the Palanca Neg-ra – a giant sable antelope which is unique to Angola, and one of the country’s most prominent national symbols.

The park – which is the home of the Lunado nature reserve – is set in dense forest and home to an abundance of different species. Apart from the famous antelope, animals regularly spotted at the park include spotted hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, monkeys, elephants, buffalo, wild boar, hippopotamus, lions, jaguars and several en-dangered birds.

Perhaps most notably for tourists is that Malanje is becoming growingly acces-sible. Major commercial air-lines are now flying to the province, while the region’s road infrastructure has also been developed and can be reached via Luanda.

Wild Malanje has vast eco-tourism potential

The tourism sector is one of the strongest sectors. it can place Malanje

in international travel guides

With attractions such as the Kalundula Falls – Africa’s second largest – and the Kangadala National Park, the stunning Malanje province looks to become Angola’s eco-tourism center

For the governor, developing the education sector goes hand-in-hand with fighting hunger and poverty



What do you think has been behind the coun-try’s positive economic progress?

First of all, I would say it was possible by having a leader such as President José Eduardo dos Santos, whose visionary strategy, intelligence, and resilience toward serving the nation has led us to these accom-plishments.

This same leader mo-bilized all possible means (such as people inside and outside the country, fi-nanciers, etc.) in order for the country to turn itself around in a very short time, even after all the vicissi-tudes of the war through which it lived.

The change here has been to such an extent that An-gola may be truly unrecog-nizable for those who have not been here in 12 years.

How is the country doing in terms of economic di-versification?

We are making significant steps in the agricultural sector, which has attrac-tive tariffs and taxes that give advantages to domes-tic products over imports, and with this we are already beginning to try to live off what we produce.

Another point of diversi-fication has to do with the construction and recon-struction of infrastructure across the entire country.

The father of the nation, Dr. António Agostinho Neto, said that agriculture had to be the base and in-dustry the deciding factor in the economic develop-ment of Angola.

Today, besides the al-ready familiar petroleum and diamonds industries, we have been able to have other types of production that support the national economy. The business class is bigger; legal condi-tions were created to facili-tate growth and the emer-gence of new businesses.

Also, the “Angola In-veste” plan was designed to strengthen the national business community.

These complementary actions of the state will en-courage greater economic diversification.

What programs are be-ing developed so that Lunda Sul can move from subsistence agriculture to a more lucrative style of agriculture?

This is the objective. Pre-viously, with the roads in poor conditions, it was impossible for trucks with merchandise and products to get around. Now, with the incentives that the state is promoting, we think it will be possible to have agriculture at the level we want. Here in the province we have around 35 agri-cultural products, each of which will receive around $500,000 in investment. Consequently, the living conditions of the popula-tion will increase.

Public-private partner-ships are becoming an important element of the agricultural development and large commercial ex-pansion planned for the province. How is Lunda Sul’s government pro-moting these?

With the support of the Na-tional Institute of Small and

Medium Enterprises (IN-APEM), the Luanda Sul gov-ernment is beginning to give some financial education and guidance in terms of incentives toward entrepre-neurship, and encouraging people to look into the pos-sibilities that the state and the national bank have made available in the province.

We have already helped some people, but we will continue with our cam-

paign so that more people can get involved, as a form of combating poverty.

Our priority is really education because it is the essential instrument for personal and social devel-opment; for us this is a fun-damental sector.

Anyone with the chance to go around the province will see that we have a large school construction pro-gram precisely to give op-portunities to children and citizens that before could not study at school.

Primary education (so that children enter school at the right age) and adult education (to help fight il-literacy) are our focuses. Our Law 13 considers the first six years of school to be mandatory, and we are trying to turn this law into a reality in Lunda Sul.

We are taking solar kits to villages for schools, health centers, community areas,

water sources, police sta-tions, multi-purpose cen-ters, etc., in order to have light at night.

Fortunately, the city of Saurimo does not lack en-ergy; we have a plant that provides the Catoca Min-ing Society and the city of Saurimo with approximate-ly 16MW. We also have a thermoelectric plant that produces 5MW. Recently we received two more gen-erators that will help add another 10MW supply for the city and its surrounding neighborhoods.

As for water, we have a central catchment system but it is already showing it-self to be insufficient, given the huge growth in Sau-rimo. We are rehabilitating the water distribution sys-tems at the municipal level as one of the pillars of the National Development Pro-gram 2013-2017.

Upon arriving at the air-port, the changes were very visible: a new air-port, new roads, street-lights with solar panels, etc. What should be the next achievements of the province?

We are going to continue to increase coverage in terms of access to water and energy, as well as access to education and health, and also improve-ments in secondary and ter-tiary roads, including the rehabilitation of the National Road [Estrada Nacional] EN 180, and the rehabilitation of EN 230, which connects Malange to Luanda Sul.

The province has its dia-mond resources at its dis-posal to contribute toward improving quality of life here; however, the most im-portant resource continues to be our people. Therefore we value the improvement of their living conditions because we understand that the support of all is impor-tant in order to develop our province.

More than 100 years have passed since the first di-amonds were mined in Angola. How has the evo-lution of diamond min-ing occurred, and how has its distribution been at the national level?

Angola as a unitary state, where there is the begin-ning of financial decon-centration, adds up all the receipts of its resources in order to contribute to the State General Budget. And it’s on that level that the most adequate possible re-distribution is done to all the provinces.

Naturally, being in this region, we have some spe-cific benefits. The Catoca

Mining Society employs a large amount of the popula-tion and, with this, we im-prove the employability of our workers, the economy of the province, and the well-being of families.

There are clearly other minerals under our soil that are still not being mined, and therefore we need to pro-mote these minerals to capa-ble and knowledgeable inves-tors who can come to Lunda Sul. On our side, we have a legal and incentive package to permit a relationship with reciprocal benefits.

What does it mean for Angola to hold the chair-manship of the Kimber-ley Process?

It is very important because there is often the tendency for other countries to be quick to say that the human rights of people are ignored when the truth is totally the opposite. Visitors can testify that the people are living normally. Of course, any country has to regulate itself by the norms and the laws which must be obeyed by all. Overall, thanks to this chairmanship, Angola can truly show the real face of what happens here with respect to diamonds and make its contribution to diamond politics.

Currently Angola has been more than reputa-ble and mature in terms of the politics of socio-economic development. How would you describe the role of Angola on a regional and global level?

Once more we are able to take a leadership role, thanks to the important role of the na-tion’s leader who was able to find the best way to ending the war.

As to our political experi-ence, I think it was unprec-edented in the world because we had mediators, MONUA and UNAVEN 1 and 2, all here and nothing came of it all.

We came to the conclusion that the problem was ours and we had to solve it ourselves, and so that is what we did.

Today, we have influenced many countries that have come to learn from our expe-rience.

We have also assumed the presidency of the Gulf of Guinea, and all this has come from the suitability we have demonstrated.

This year sees the 22nd an-niversary of diplomatic relations between Angola and the U.S. Now there are U.S. companies venturing into sectors other than oil and banking. How do you see the development of these relations?

Relations between the two countries have evolved posi-tively. Thanks to peace, we have been able to have the am-bassadors from the U.S. visit us here in Saurimo, which was unthinkable before.

We hope that U.S. com-panies feel incentivized to invest in our province, which has many min-eral and water resources, much arable land, and all the conditions to promote agriculture and its sub-sequent industrialization and exportation to the United States.

Long serving Governor putting Lunda Sul on the map as a leading Angolan province and investment opportunity

Governor Cândida Narciso’s remarkable implementation of her development road map is creating change in the province today

The father of the nation, Dr. António Agostinho Neto, said that agriculture had to be the base and industry the deciding factor in the country’s economic development

Cândida Narciso, Governor of Lunda Sul

With the support of the National Institute of Small and Medium Enterprises (INAPEM), the Luanda Sul government is beginning to give some financial education and guidance in terms of incentives toward entrepreneurship, and encouraging people to look into the possibilities that the state and the national bank have made available in the province

The diamond-rich province already benefits from high local employment at the Catoca Mining Society and the revenues it generates, but its soils are steeped in other as yet untapped minerals that would be of interest to international partners in the industry

Lunda Sul is making significant steps in the agricultural sector, which has attractive tariffs and taxes that give advantages to domestic products over imports, and with this local people are already beginning to try to live off what the province produces



Following a steady and sustainable period of growth and transforma-tion, Angola is now

squarely on its feet. GDP is climbing, increased domes-tic production is making the country less reliant on im-ports, budding new business are helping to diversify the local economy, and this is all evident in the eastern prov-ince of Lunda Sul.

Bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lunda Sul is roughly the size of South Carolina and has a population of half a million, made up of a rich network of ethnicities, including Cok-we, Lunda, Minungo, Xinge, and Bangala. The province’s main economic motors are agro-livestock, fishing and mining, with an emphasis on the mining of diamonds, as well as the extraction of manganese and iron.

As part of the Angolan government’s set of national development policies, all three of these sectors are re-ceiving attention, and mea-sures are being enacted to ensure their healthy growth in the future. In an attempt to bolster economic activity in the agro-livestock sector, for instance, the provincial gov-ernment has been making ef-forts to push for the restock-ing of quality cattle.

An agricultural experimen-tal station has also been put in place to test the soil from dif-ferent parts of the region and to identify its most produc-tive crops. At present, how-ever, subsistence agriculture is most common in the prov-ince, with cassava, maize, rice, ground nuts, sweet potatoes, yams, and fruit – pineapple, in particular – being among its main crops.

Since the consumption of fish is an integral part of the local population’s diet, steps are also being taken to mod-ernize the fishing sector, in a bid to more efficiently satisfy market demand.

In parallel, the central government has invested Kz15.2 million ($141,500) in three structural projects slated for construction in the province of Lunda Sul. Two of the projects concern the construction and reconstruc-tion of airport infrastructure in the province’s capital of Saurimo. The third project is the rehabilitation of the provincial hospital. At pres-ent, all of these projects are

still underway, and Ameri-can companies interested in investing funds, expertise, or equipment into any of the three projects are encour-aged to contact the office for Commercial Representa-tion of Angola in the United States of America, located in Washington, D.C.

Combating hunger and creating jobs through ag-ricultureThe Angolan Minister of Agriculture and Rural De-

velopment, Afonso Pedro Canga, is on board with sev-eral plans for reinvigorating the agricultural output of Lunda Sul. Of the upmost priority, however, is engag-ing as many families as pos-sible in the production of crops that will not only en-sure their nutritional secu-rity, but also provide them with steady jobs.

Following the 2012/2013 agricultural campaign that en-gaged 49,000 families in Luan-da Sul, Mr. Canga announced that the 2014/2105 campaign aims to prepare more than 8,600 acres of land for the cul-tivation of cereals, vegetables and horticultural products. An additional 50,000 families will be engaged, and 20 tons of corn, 30 tons of beans, and 10 tons of rice will be distrib-uted to rural communities across all municipalities of the province.

Mr. Canga is also quick to point out that agricultural production grew by 12% be-tween 2013 and 2014, and that the production of cereals has reached an all-time high of 1.82 million tons. Egg pro-duction was also on the rise, with an estimated 23.5 mil-lion eggs produced in 2014, as opposed to 17 million dur-ing the previous year. The

minister believes that this growth is due to strong in-vestments being made in the sector, which he pledges to continue to support in vari-ous ways.

Plans to construct silos in different localities of the country have already been announced, as has a move to facilitate cotton production. In addition to providing new business op-portunities for farmers, the homegrown production of cotton will also provide a

corollary boost for the tex-tile industry.

At a recent press confer-ence in the capital of Sau-rimo, Mr. Canga reaffirmed that engaging entire families in agricultural projects is the most effective way to combat hunger and poverty, as well as to stimulate the development process in the rural areas of Luanda Sul.

The luster of Angola’s dia-mond industry Last year, 8.75 million carats of Angolan diamonds went to export, and were valued at $1.308 billion. The crown jewel of this thriving industry is none other than Catoca, an Angolan diamond prospect-ing, exploration, recovery and sales company, owned jointly by the Angolan diamond company Endiama, as well as Alrosa (Russia) LLV (China), and Odebrecht (Brazil).

Responsible for mining more than 75% of the coun-try’s diamonds, among many of its projects, the company explores the Catoca kim-berlite mine in Lunda Sul, which is the fourth largest open pit kimberlite mine in

the world. In addition to the Catoca mine, the govern-ment of Angola has recently approved rights for artisanal diamond mining, which in-cludes an area of 118 square miles between the provinces of Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul. In accordance with the Mining Code and Private Investment Law, these two artisanal diamond conces-sions will allow the use of semi-industrial equipment.

Big changes on the mining horizon Two significant changes have recently taken place, which have the potential to make a significant impact on the Angolan mining in-dustry. First, after a 20-year term, the Director-General of Sociedade Mineira de Catoca, Dr. José Ganga Ju-nior, has been replaced by Sergei Mitiukhin, a Rus-sian citizen. According to the Angolan news agency Angop, Mr. Mitiukhin is expected to serve a term of four years and will have two Angolan deputy directors. He holds a degree in Earth Sciences, and was previ-ously the Director of Op-erations for Africa for the Russian diamond company Alrosa, which is a Catoca shareholder.

Secondly, an exciting new National Geology Plan, also known as “Planageo” has been instituted in an attempt to increase awareness of the geological and mining po-tential of Angola. At a recent press conference, the Provin-cial Director for Geology and Mining in Lunda Sul, Gildo Carlos Massua, explained that the project aims to help identify areas with possible mining occurrences in four Angolan provinces, including Lunda Sul.

He reported that the proj-

ect was advancing nicely, with aerial surveys being conducted from overfly-ing aircraft that are helping hone in on the areas with the strongest mining potential. Though still in its early phas-es, Mr. Massua explained that the information collected as part of Planageo could be used to entice and inform po-tential investors in the region, as well as to conduct rational and sustainable exploration of minerals. Planageo also in-cludes various sub-programs, among which are plans to re-structure and modernize the Angolan Geological Institute (IGEO) through training and the diversification of mining production.

A much needed push for economic diversificationIn addition to agriculture and diamonds, the province of Lunda Sul is blessed with abundant hydropower, ara-ble land and marine resourc-es that must also be tapped into so as to more thorough-ly foster the development and prosperity of the re-gion. Following the fall of oil prices on the international market, especially, the Gov-ernor of Lunda Sul, Cândida Narciso, recently expressed the need “to be committed to working on the diversifi-cation of the economy, espe-cially in the agricultural and mining sectors.”

According to Ms. Narciso, putting an emphasis on sec-tors that will improve the living conditions of the pop-ulation are the local govern-ment’s top priorities for 2015. This includes focusing on development in the realms of education, health and sports through the construction of more social infrastructure, as well as adequately train-ing new staff to operate these new community assets.

While works are well un-derway, for example, to build provincial and municipal maternal and infant hospitals near Saurimo, other non-tangible issues are also beign addressed. In mid-March, the Lunda Sul Department of Social Welfare held the first ever forum on the protection of the elderly.

Plans are also being made to improve roads and expand access to primary education, information technology and communications.

As part of the national $5 billion “Water for All” project, in March this year Ms. Narci-so unveiled a new water col-lection and distribution sys-tem in the town of Carteira. “The water supply, distribu-tion and treatment system,” she highlighted at the event, “will reduce diseases caused by untreated water consump-tion, as well as shorten the distance that people have to walk to the precious liquid.”

Earlier this year in Sau-rimo, Minister of Energy and Water João Baptista Borges had inaugurated a regional laboratory to test water quali-ty to ensure that the water in-frastructure being developed under the “Water for All” program is up to standard.

As a reminder of how far Angola has come, yet how far it still has to go, Ms. Narciso and a small group of local government officials recently assembled to commemorate the anniversary of the 1961 uprising which marked the beginning of Angola’s armed struggle for liberation.

In an act of remembrance, they gathered to lay the first stones of a historical monu-ment being constructed in honor of those who fought and lost their lives in An-gola’s 14-year war for inde-pendence. Once complete, the monument will be a stoic symbol of the challenges that have characterized An-gola’s difficult past, as well as proof that with vision, unity and perseverance, even the most daunting of setbacks can be overcome.

Agriculture complements mining in Lunda Sul’s economy

The economically diversified province is further boosting key sectors to bring about more employment and increased economic prosperity

“The water supply, distribution and treatment system will reduce diseases caused by untreated water consumption, as well as shorten the distance that people have to walk to the precious liquid”

CâNDiDA NArCiSO,Governor of Lunda Sul

Following the 2012/2013 agricultural campaign that engaged 49,000 families in Luanda Sul, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Afonso Pedro Canga, announced that the 2014/2105 campaign aims to prepare more than 8,600 acres of land for the cultivation of cereals, vegetables and horticultural products

The provincial government is working to rehabilitate the roads destroyed during the civil war

Kimberlite diamond, manganese and iron are some of Lunda Sul’s most prolific minerals

The province’s Deolinda rodrigues Airport was modernized two years ago

Agriculture is becoming increasingly industrialized in the province, while construction at the Port of Amboim is creating a new international trade center onAngola’s central coast, strategically located between Lobito and Luanda

Friday, April 17, 2015 Distributed by USA TODAY ANGOLA12

Cuanza Sul outlinesagroindustrial and productive

business development

The coastal prov-inceof Cuanza Sul (also known as Kwanza Sul), which is roughly

the size of El Salvador, is home to a population of just under 2 million people who primarily make their living through agriculture. Indeed, regionally Cuanza Sul has tra-ditionally been known for its production of coffee, cotton, fruit, rice and tobacco.Yet while the province also has two major fish processing cen-ters – Sumbe and Amboim – and large eluvial and alluvial diamond deposits, the civil war had a devastating impact on the area. Crops were destroyed and families were displaced, leav-ing people without a home or a means to a livelihood.“Kwanza Sul has been advanc-ing through programs that im-prove sectors such as health, education, energy and water,” highlights Governor Eusebio de Brito Teixeira. “We have local programs to fight famine and poverty, topromote housing, to provide water for everyone and to build infrastructures.“In addition, we have devel-opment hubs in Porto Am-boim and the development corridor for agriculture and a cattle breading in Cela re-gion,” he adds.Expo Cuanza Sul unites 120 exhibitors, includ-ing AgrolíderOne of the capstone events that symbolize the province’s, and Angola’s, commitment to modernizing its economy and welcoming the participation of foreign business partners was the Expo Cuanza Sul that took place in Waku- Kungo in September 2014.

With the motto “Cuanza Sul on the path to agroindustrial and productive business de-velopment”, the fair brought to-gether more than 120 local and international exhibitors. Econ-omy Minister Abraão Gourgel inaugurated the event, which was aimed at relaunching and boosting the local economy through strategic business part-nerships and investments.

Reuniting players from places as diverse as South Af-rica, Argentina, France, Brazil and Namibia, the exhibition comprised both large and small companies from the do-mains of agriculture, fishing, stockbreeding, education, the hotel and tourism industries, transport, telecommunica-tions and pharmaceuticals.

Among the most recogniz-able Angolan brands at the expo was Agrolíder, which produces more than 50,000 tons of horticultural products

a year in addition to breeding various types of cattle. Part of the massive Grupo Líder con-glomerate, Agrolíder began operations in 1990 and has since earned a solid reputa-tion as one of Angola’s top producers of vegetables.

It operates several farms in Angola, particularly around Caxito (Bengo province) and Kibala, Cuanza Sul. The com-pany not only specializes in potato production (with an output in excess of 20,000 tons of potatoes per year), but also tomatoes, onions, carrots, cu-cumbers, pepper and corn. Most of what it produces is sold to the nation’s capital, Lu-anda, where it is then redistrib-uted to the provinces.

In addition to launching its production of tilapia in 2015, Agrolíder plans to begin export-ing its products, and the first country on its list is the Demo-cratic Republic of Congo.

Plans are also currently in the works for the company to unveil its first agro-industrial unit in Luanda, which will make use of its wide range of products and broaden its of-ferings by processing goods like chips, pickles, dried fruits and jams. However, João Macedo, Manager of Gru-políder, made it very clear that the goods produced were intended primarily for the do-mestic market, and that only once Angola’s needs were met, would export be considered.

Following Expo Cuanza Sul,

Mr. Macedo told the Voz da América radio broadcaster that the fair was just the start of many other agricultural and livestock projects planned for the region. It was a sentiment that was echoed by the governor, as Mr. de Brito promised that regard-less of size, any company ex-

pressing an interest in working in the region would be warmly welcomed and duly supported.

On a more local scale, in March 2015 Vice-Governor for Economic Affairs Dr. Franklim Fortunato e Silva announced that at least 6,000 acres of ar-able lands were being prepared for the Seles municipality, in central Cuanza Sul. These lands will be made available to approximately 1,200 small-scale provincial farmers.

Likewise, in the neighboring municipalities of Conda, and particularly in the Jombe vil-lage, nearly 500 families have recently begun to benefit from land plots in an effort to fight hunger and poverty. Bean and corn seeds will be provided by the government to kickstart the

project, which has already been given an auspicious start fol-lowing abundant rainfall.

Coffee crops are another area where significant prog-ress can be made to regain the glory of pre-war times. In 2014, just 12,000 tons of coffee were produced – less than 10% of production levels during the colonial period. The provinces of Cuanza Sul and Uíge were among those most heavily af-fected by the war, but have

since partially recovered and together are responsible for around 77% of the country’s coffee production.

Booming fishing industry and dried fish productionCuanza Sul’s districts of Sumbe and Porto Amboim have seen their production of dried fish increase from 935 tons in 2013, to over 3,000 tons this year. The gov-ernment is making special efforts to help female pro-cessors increase their partici-pation in the industry. These efforts include providing ac-cess to micro-credit estimat-ed at 100,000 kwanzas ($930) per person, and promoting capacity building activities.

In addition to fish drying, the rate of fish catching has also increased dramatically in Cu-anza Sul, with over 17,000 tons caught in 2014, representing an increase of nearly 1,500 tons as compared to the previous year. Sardines were the most fre-quently caught variety of fish, followed by mackerel, marion-ga, cachucho and shrimp.

Porto do Amboim, a gate-way to increased trade In ad-dition to being one of Angola’s top fishing areas, Porto Amboim is currently in the process of be-coming a promising import/ex-port hub for Angola. The goal is to create a port facility with low operating costs and a modern logistics system supported by an information system that stream-lines the process of receiving

ships and merchandise. There will be an important emphasis on security, and on ensuring that the facilities service players from both the private and public sectors. Keeping prices reason-able and ensuring that the ser-vices are easily adaptable to the varying needs of clients are also top priorities.

Directly or indirectly, the provinces of Cuanza Sul, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malange and Huambo will benefit from the Amboim port. This potential hub will be equipped with mul-tipurpose terminals that can accommodate bulk cargo, gen-eral cargo, containers, fuel, bulk solids, as well as agrolivestock products including manure, fertilizers and cattle.

Bernarda Martins, the Min-ister of Industry, has also an-nounced that construction of an industrial complex has begun 15 miles north of the city of Porto Amboim. It will have green space to foster the growth of plants and agricul-ture, as well as areas dedicated to trade and services, manage-ment and technical support, and trade. The location of the industrial complex is consid-ered ideal thanks to its proxim-ity to essential resources such as energy and water, as well as its access to good roads. It will allow companies to receive and expand their production within the Lobito corridor, in Luanda and beyond.

Economic diversification and reducing oil dependenceAlso located in Kwanza Sul is the secret sauce of the Angolan oil market: the Na-tional Institute of Petroleum (INP). Founded in 1983 and operating directly under the supervision of the ministries of petroleum and education, the INP supplies more than 10% of oil market’s need for skilled labor. Many of the top managers in the field are graduates of the institute.

As essential as oil is to the nation, in a bid to further di-versify the economy and make it less dependent on petrodol-lars, the recovery of the local textile industry is also high on the agenda of the Ministry of Agriculture. A major part of its strategy involves boosting the production of cotton. A new area of 183,000 acres – partly financed by South Korea – has been planned for Cuanza Sul, the former nucleus of Ango-lan cotton production in pre-war times. The goal is to pro-duce 100,000 tons of cotton per year thanks to these extra lands – 40% to be produced by small farmers and the rest from large plantations.

From fighters to farmers: Aldeia Nova provides a lifeline for new beginnings

Carried out in coopera-tion with the Angolan gov-ernment, the

Aldeia Nova project aims to help ease the social re-integration of ex-fighters from both sides of the An-golan civil war by provid-ing them with a peaceful and sustainable means to earn a livelihood.

The two main produc-tion areas of the project are eggs and milk, and 15 sites are currently being

used. For eggs, for exam-ple, farmers are provided with everything they need (chickens, feed, supplies) and once the eggs are ready, the Aldeia Nova corporation purchases the eggs from the farm-ers. For milk, the process is very similar, except that there is also a processing factory where the milk is transformed into yoghurt, butter, cheese, and other dairy products.

Now with a stock of more than 400,000 birds, the Al-

deia Nova project has been growing tremendously. As of 2013, its beneficiaries (again, mainly former sol-diers) had already been re-ceiving a monthly income of over 120,000 kwanzas ($1,115). Although the Al-deia Nova project is still required to import some its bird feed to ensure its smooth operation, that will soon no longer be the case thanks to soaring internal agricultural production. Through its agricultural arm, the Aldeia Nova proj-

ect is producing soy and corn over an area of nearly 3,100 acres, which is help-ing to greatly decrease its reliance on grain imports.

In parallel, delivering on its promise to assist in the development of nonoil re-lated sectors, Aldeia Nova is also working with the government to maintain, build and fix several in-frastructure projects, in-cluding bridges and roads which will greatly facilitate the production and trade of its agricultural products

Following the devastating effects of war, the province of Cuanza Sul is helping its people get back on theirfeet by pioneering innovative new farming projects, among which the Aldeia Nova project – which literallytranslates as “new farm” – is the most important

“From the geostrategic viewpoint this province is well-situated and Porto Amboim is regarded within an international framework because of the important construction works being carriedout there”

EUSEbiO DE briTO TEixEirA, Governor of Cuanza Sul



The changing face of Huíla Province

With fertile soils, a favorable climate, and large-scale projects to improve irrigation, Huíla is at the heart of Angola’s agricultural revival. Investments in ports, roads, schools and clinics also form a vital part of the provincial government’s transformation agenda

In southwestern An-gola lies the province of Huíla, which boasts some of the most beautiful landscapes

in the country. It serves as a natural setting for agricul-ture and cattle ranching, two of the main industries the province is developing as the basis for sustainable growth.

“The province of Huíla has great potential for agricul-ture, industry and tourism,” says Governor João Mar-celino Typinge. “Developing these areas will help address job creation and help solve the problems of hunger by providing food reserves for the whole country.”

Huíla’s fertile soil and cli-mate ranges make it ideal for growing, and farmers produce a wide variety of crops including strawberries, potato, cotton, grains and wheat. Cereal production in the municipality of Chicom-ba exceeded expectations achieving record quantities earlier this year. The harvest produced surplus quantities of maize, millet, sorghum, soy, and sweet potatoes.

“We have good arable land,” remarks Mr. Typinge. “What we need is the sup-port of advanced agricultural techniques in order to solve one of the great evils (hun-ger) that still plagues our country and reduce the need for imports.”

But because the lack of rain in some areas has in-hibited agricultural devel-opment, the government has launched a dam project that will help replenish wa-ter reserves.

The multi-million dollar project announced in Sep-tember 2014 will support the construction of three hy-draulic dams in the munici-palities of Gambos, Chibia and Lubango, areas particu-larly hard hit by drought.

“People complain a lot about the lack of water, but the little rain that falls is wasted,” says Mr. Typinge. “The dams will retain water and offer a definitive solu-tion to the problem.”

The governor goes on to say that improving water supply to the province’s 3 million inhabitants is a criti-cal component of its pro-gram for sustainable growth. Outdated systems inherited from the colonial era and the lack of maintenance due to conflict have left urban ar-eas in dire need of adequate water and sanitation. The Lubango Water program is aimed at ensuring water de-livery to urban and periph-eral areas, by restoring and extending pipelines, creating a home delivery network, installing water meters, and constructing reservoirs. The plan is expected to improve

water delivery to 80% of Huí-la’s rural areas by 2017.

Additional public works aimed at supporting the re-gion include the newly con-structed mini hydroelectric Gangelas Dam located in Chibia. The plant has a ca-pacity to produce 1.2 mega-watts of power and con-sumes 6.5 cubic meters of water per second, relying on the force of the river flow to drive its turbines.

The hydroelectric plant will serve the energy needs of more than 200,000 residents, mainly farmers, in the area.

Entrepreneurs will also see improved access to domestic markets with the rehabilita-tion of the Namibe Port, in the neighboring province of Namibe.

Businessmen have long complained of the port’s crumbling infrastructure. Fortunately, in recent years the port has been undergo-ing renovation and modern-ization. The improvements have helped to expedite the

import and export of goods in the region.

Animal husbandryFarming and cattle ranching are critical to the country’s overall economic strategy of reducing poverty and di-versifying its economy to make it less sensitive to fluc-tuations in the price of oil, which is still the mainstay of the national economy.

The Southern Angolan Cattle Breeders Coopera-tive was founded in 2004 to develop the livestock indus-try by providing technical assistance and administra-tive support to the region’s ranchers. Vaccination pro-grams and new government regulations to improve safety and standards in the indus-try will help expand beef production and reduce the country’s dependence on pricey imports.

“Huíla has been hold-ing livestock fairs for many years, long before it won its independence,” says Mr. Typinge. “After it gained in-dependence it continued the tradition of breeding traditional and pedigree livestock. We believe we can one day produce meat for the whole country.”

Huíla province is fast be-coming a national livestock hub, yet Mr. Typinge says more work is required before inroads can be made into in-ternational markets.

“We have signed an agree-ment with the National In-stitute of Italy for technical assistance and animal vac-cination precisely, so that we can start treating our ani-mals with the best possible techniques,” he explains. “Unfortunately we are still considered an ‘endemic’ area, this means that the for-eign community still does not believe in the quality of our cattle. And this is the reason why we are fighting to eliminate the main livestock diseases so that our meat can be exported.”

Still the industry is grow-

ing at a brisk pace with tanneries, mills and sau-sage-making businesses sprouting up to comple-ment livestock production.

“Our population has al-ways raised cattle in the tra-ditional way but a more mod-ern sector is also beginning to arise in territories with large farms throughout the province,” adds the governor.

The federal government is also taking proactive steps to stimulate the industry by making it easier to pro-cure commercial licenses for butchers. The aim is to en-courage businesses in the cit-ies to open fresh meat and fish markets, thereby increasing demand for beef products.

Social and road infrastructure projects on the riseTo keep pace with the grow-ing economy, social initia-tives to improve the quality of health care and education for the province’s 3 million resi-dents are being implemented.

The province allocated $400,000 in funding to build five new schools in the capital city of Lubango last year. Each school will house six classrooms, and are ex-pected to serve up to 2,100 students. The schools will include administrative of-

fices, a canteen and storage. “We are investing in ev-

ery level of education: pri-mary, secondary, technical vocational, and higher edu-cation,” says Mr. Typinge. “In the health field we are investing heavily in health centers in district hospitals and we have managed to ex-pand the network in almost all municipalities.”

Mr. Typinge recently oversaw the construc-tion of a 100-bed medical center in the municipal-ity of Caluquembe, and an-nounced a partnership with Cuba in staffing the facility with personnel who will also assist in training local staff.

The Mandume Ya Ndem-ufayo University in Lubango will see its first class of medi-cal students graduate this year as part of an ongoing ef-fort to provide better access to health care in Huíla.

Meanwhile, the Polytech-nic Independent Institute has been in operation for three years and has been of-fering a variety of curricu-lums, including construction and engineering courses to better train students to meet the skill demands of the country’s emerging economy and reduce its dependence on foreign workers.

In a recent speech to a

class of 102 graduates with degrees in areas ranging from nursing and psychology to civil engineering and the environment, Mr. Typinge highlighted the province’s diversity and commitment to unity in working toward regional and national goals.

“We, the Huílanos, we have a rich tradition of being pro-moters of peace and recon-ciliation. We are a welcom-ing people and as workers do so with rolled-up sleeves, committed in a selfless man-ner to the transformation of our province,” he said.

“The Huíla province with a diversity of linguistics, races, and cultures should be pre-served and valued. The secret of our victory is the reconcili-ation of unity in diversity and lies in the respect and appre-ciation of difference.”

Nearly three decades of civil war has left the coun-try’s road network battered and badly in need of repair and replacement. About $3 million in federal funds are dedicated to various road projects in Huíla, as part of a countrywide road construc-tion project to link the prov-inces through national and inter-municipal roads with a view toward boosting the social and economic devel-opment of the communities.

On and off the beaten path

With improved access, lead-ers are eager to tap into the prov-

ince’s tourism potential. The natural beauty of its rivers, parks and waterfalls make for star attractions, but tour-ism has been virtually non-existent and travel warnings regarding security have not been encouraging.

The civil war also had a catastrophic effect on the country’s wildlife. Thousands of animals used to roam the country’s national parks but over time they fell prey to landmines, ivory poachers and big game hunters.

Huíla hopes that will change with an investment

of $1 million to initiate ecotourism in the Bicuar National Park, which cov-ers an area more than 3,000 square miles. A plan to build 55 bungalows grouped to form six mini villages in different sec-tions of the park will offer tourists a unique opportu-nity to experience observe the park’s diverse wildlife and flora.

The Bicuar National Park was initially established as a hunting reserve in 1938 and elevated to national park status in 1964.

“The province has huge tourism potential,” says Mr. Typinge, quickly rattling off a litany of scenic loca-tions. “We have important

sites such as Leba, Tunda Vala, Cristo Rei, Senhora do Monte, Waterfalls of Huíla, the Bicuashe National Park, that has seen the return of the animals during the war.

The Serra da Leba moun-tain pass is one of the pic-ture postcard sites that is a must see for visitors. Lo-cated about 20 miles from the capital city of Lubango, Serra de Leba is famous for its altitude, beauty and sharply winding road to the summit. Its zigzag pattern resembles a serpent snaking up the mountain range.

Legend has it that the Serra da Leba pass is named after a Portuguese woman who designed and built the road, then died

on the very day the project was finished. The legend may have been born due to its notoriety. The road de-spite its precipitous ascent offers little guard rail pro-tection and has been the venue of many road fatali-

ties; earning the nickname ‘the beautiful precipice’.

The road is difficult to navigate and especially dangerous in wet or dark weather, but this breath-taking mountain road built in the 1970s, spirals down from the ‘plano alto’ (high plateau) elevation of 6,000 feet to almost sea level in just over 6 miles; literally trans versing three or four different climate zones dur-ing any ascent or descent,

Huíla has plenty to of-fer visitors, in addition to parks and wildlife the city of Lubango has some beau-tiful cathedrals and his-torical structures. Among some of the offerings the Mission Church of Huíla

built in 1880, the old Gov-ernment House built in 1887, and the Caconda For-tress, built in 1682.

After decades of turmoil, Governor Typinge says he would like to show the world what Huíla, Angola embodies today.

“The internal conflict which we lived gave us a lot of experience in solv-ing internal problems,” he said. “We have proved in practice that the best way to resolve internal conflicts is through peaceful means; adding synergies and pro-moting reconciliation be-cause we believe we have much to convey to those countries that are experi-encing similar situations.”

The Serra da Leba mountain pass is one of the picture postcard sites that is a must see for visitors. Located about 20 miles from the capital city of Lubango, Serra de Leba is famous for its altitude, beauty and sharply winding road to the summit

“We have good arable land. What we need is the support of advanced agricultural techniques in order to solve one of the great evils (hunger) that still plagues our country and reduce the need for imports”

JOãO MArCELiNO TYpiNGE,Governor of Huíla

Huíla Province has plenty to offer visitors, from stunning natural parks and the legendary Serra da Leba mountain pass, to the colonial architecture of Lubango City

One of Angola’s most stunning sights is the Serra da Leba road that serpentines up the mountain range of the same name in Huíla

Huíla’s capital, Lubango, was settled by the portuguese in the 1880’s to serve colonists from the Madeira islands

economic diversification · the government’s plan is to revitalize agriculture, not only...

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