universo23

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ISSUE 23 – A

UTU

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2009

Universo

INSIDE:oil and gas news

AUTUMN 2009

Crop readyThe boom in

Angolanfarming

Catch ofthe day

Fishing onthe Kwanza

Joyof textsHow mobile phones are changing Africa

SU23-cover:Layout 1 10/8/09 18:07

AUTUMN 2009 3

CONTENTS

Sonangol News

2 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Universo is the international magazine of Sonangol

Board MembersManuel Vicente (President),

Anabela Fonseca, Mateus de Brito, Fernando Roberto, Francisco de Lemos

Sonangol Department for Communication & Image

DirectorJoão Rosa Santos

Corporate Communications Assistants

Nadiejda Santos, Lúcio Santos, Cristina Novaes, José Mota,

Beatriz Silva, Paula Almeida, Sandra Teixeira, Marta Sousa

Publisher Sheila O’Callaghan

EditorAlex Bellos

Art DirectorDavid Gould

Sub EditorRon Gribble

Advertising DesignBernd Wojtczack

Circulation ManagerMatthew Alexander

Project ConsultantsNathalie MacCarthyMauro Perillo

Group PresidentJohn Charles Gasser

Universo is produced by Impact Media Custom Publishing. The views expressed inthe publication are not necessarily those ofSonangol or the publishers. Reproduction inwhole or in part without prior permission isprohibited.

This magazine is distributed to a closed circulation. To receive a free copy: [email protected]

Circulation: 17,000

53 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4HSTel + 44 20 7812 6400Fax +44 20 7812 [email protected]

Cover: Kamene M Traça

4 National content inAngola

5 Readers’ letters

6 Angola news briefingPresident dos Santos attends the G8 summit in Italy; Angola’sstock market to open soon; Portuguese coach to run national football team; Russianpresident visits Angola; Trienalde Luanda art event to take place next year; new airline fordomestic flights staffed by British Airways pilots

7 Figured outA snapshot of Angola in numbers

A SPECIAL REPORT ONAGRICULTURE IN ANGOLA

8 Green shootsA ten-page feature about the state offarming in Angola and governmentplans to become self-sufficient in food by 2012. Millions of dollars arebeing invested in the agricultural sector by the Angolan government, aswell as by the US, China and Israel.Angola’s climate, rainfall and soil givesit excellent potential for crops includ-ing potatoes, maize and pineapples

14 Coffee: a special brewThe aromatic beans are making acomeback

16 Bananas: the yellow roadPlantation plans

18 Upwardly mobileHow the mobile phone industry isbooming in Angola, and how newcommunications technology ishelping Africa

24 Origin of the speciesThe San – or bushmen – of Angolaare the focus of an amazing study of genetic data

28 Click cliqueA film project on the San by Namibian Richard Pakleppa

30 Gotcha!Angola is a paradise for sports fisherman looking to catch hugefish such as tarpon, dorado, Atlantic threadfin, Crevalle jack, sailfin and blue marlin

36 Sonangol news briefing

38 Order and progressAn interview with Vicente Inácio, QHSE manager

42 Lab fabA peek at Sonangol’s new laboratory

44 Top of the leagueSonangol is sponsoring Super-league Formula, a new sportmixing cars and football

50 The Big PictureAngola’s rivers

306

24

18

Letter from the editor

Way before Angola was known asa country rich in hydrocarbons,it was known for its fertile arable

land and lush climate. It is remarkable tothink that Angola used to be the fourthbiggest producer of coffee in the world,with the areas around Kwanza Sul espe-cially productive. However, farming wasdifficult during the civil war.

Now there is peace, the agriculturalsector is growing fast. In this issue we havea special report on the government’s plansto become self-sufficient by 2012. Angolaneeds to diversify from its reliance onpetrol and diamonds to avoid being so vulnerable to fluctuations in the interna-tional commodities markets.

Another natural resource is fish. Angolan waters have lots of fish. Big fish.The country has great potential as a touristdestination for attracting sports fisherman– and, as we report, is already catching theeye of international anglers who comehere for the threadfin, dorado and tarpon.

Meanwhile, Sonangol is pushingahead on many fronts. It recently an-nounced a sponsorship deal for a new typeof motor racing called Superleague For-mula, which means its logo will be seen bysports fans around the world. On a domes-tic note, a state-of-the-art laboratory hasopened in Luanda. And as Angola’s presi-dency of Opec heads into the second halfof its one-year term, the price of a barrel ofoil is back to a respectable level. Across theboard, the view looks good.

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SU23.contents.pp2-3:SU23 10/8/09 19:07

AUTUMN 2009 3

CONTENTS

Sonangol News

2 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Universo is the international magazine of Sonangol

Board MembersManuel Vicente (President),

Anabela Fonseca, Mateus de Brito, Fernando Roberto, Francisco de Lemos

Sonangol Department for Communication & Image

DirectorJoão Rosa Santos

Corporate Communications Assistants

Nadiejda Santos, Lúcio Santos, Cristina Novaes, José Mota,

Beatriz Silva, Paula Almeida, Sandra Teixeira, Marta Sousa

Publisher Sheila O’Callaghan

EditorAlex Bellos

Art DirectorDavid Gould

Sub EditorRon Gribble

Advertising DesignBernd Wojtczack

Circulation ManagerMatthew Alexander

Project ConsultantsNathalie MacCarthyMauro Perillo

Group PresidentJohn Charles Gasser

Universo is produced by Impact Media Custom Publishing. The views expressed inthe publication are not necessarily those ofSonangol or the publishers. Reproduction inwhole or in part without prior permission isprohibited.

This magazine is distributed to a closed circulation. To receive a free copy: [email protected]

Circulation: 17,000

53 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4HSTel + 44 20 7812 6400Fax +44 20 7812 [email protected]

Cover: Kamene M Traça

4 National content inAngola

5 Readers’ letters

6 Angola news briefingPresident dos Santos attends the G8 summit in Italy; Angola’sstock market to open soon; Portuguese coach to run national football team; Russianpresident visits Angola; Trienalde Luanda art event to take place next year; new airline fordomestic flights staffed by British Airways pilots

7 Figured outA snapshot of Angola in numbers

A SPECIAL REPORT ONAGRICULTURE IN ANGOLA

8 Green shootsA ten-page feature about the state offarming in Angola and governmentplans to become self-sufficient in food by 2012. Millions of dollars arebeing invested in the agricultural sector by the Angolan government, aswell as by the US, China and Israel.Angola’s climate, rainfall and soil givesit excellent potential for crops includ-ing potatoes, maize and pineapples

14 Coffee: a special brewThe aromatic beans are making acomeback

16 Bananas: the yellow roadPlantation plans

18 Upwardly mobileHow the mobile phone industry isbooming in Angola, and how newcommunications technology ishelping Africa

24 Origin of the speciesThe San – or bushmen – of Angolaare the focus of an amazing study of genetic data

28 Click cliqueA film project on the San by Namibian Richard Pakleppa

30 Gotcha!Angola is a paradise for sports fisherman looking to catch hugefish such as tarpon, dorado, Atlantic threadfin, Crevalle jack, sailfin and blue marlin

36 Sonangol news briefing

38 Order and progressAn interview with Vicente Inácio, QHSE manager

42 Lab fabA peek at Sonangol’s new laboratory

44 Top of the leagueSonangol is sponsoring Super-league Formula, a new sportmixing cars and football

50 The Big PictureAngola’s rivers

306

24

18

Letter from the editor

Way before Angola was known asa country rich in hydrocarbons,it was known for its fertile arable

land and lush climate. It is remarkable tothink that Angola used to be the fourthbiggest producer of coffee in the world,with the areas around Kwanza Sul espe-cially productive. However, farming wasdifficult during the civil war.

Now there is peace, the agriculturalsector is growing fast. In this issue we havea special report on the government’s plansto become self-sufficient by 2012. Angolaneeds to diversify from its reliance onpetrol and diamonds to avoid being so vulnerable to fluctuations in the interna-tional commodities markets.

Another natural resource is fish. Angolan waters have lots of fish. Big fish.The country has great potential as a touristdestination for attracting sports fisherman– and, as we report, is already catching theeye of international anglers who comehere for the threadfin, dorado and tarpon.

Meanwhile, Sonangol is pushingahead on many fronts. It recently an-nounced a sponsorship deal for a new typeof motor racing called Superleague For-mula, which means its logo will be seen bysports fans around the world. On a domes-tic note, a state-of-the-art laboratory hasopened in Luanda. And as Angola’s presi-dency of Opec heads into the second halfof its one-year term, the price of a barrel ofoil is back to a respectable level. Across theboard, the view looks good.

Kam

ene

M T

raça

ww

w.F

lyC

asta

way

.co

m/G

erh

ard

Lau

bsc

her

38

Kam

ene

M T

raça

iSto

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ho

to

Pho

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rary

JOY

TES

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8

SU23.contents.pp2-3:SU23 10/8/09 19:07 Page 2

AUTUMN 2009 5

READERS’ LETTERS

Living in the USDear SirEarlier this year, in commemoration ofAngola’s seven years of peace, Kudis-sanga, the Angola Community Associa-tion in Washington, D.C., organised thefirst annual conference and jobs fair ofthe Conference of the Angolan Diasporain the US. The theme of the conferencewas “Angolans in the United States ofAmerica: How to Contribute to a BetterAngola!” The event was well attended by

Angolans living in the US eager to returnhome to assist Angola with its continu-ing efforts to increase economic devel-opment.

Established in 1991 to promot tradeand investment between America andAngola, the US-Angola Chamber ofCommerce (USACC) was pleased to support this initiative spearheaded byKudissanga. The following USACC mem-bers participated in the jobs fair: Ancose, Chevron, Baker Energy, Grupo

Valentim Amões, Prodiaman, Prodoiland Test Angola.

Kudissanga will host the second annual conference and jobs fairin Houston, Texas, in April 2010. Thenumber of Angolans formally educatedin the US continues to rise, and we hopemore companies will begin to recruittham and view them as essential assets to their companies’ operation and success.Maria da Cruz

Executive Director

US-Angola Chamber of Commerce

4 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

EDITORIAL

Angola is the second-biggest oilproducer in sub-Saharan Africaafter Nigeria, having the capacity

to produce 2.1 million barrels per day(bpd). Restrictions imposed by Opec,which it joined in 2007, limits its produc-tion to an average of 1.6 million bpd.

In 2008, the Angolan oil and gas in-dustry, which contributes around 83 percent of the country’s gross domestic prod-uct, registered investments of about $5.4billion in oil exploration, developmentprojects and production activities.

However, Angola’s success story inbecoming a major oil producer is under-mined by the poor national content results that it has achieved in the past 30years. This has led to an oil and gas indus-try dominated by foreign companies, ahigh percentage of expatriate workers(particularly in technical and supervisoryroles) and a reduced number of Angolansuppliers of goods and services capable ofaddressing the needs of the industry.

In the last few years, a number ofjoint initiatives by the Angolan Oil Ministry and Sonangol, the state-ownedoil and gas concessionaire, have tried toaddress these concerns, pressuring oilcompanies to source from local busi-nesses and to increase the number of Angolan staff, but with limited results.

Political stability and an economicboom have brought back to the agendathe need to have a solid national contentstrategy. There is an imperative to achievethree important goals:

First, to review the organisationalstructure of the Director Committee, asteering body created in 2005 by the Oil Ministry to co-ordinate all mattersrelated to local content in the Angolan oilindustry; second, to revise and update theexisting related legislation; and third, tohave a master plan that identifies the ob-jectives, strategies, measurable targetsand actions to be taken to increase thenational content in the industry.

One of the challenges that the

Angolan oil industry will need to deal within order to reach acceptable national content results is the shortage of a skilledand technically-educated Angolan workforce. In fact, the existing Angolaneducational institutions have not beenable to meet the labour demands of the oil industry in either quantity or quality.

This problem calls for an integratedsolution from both the petroleum and theeducation sectors, a solution that mustfirst determine the long-term needs, andsecond ensure that the conditions are inplace to turn out sufficient numbers oftrained Angolan workers with the rightqualifications. One way to achieve this ob-jective is to promote co-operation be-tween educational institutions and themajor players of the oil industry.

The development of local suppliers is another issue. Limited technical capac-ity, lack of information about business opportunities and bids procedures, deficiency in basic management practicesand difficulty accessing credit, are some of the common problems of local companies.

The challenge for the Oil Ministry andSonangol is to identify and implement ac-tions for increasing the capacity of thesecompanies to ensure their competitive-ness in terms of price, quality, deliveryand execution times. The setting-up ofone official database for local vendors andthe establishment of certification proce-dures and local supplier developmentprogrammes are basic solutions that caneasily be implemented.

Some Angolan companies have beenable to establish partnerships with foreigncompanies that have technical expertise.However, it has been difficult to persuadethose companies to transfer their engi-neering capacity to Angola, so nowadaysalmost all engineering projects are executed overseas.

Engineering capacity is closely linkedto the limited number of Angolan engineers available in the work market,

making it crucial and urgent for Angola to train engineers en masse in all the different subjects and technicalspecialties.

The country also needs to invest inthe construction of technological and scientific research institutes and to encourage, through incentives and/or obligations, the engineering companies to transfer part of their operations to Angola and to create centres of excellence.

With regards to Angola’s industrialand manufacturing capacity, its develop-ment and expansion should be based onoil and gas industry projects scheduled forthe medium and long term, as the existingyards and logistic bases need to continueto improve and expand to meet the de-mands for goods, services and space.

The industrial business opportunitiesare many and varied as most of the mate-rials and equipment are manufacturedand assembled outside Angola. Industryand the petroleum sector will need towork together to identify what can bemanufactured and assembled, and repaired and maintained in Angola. Alsoimportant is the identification of the rawmaterials used in the oil activities in country in order to promote their explo-ration at home and set up production and supply networks in Angola.

In conclusion, the national contentissues of the Angolan oil industry call foran integrated strategy that promotes theco-operation of all sectors involved (e.g.education and industry) in collaborationwith the major oil operators and the inter-national service companies, and the revi-sion of the existing legal, commercial andcontractual framework in order to includemore efficient incentives and obligationsregarding national content.

There is also a need to identify national content targets and have an active official body to control the resultsachieved and propose counter measures.These are the main issues of the philoso-phy for the national content strategy.

National content in Angola British supportDear SirIn June, I joined many colleagues andmembers of the Angolan community tocelebrate the birthday of our Queen, Elizabeth II. This occasion was specialfor us since it coincided with the visit of our Minister for Africa, Lord Malloch-Brown, a living symbol of our commit-ment to strengthening the history offriendship and co-operation between the UK and Angola.

The UK is keen to broaden anddeepen our relationship with Angola.This includes supporting the Angolangovernment’s plans for economic diversi-fication, and developing co-operation inareas of shared interest and concern.

In the seven years since the civil war

ended, our bilateral trade and invest-ment relationship with Angola has grownat an extraordinary rate. This growth isreflected in the staggering volume of theUK’s foreign direct investment in Angola– the UK being the second-largest in-vestor in Angola with total investmentsvalued at over $12 billion. Presently, thebalance of trade is heavily in Angola’sfavour with Angolan exports to the UK upby an astounding 285 per cent in 2008.

I believe Angola will certainly con-tinue to attract British investment. In2008 our government renewed exportcredit cover worth more than $70 millionfor Angola. I have also seen in the lastcouple of years several British trade dele-gations visiting the country – and manymore intend to come. Likewise, we have

facilitated visits to the UK by Angolancompanies looking to meet potentialBritish investors.

In fields ranging from sports andleisure to hydrocarbon exploration, theUK is participating in the reconstructionand development of Angola. My countryis a willing partner, supporting Angola’sefforts to rebuild and diversify its economy and British companies have the experience and ability to respond tothe exacting demands of these require-ments. It is my desire to see increased en-gagement with Angolan interlocutors oninternational issues that affect both of our countries.Pat Phillips

British Ambassador

Luanda

Get

ty Im

ages

We welcome your opinions. If you would like to have a letter published, please email

[email protected]. Letters maybe edited for length.

A statement by Sonangol’s Negotiations Directorate

iSto

ckp

ho

to

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was dueto travel to Angola in August

Houston, Texas

SU23.editor-letters.pp4-5:SU23 10/8/09 19:08

AUTUMN 2009 5

READERS’ LETTERS

Living in the USDear SirEarlier this year, in commemoration ofAngola’s seven years of peace, Kudis-sanga, the Angola Community Associa-tion in Washington, D.C., organised thefirst annual conference and jobs fair ofthe Conference of the Angolan Diasporain the US. The theme of the conferencewas “Angolans in the United States ofAmerica: How to Contribute to a BetterAngola!” The event was well attended by

Angolans living in the US eager to returnhome to assist Angola with its continu-ing efforts to increase economic devel-opment.

Established in 1991 to promot tradeand investment between America andAngola, the US-Angola Chamber ofCommerce (USACC) was pleased to support this initiative spearheaded byKudissanga. The following USACC mem-bers participated in the jobs fair: Ancose, Chevron, Baker Energy, Grupo

Valentim Amões, Prodiaman, Prodoiland Test Angola.

Kudissanga will host the second annual conference and jobs fairin Houston, Texas, in April 2010. Thenumber of Angolans formally educatedin the US continues to rise, and we hopemore companies will begin to recruittham and view them as essential assets to their companies’ operation and success.Maria da Cruz

Executive Director

US-Angola Chamber of Commerce

4 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

EDITORIAL

Angola is the second-biggest oilproducer in sub-Saharan Africaafter Nigeria, having the capacity

to produce 2.1 million barrels per day(bpd). Restrictions imposed by Opec,which it joined in 2007, limits its produc-tion to an average of 1.6 million bpd.

In 2008, the Angolan oil and gas in-dustry, which contributes around 83 percent of the country’s gross domestic prod-uct, registered investments of about $5.4billion in oil exploration, developmentprojects and production activities.

However, Angola’s success story inbecoming a major oil producer is under-mined by the poor national content results that it has achieved in the past 30years. This has led to an oil and gas indus-try dominated by foreign companies, ahigh percentage of expatriate workers(particularly in technical and supervisoryroles) and a reduced number of Angolansuppliers of goods and services capable ofaddressing the needs of the industry.

In the last few years, a number ofjoint initiatives by the Angolan Oil Ministry and Sonangol, the state-ownedoil and gas concessionaire, have tried toaddress these concerns, pressuring oilcompanies to source from local busi-nesses and to increase the number of Angolan staff, but with limited results.

Political stability and an economicboom have brought back to the agendathe need to have a solid national contentstrategy. There is an imperative to achievethree important goals:

First, to review the organisationalstructure of the Director Committee, asteering body created in 2005 by the Oil Ministry to co-ordinate all mattersrelated to local content in the Angolan oilindustry; second, to revise and update theexisting related legislation; and third, tohave a master plan that identifies the ob-jectives, strategies, measurable targetsand actions to be taken to increase thenational content in the industry.

One of the challenges that the

Angolan oil industry will need to deal within order to reach acceptable national content results is the shortage of a skilledand technically-educated Angolan workforce. In fact, the existing Angolaneducational institutions have not beenable to meet the labour demands of the oil industry in either quantity or quality.

This problem calls for an integratedsolution from both the petroleum and theeducation sectors, a solution that mustfirst determine the long-term needs, andsecond ensure that the conditions are inplace to turn out sufficient numbers oftrained Angolan workers with the rightqualifications. One way to achieve this ob-jective is to promote co-operation be-tween educational institutions and themajor players of the oil industry.

The development of local suppliers is another issue. Limited technical capac-ity, lack of information about business opportunities and bids procedures, deficiency in basic management practicesand difficulty accessing credit, are some of the common problems of local companies.

The challenge for the Oil Ministry andSonangol is to identify and implement ac-tions for increasing the capacity of thesecompanies to ensure their competitive-ness in terms of price, quality, deliveryand execution times. The setting-up ofone official database for local vendors andthe establishment of certification proce-dures and local supplier developmentprogrammes are basic solutions that caneasily be implemented.

Some Angolan companies have beenable to establish partnerships with foreigncompanies that have technical expertise.However, it has been difficult to persuadethose companies to transfer their engi-neering capacity to Angola, so nowadaysalmost all engineering projects are executed overseas.

Engineering capacity is closely linkedto the limited number of Angolan engineers available in the work market,

making it crucial and urgent for Angola to train engineers en masse in all the different subjects and technicalspecialties.

The country also needs to invest inthe construction of technological and scientific research institutes and to encourage, through incentives and/or obligations, the engineering companies to transfer part of their operations to Angola and to create centres of excellence.

With regards to Angola’s industrialand manufacturing capacity, its develop-ment and expansion should be based onoil and gas industry projects scheduled forthe medium and long term, as the existingyards and logistic bases need to continueto improve and expand to meet the de-mands for goods, services and space.

The industrial business opportunitiesare many and varied as most of the mate-rials and equipment are manufacturedand assembled outside Angola. Industryand the petroleum sector will need towork together to identify what can bemanufactured and assembled, and repaired and maintained in Angola. Alsoimportant is the identification of the rawmaterials used in the oil activities in country in order to promote their explo-ration at home and set up production and supply networks in Angola.

In conclusion, the national contentissues of the Angolan oil industry call foran integrated strategy that promotes theco-operation of all sectors involved (e.g.education and industry) in collaborationwith the major oil operators and the inter-national service companies, and the revi-sion of the existing legal, commercial andcontractual framework in order to includemore efficient incentives and obligationsregarding national content.

There is also a need to identify national content targets and have an active official body to control the resultsachieved and propose counter measures.These are the main issues of the philoso-phy for the national content strategy.

National content in Angola British supportDear SirIn June, I joined many colleagues andmembers of the Angolan community tocelebrate the birthday of our Queen, Elizabeth II. This occasion was specialfor us since it coincided with the visit of our Minister for Africa, Lord Malloch-Brown, a living symbol of our commit-ment to strengthening the history offriendship and co-operation between the UK and Angola.

The UK is keen to broaden anddeepen our relationship with Angola.This includes supporting the Angolangovernment’s plans for economic diversi-fication, and developing co-operation inareas of shared interest and concern.

In the seven years since the civil war

ended, our bilateral trade and invest-ment relationship with Angola has grownat an extraordinary rate. This growth isreflected in the staggering volume of theUK’s foreign direct investment in Angola– the UK being the second-largest in-vestor in Angola with total investmentsvalued at over $12 billion. Presently, thebalance of trade is heavily in Angola’sfavour with Angolan exports to the UK upby an astounding 285 per cent in 2008.

I believe Angola will certainly con-tinue to attract British investment. In2008 our government renewed exportcredit cover worth more than $70 millionfor Angola. I have also seen in the lastcouple of years several British trade dele-gations visiting the country – and manymore intend to come. Likewise, we have

facilitated visits to the UK by Angolancompanies looking to meet potentialBritish investors.

In fields ranging from sports andleisure to hydrocarbon exploration, theUK is participating in the reconstructionand development of Angola. My countryis a willing partner, supporting Angola’sefforts to rebuild and diversify its economy and British companies have the experience and ability to respond tothe exacting demands of these require-ments. It is my desire to see increased en-gagement with Angolan interlocutors oninternational issues that affect both of our countries.Pat Phillips

British Ambassador

Luanda

Get

ty Im

ages

We welcome your opinions. If you would like to have a letter published, please email

[email protected]. Letters maybe edited for length.

A statement by Sonangol’s Negotiations Directorate

iSto

ckp

ho

to

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was dueto travel to Angola in August

Houston, Texas

SU23.editor-letters.pp4-5:SU23 10/8/09 19:08 Page 4

Friendly KremlinRussian President Dmitry

Medvedev visited Angola on his

first tour of Africa, underlining the

strength of the relationship between

the two countries. Medvedev met

President dos Santos for talks which

focused on boosting trade and eco-

nomic ties and led to the signing of a

number of bilateral agreements. In

one of the six agreements signed in

Luanda, Russia said it would help

place in orbit Angola’s first satellite,

branded Angosat.

Stock up soonAngola’s long-awaited stock market couldopen before the end of the year, according tomedia reports. The launch of the exchangehad been expected to take place in the firstquarter of the year, but the global financial crisis prompted many Angolan firms to holdback from listing. However, the chairman ofthe Capital Markets Commission Angolanstock exchange, Cruz de Lima, told Reutersthat the regulatory framework for the LuandaStock Exchange would soon be approved anda board for the CMC appointed which wouldpave the way for the opening. As many as 50state and privately-owned Angolan companiesare expected to list on the exchange.

Lift offAngola is to gain a new air

carrier that will link its major

cities and business hubs. London-

listed company Lonrho is behind

Fly 540, which will operate out of

the northern oil hub Cabinda but

will have links to the capital

Luanda and to other cities includ-

ing Huambo, Benguela, Soyo and

Lubango. The Angolan franchise

of Fly 540 will be staffed princi-

pally by former British Airways

pilots. Fly 540 already operates in

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and

South Africa.

AUTUMN 2009 7

number of exhibitors who took partin the annual Luanda InternationalTrade Fair, or Filda, in July

amount of cement Angola’s NovaCimangola company plans to produce in 2009

1.2mtonnes

of Angolans are involved in early-stagestart ups – according to the 2008Global Enterprise Monitor survey

22.7%

value of the investment in theComandante Gika complex, thebiggest construction project inLuanda, which will featureapartments, offices, shops and afive-star hotel

$600mPortuguese football coach Manuel José (pictured) has been hired to run the Palancas Negras as they prepare to host the 2010Africa Cup of Nations tournament in January.After failing to qualify for the World Cup inSouth Africa, Angola, under the managementof Mabi de Almeida, hit hard times and suf-fered a string of defeats against Mali andCape Verde and a 0-0 draw with Namibia. InJune, the Angolan Football Federation an-nounced that Manuel José, renowned for histrophy haul at Egyptian side Al-Ahly, would betaking over the job. With just a few months togo to restore the team’s confidence and builda winning side, José has said that he will workhard to get the team as far in the competitionas possible.

Soccer boss

amount Angola is spending inpreparing the country for the 2010Africa Cup of Nations tournamentincluding new stadiums and revamps of airports and cities

Pho

tolib

rary

6 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Angolan President JoséEduardo dos Santos wasone of a handful of Africanleaders representing theircountries at the G8 sum-mit – the meeting of theworld’s richest nations – inItaly in July. Dos Santostook part in a number ofdiscussions with globalleaders and heads of financial and policy institu-tions such as the WorldBank and the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF).Speaking after his meetingwith IMF President Do-minique Strauss-Kahn,dos Santos said: “The IMFis not the same institutionit used to be and is a lotmore flexible.” Angola andthe IMF, he said, were entering into the firstphase of a new relation-ship and an IMF delega-tion was expected to visitAngola soon. Dos Santosused his presence at themeeting to call for betterfinancial regulation withinthe G8 countries and em-

phasised that Africa hadbeen greatly impacted bythe global economic crisis. He called for energy-pro-ducing and consumingcountries to work togetherto ensure a stable oil price“in order for it not to put atstake the performance ofour economies”. He alsoasked for more to be doneinternationally to ensurefood security in order tohelp the poorest nations,and he underlined his interest in green energyand preserving the environment through development of alternativeenergy sources. The other African countries invited to the G8 summit in L’Aquila were SouthAfrica, Egypt, Ghana and Senegal. Angola’spresence at the meetingwas seen as a strong acknowledgment of thecountry’s economic, socialand political progresssince the end of its civilwar in 2002.

Angola news briefingDos Santos at G8

The 2010 Trienal de Luanda contemporary-artevent will take place next year between Sep-tember and December and will include 200events representing 14 different cultural disci-plines. Called Emotional Geographies – Artand Artefacts, the trienal will have events inLuanda, Namibe, Benguela, Huambo andLubango and will feature artists from Angola,other parts of Africa and around the world.The 2007 Trienal de Luanda put Angola onthe contemporary-art map and the 2010event will reinforce its strong position withinthe African and global art scene.

Arty party

AFP

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680Bottoms up!

Brewing giant SABMiller is on

course to open a new $125 million

brewery in the Angolan capital Luanda, as

part of ongoing investment in the country.

SABMiller, which currently bottles Coca

Cola at two sites in Angola, will begin

producing a lager product at a new

brewery just north of Luanda in October.

The investment will take its spending in

Angola over the last 18 months to $250

million and the number employed by its

joint-venture partner Empresa Cervejas

de N’gola to over 2,000 across five brew-

ery and bottling facilities.

President dosSantos, centre,stands next toPresident Obama

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SU23.Angola News.pp6-7:SU23 10/8/09 19:07

Friendly KremlinRussian President Dmitry

Medvedev visited Angola on his

first tour of Africa, underlining the

strength of the relationship between

the two countries. Medvedev met

President dos Santos for talks which

focused on boosting trade and eco-

nomic ties and led to the signing of a

number of bilateral agreements. In

one of the six agreements signed in

Luanda, Russia said it would help

place in orbit Angola’s first satellite,

branded Angosat.

Stock up soonAngola’s long-awaited stock market couldopen before the end of the year, according tomedia reports. The launch of the exchangehad been expected to take place in the firstquarter of the year, but the global financial crisis prompted many Angolan firms to holdback from listing. However, the chairman ofthe Capital Markets Commission Angolanstock exchange, Cruz de Lima, told Reutersthat the regulatory framework for the LuandaStock Exchange would soon be approved anda board for the CMC appointed which wouldpave the way for the opening. As many as 50state and privately-owned Angolan companiesare expected to list on the exchange.

Lift offAngola is to gain a new air

carrier that will link its major

cities and business hubs. London-

listed company Lonrho is behind

Fly 540, which will operate out of

the northern oil hub Cabinda but

will have links to the capital

Luanda and to other cities includ-

ing Huambo, Benguela, Soyo and

Lubango. The Angolan franchise

of Fly 540 will be staffed princi-

pally by former British Airways

pilots. Fly 540 already operates in

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and

South Africa.

AUTUMN 2009 7

number of exhibitors who took partin the annual Luanda InternationalTrade Fair, or Filda, in July

amount of cement Angola’s NovaCimangola company plans to produce in 2009

1.2mtonnes

of Angolans are involved in early-stagestart ups – according to the 2008Global Enterprise Monitor survey

22.7%

value of the investment in theComandante Gika complex, thebiggest construction project inLuanda, which will featureapartments, offices, shops and afive-star hotel

$600mPortuguese football coach Manuel José (pictured) has been hired to run the Palancas Negras as they prepare to host the 2010Africa Cup of Nations tournament in January.After failing to qualify for the World Cup inSouth Africa, Angola, under the managementof Mabi de Almeida, hit hard times and suf-fered a string of defeats against Mali andCape Verde and a 0-0 draw with Namibia. InJune, the Angolan Football Federation an-nounced that Manuel José, renowned for histrophy haul at Egyptian side Al-Ahly, would betaking over the job. With just a few months togo to restore the team’s confidence and builda winning side, José has said that he will workhard to get the team as far in the competitionas possible.

Soccer boss

amount Angola is spending inpreparing the country for the 2010Africa Cup of Nations tournamentincluding new stadiums and revamps of airports and cities

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6 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Angolan President JoséEduardo dos Santos wasone of a handful of Africanleaders representing theircountries at the G8 sum-mit – the meeting of theworld’s richest nations – inItaly in July. Dos Santostook part in a number ofdiscussions with globalleaders and heads of financial and policy institu-tions such as the WorldBank and the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF).Speaking after his meetingwith IMF President Do-minique Strauss-Kahn,dos Santos said: “The IMFis not the same institutionit used to be and is a lotmore flexible.” Angola andthe IMF, he said, were entering into the firstphase of a new relation-ship and an IMF delega-tion was expected to visitAngola soon. Dos Santosused his presence at themeeting to call for betterfinancial regulation withinthe G8 countries and em-

phasised that Africa hadbeen greatly impacted bythe global economic crisis. He called for energy-pro-ducing and consumingcountries to work togetherto ensure a stable oil price“in order for it not to put atstake the performance ofour economies”. He alsoasked for more to be doneinternationally to ensurefood security in order tohelp the poorest nations,and he underlined his interest in green energyand preserving the environment through development of alternativeenergy sources. The other African countries invited to the G8 summit in L’Aquila were SouthAfrica, Egypt, Ghana and Senegal. Angola’spresence at the meetingwas seen as a strong acknowledgment of thecountry’s economic, socialand political progresssince the end of its civilwar in 2002.

Angola news briefingDos Santos at G8

The 2010 Trienal de Luanda contemporary-artevent will take place next year between Sep-tember and December and will include 200events representing 14 different cultural disci-plines. Called Emotional Geographies – Artand Artefacts, the trienal will have events inLuanda, Namibe, Benguela, Huambo andLubango and will feature artists from Angola,other parts of Africa and around the world.The 2007 Trienal de Luanda put Angola onthe contemporary-art map and the 2010event will reinforce its strong position withinthe African and global art scene.

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680Bottoms up!

Brewing giant SABMiller is on

course to open a new $125 million

brewery in the Angolan capital Luanda, as

part of ongoing investment in the country.

SABMiller, which currently bottles Coca

Cola at two sites in Angola, will begin

producing a lager product at a new

brewery just north of Luanda in October.

The investment will take its spending in

Angola over the last 18 months to $250

million and the number employed by its

joint-venture partner Empresa Cervejas

de N’gola to over 2,000 across five brew-

ery and bottling facilities.

President dosSantos, centre,stands next toPresident Obama

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AGRICULTURE

AUTUMN 2009 98 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Fruits of labour: Bananas are plentiful inAngola and could soonbe grown for export

SHOOTSAngola is hoping to restore its position as a breadbasket of Africa

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AGRICULTURE


Fruits of labour: Bananas are plentiful inAngola and could soonbe grown for export

SHOOTSAngola is hoping to restore its position as a breadbasket of Africa

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SU23.Agriculture.pp8-17:SU23 10/8/09 19:05 Page 8

10 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

AGRICULTURE

Diversifying the economy intolabour-intensive areas like agricul-ture is key for Angola’s long-termdevelopment“

”Ricardo Gazel, World Bank senior economist

Angola is best known for its oil and diamonds, but in years gone by itwas also a major exporter of coffee,

maize, sugar and rice.Three decades of civil war destroyed

much of the farming industry, littered thecountryside with landmines and saw millions flee to the cities for safety. But now,seven years into peace and with Angola politically and economically stable, thingsare very different. The government hopes to restore the country’s reputation as abreadbasket of Africa with an ambitiousspending plan and a target of self-suffi-ciency by 2012.

RevitaliseInternational money is also pouring intothe country. Fruit conglomerate Chiquita isinvesting in banana plantations and thecoffee industry is being revitalised. In addi-tion, there are Israeli-run farms, plans forVietnamese rice-growing initiatives and trials of a new lager made from locally-grown root vegetables.

Credit lines of millions of dollars fromcountries including China, as well as part-nerships with a number of Israeli compa-nies, are helping to bankroll Angola’sagricultural development.

The Aldeia Nova (New Village) projectis a joint government and Israel businessinitiative which aims to promote betterproduction and cultivation methods. TheAldeia Nova in Waku Kungo, Kwanza Sul,covers 17,000 hectares and includes eightvillages. Seven more are under construc-tion, each focusing on separate areas suchas dairy, egg production or the breeding ofpoultry, pigs and cattle. More Aldeia Novasare planned.

Other initiatives are also being set uparound the country providing training andjobs and offering small farmers access to

microcredit for seeds, tools and fertilisers. “The government sees farming as a

top priority that will enable us to solve ourfood problem,” says Minister of AgriculturePedro Canga. “The country has great poten-tial in terms of land and water resources,and it is now rebuilding infrastructure suchas roads in order to create an environmentthat is favourable for investments in thefarming sector.”

As well as reducing reliance on foodimports – which push up prices and arepart of the reason why container ships arealways queuing up in the Port of Luanda –revitalising agriculture has three long-termbenefits for the country. The first is to diver-sify the extractives-based economy whichhas taken a hit during the recent fall incommodity prices. The second is to helpthe millions of Angolans who still live inpoverty as a result of the war by creatingjobs and livelihoods. The third is to encour-age those who fled to urban areas duringthe conflict to return home.

VulnerableThe focus on agriculture has been welcomed by economists who have longbeen calling on Angola to diversify. “Depen-dence on just one or two products, like oiland diamonds, makes the economy extremely vulnerable to the forces of inter-national markets and has an impact on thelong-term development of a country,” says Ricardo Gazel, World Bank senior econo-mist in Angola. “Diversifying the economyinto labour-intensive areas like agricultureis the key for Angola’s long-term develop-ment.”

The focus on rural development wasthe theme of this year’s Luanda Interna-tional Trade Fair, or Filda. Agriculture hasdominated local headlines with a series ofhigh-profile government conferences �

Angola’s good climate and rainfall gives it excellent agricultural potential.

The wide range of fruits and vegetables that grow easily here includes bananas, carrots, cassava, maize, cabbage, lettuce,tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains, peppers, aubergines, squash,courgettes and pineapples.

The Angolan government is aiming to increase agricultural production by 12 percent in 2009 – focusing on staples such asmaize and cassava.

Agriculture is currently worth 3 to 4 percent of GDP. The plan is to increase this to 10 per cent in the next five years.

Food for thought

AUTUMN 2009 11

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Local branch: womenin Benguela loading

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AGRICULTURE

Diversifying the economy intolabour-intensive areas like agricul-ture is key for Angola’s long-termdevelopment“

”Ricardo Gazel, World Bank senior economist

Angola is best known for its oil and diamonds, but in years gone by itwas also a major exporter of coffee,

maize, sugar and rice.Three decades of civil war destroyed

much of the farming industry, littered thecountryside with landmines and saw millions flee to the cities for safety. But now,seven years into peace and with Angola politically and economically stable, thingsare very different. The government hopes to restore the country’s reputation as abreadbasket of Africa with an ambitiousspending plan and a target of self-suffi-ciency by 2012.

RevitaliseInternational money is also pouring intothe country. Fruit conglomerate Chiquita isinvesting in banana plantations and thecoffee industry is being revitalised. In addi-tion, there are Israeli-run farms, plans forVietnamese rice-growing initiatives and trials of a new lager made from locally-grown root vegetables.

Credit lines of millions of dollars fromcountries including China, as well as part-nerships with a number of Israeli compa-nies, are helping to bankroll Angola’sagricultural development.

The Aldeia Nova (New Village) projectis a joint government and Israel businessinitiative which aims to promote betterproduction and cultivation methods. TheAldeia Nova in Waku Kungo, Kwanza Sul,covers 17,000 hectares and includes eightvillages. Seven more are under construc-tion, each focusing on separate areas suchas dairy, egg production or the breeding ofpoultry, pigs and cattle. More Aldeia Novasare planned.

Other initiatives are also being set uparound the country providing training andjobs and offering small farmers access to

microcredit for seeds, tools and fertilisers. “The government sees farming as a

top priority that will enable us to solve ourfood problem,” says Minister of AgriculturePedro Canga. “The country has great poten-tial in terms of land and water resources,and it is now rebuilding infrastructure suchas roads in order to create an environmentthat is favourable for investments in thefarming sector.”

As well as reducing reliance on foodimports – which push up prices and arepart of the reason why container ships arealways queuing up in the Port of Luanda –revitalising agriculture has three long-termbenefits for the country. The first is to diver-sify the extractives-based economy whichhas taken a hit during the recent fall incommodity prices. The second is to helpthe millions of Angolans who still live inpoverty as a result of the war by creatingjobs and livelihoods. The third is to encour-age those who fled to urban areas duringthe conflict to return home.

VulnerableThe focus on agriculture has been welcomed by economists who have longbeen calling on Angola to diversify. “Depen-dence on just one or two products, like oiland diamonds, makes the economy extremely vulnerable to the forces of inter-national markets and has an impact on thelong-term development of a country,” says Ricardo Gazel, World Bank senior econo-mist in Angola. “Diversifying the economyinto labour-intensive areas like agricultureis the key for Angola’s long-term develop-ment.”

The focus on rural development wasthe theme of this year’s Luanda Interna-tional Trade Fair, or Filda. Agriculture hasdominated local headlines with a series ofhigh-profile government conferences �

Angola’s good climate and rainfall gives it excellent agricultural potential.

The wide range of fruits and vegetables that grow easily here includes bananas, carrots, cassava, maize, cabbage, lettuce,tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains, peppers, aubergines, squash,courgettes and pineapples.

The Angolan government is aiming to increase agricultural production by 12 percent in 2009 – focusing on staples such asmaize and cassava.

Agriculture is currently worth 3 to 4 percent of GDP. The plan is to increase this to 10 per cent in the next five years.

Food for thought

AUTUMN 2009 11

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Local branch: womenin Benguela loading

bananas onto trucksto be sold at markets


AUTUMN 2009 13

AGRICULTURE

Following the success of a sorghumbeer brewed in Uganda called Eagle, brew-ing giant SABMiller is now working on acassava-influenced lager which is to be soldin Angola on a trial basis. “As well as creat-ing a new product for the market, it is creat-ing a demand for manioc plants locally andthe idea is that we will help the farmers getset up and offer them any technical advicethey need,” says a company spokesman.

SABMiller, which makes Coca Cola andother soft drinks and distributes lagers suchas Castle and Peroni in Angola, also hopesthe country’s sugar production will go up asthe company currently imports tencontainer loads a day.

Chiquita is the other big name hopingto get a foot in the Angolan agriculturaldoor. Its joint venture with Escom (a mem-ber of Grupo Espírito Santo) is developing abanana plantation in Benguela province,already a traditional banana area, and offthe back of that thousands of new jobs.

Michael Nehrbass, a programme offi-cer for USAID, which supports a number ofagricultural schemes in Angola, says: “Thefact that Chiquita is here shows Angola’spotential. It will create jobs not just for theplantation workers but also for pallet mak-ers, transporters and all the support serv-ices this industry demands. Dole FoodCompany and Del Monte have also beenlooking at opportunities in Angola, so thereis a lot going on here.”

As well as the farming companiesthemselves, a new market is opening up foragricultural products.

PotentialIn May, a US trade delegation visited Angola. Among the group was HeatherRanck, from the US Department of Com-merce’s agribusiness team, whose job is topromote companies like tractor maker JohnDeere. She said: “Agriculturally, Angola haswhat you need to be successful: good soil,good rainfall and lots of land. And from abusiness point of view it is a very excitingtime. Some US companies I contacted before visiting Angola told me they were already doing business here; they had already seen the potential.

“As the commercial farming sectorgets developed, I think the smallholderfarmers can also tap into these develop-ments and benefit. For instance, when newseeds and fertilisers are procured on a largescale, they are cheaper and smallholderscan share in that lower price.”

A lot of work is going on in rural com-munities to boost agriculture and liveli-hoods under the auspices of NGOs likeWorld Vision and agencies such as USAID.There are already a number of successfulfarming co-operatives, training schemesand microcredit systems up and runningwhich are changing people’s lives for thebetter.

and debates about farming and the coun-tryside.

The newly-formed Secretariat for RuralDevelopment (Seder) is promoting an agro-rural revitalisation plan, boosting ruralservices such as schools and medical postsas well as creating jobs and improvingtransport links.

Seder’s head of planning AltemiroDiogo says that livelihoods are at the heart of the policy. “The rural economy is extremely important for the developmentof this country because a large number ofthe population live in rural areas,” he says.“Only with the development of these areas can we say that that the country is developing. A lot of people live off subsis-tence farming, but we need to create con-ditions so that the people can earn moremoney from their work and improve theirlives.”

Home brewsOne such scheme which aims to help farm-ers gain a stable income is a project to makea lager with cassava, a locally-grown rootvegetable. The hops used in most lagers arenot indigenous to Africa and are expensiveto import. This is also an acknowledgmentof the popularity of home brews, oftenmade from grains such as millet andsorghum, which are substantially cheaperthan the blond-style Western lager sold inthe country.

Angola’s president, José Eduardo dosSantos, recently drew praise from JacquesDiouf, the director general of the UnitedNations Food and Agriculture Organisation,who said: “I am very happy with the prioritythat President dos Santos and the Angolangovernment have been giving to the farm-ing sector, in particular to the family agri-culture.”

However, amid the fanfare and mil-lion-dollar plans, local voices are also call-ing for careful planning and considerationabout how rural development schemes aremanaged. Sérgio Calundungo, head of Angolan NGO Action for Rural Develop-ment and Environment, welcomes the investment but says it is vital that money isnot just thrown at municipalities.

“It’s very important to find what peo-ple in these communities need. You can’tjust find one solution and apply it all overthe country. Each village is different. Itmight seem a good idea to give a village atractor, but who is going to drive that trac-tor? Who will service it? And if the tractorspreads the seeds, what will the women andchildren do because that is traditionallytheir job?”

Angola’s agricultural relaunch will nothappen overnight, but the right steps arebeing made. If the country can begin to re-duce its reliance on imported food and helpto diversify the economy, livelihoods willimprove. �

One schemewhich aims tohelp farmersgain a stable income is a project to make a lager with cassava, a locally-grownroot vegetable

“

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New beer: Peroni distributoris developing a local lager

Angolan spuds: potatofarmers in Huambo

Plough time: John Deere tractors



Coffee: a special brewngola was once the fourthlargest exporter of coffee in the world after Brazil,

Colombia and the Ivory Coast, and itsdistinctive robusta Amboim bean fromKwanza Sul was widely sought after.

In 1974, just before independence,Angola produced 228,000 tonnes ofcoffee with 2,500 large commercialfarms and 250,000 smaller farmers in-volved in its production. By 1985, therewere just 34 state-owned farms pro-ducing a mere 8,890 tonnes.

“There is such a rich history of coffee here in Angola, but now produc-tion is barely a few per cent of what itwas during independence,” saysMichael Nehrbass, an agricultural specialist with USAID.

However, aware of the country’sgreat coffee potential, the governmenthas pledged to invest $150 million overthe next four years. The plan is to increase output to 50,000 tonnes a yearby 2013 on the back of a scheme totrain farmers and modernise coffeeproduction across the nation.

Part of the investment includes theAngolan National Coffee Institute (Inca)

giving free coffee plants to small farmers to encourage them to get backinto growing. The main coffee-growingareas are Kwanza Sul, Uíge in the northand Huambo in the central highlands.

The difference in soil and climatefrom area to area means the beans cultivated are distinct and the plan is to market these different tastes andqualities. USAID and Chevron are financing ProAgro, a $5.7 million agricultural programme working withcoffee producers in Kwanza Sul andbanana growers in Benguela.

In Gabela, Kwanza Sul, a team fromthe Cooperative League of the UnitedStates of America (Clusa) is helpingsmallholders get business and technical know-how and access tobank credit.

ProAgro has also been working tolink Angolan producers with interna-tional exporters. “To earn money fromcoffee you need to have a very big farmand be very organised; that’s the challenge,” says Estêvão Rodrigues,Clusa’s Angola representative. “In colo-nial times, there was a different sort oflabour force available and that’s one of

the reasons that Angola’s coffee plantations were so successful.

“The incentive for farmers has to bethe price. If the price is high enoughand they can make money, coffee willdo well here.”

Pascoal Miranda, co-ordinator ofInca’s coffee rehabilitation project inGabela, is more optimistic. “Angolancoffee has a good future,” he says. “Ithink that with the projects we’re implementing, our processes are going to be commercialised and I believe they will play a major part in the development of the country.

“Coffee is not going to run out likeoil. It employs a large workforce andbrings in money, and I am sure ourcountry can only gain from growingcoffee.

“Our robusta coffee from Angola isunique. It is grown in the mountains, ithas its own flavour and what we makehere is all 100 per cent organic with noadditives.”

Next time you are buying coffee inAngola, forget the expensive importsand try some tastier and organic home-grown varieties. �

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AGRICULTURE

ananas are one of the very fewthings in which Angola is self-sufficient. There are thousands

of hectares of both dessert and plan-tain (cooking) banana plantations,mostly in the southern province ofBenguela, but they also grow wild up in Uíge.

Flatbed lorries fill the roads as theydrive up into Luanda with huge curvedbunches of freshly-picked bananas.Bananas, however, are quite difficult togrow commercially on a small scale.They are perishable and fragile, soneed to be handled with care. Clumsytransportation can cause blemishes,which is unattractive to customers.

Logistical problems such as a lackof good transport, bad roads and acongested port all add to the difficul-ties of getting high quality fruit into the marketplace, and exportation com-pounds these challenges.

Because of the high levels of waste,bananas grown in Angola are notcheap. A trial export deal with theSouth African-based supermarketchain Shoprite failed because the

company could import bananas intoAngola for less than it was paying forthem locally.

However, exports could soon become a reality with Angolan bananasbeing sold in European supermarketsand beyond. Banana giant Chiquita,along with Portuguese conglomerateEscom and its Angolan partnerHipergesta, are in the process of creat-ing a banana plantation in Benguela.Planting is expected to begin later thisyear with the first commercial exportsto start in 2010.

While Chiquita will not be providingcapital, the company will be supportingthe project with expertise in farm development, good agricultural prac-tices, the training of local workers, logistics, marketing and distribution to European markets.

On a smaller scale, the Co-opera-tive League of the United States ofAmerica (Clusa), thanks to fundingfrom USAID and Chevron, is workingwith smallholders in Benguela to helpthem increase their yields and to set upco-operatives to boost their buying and

selling powers.“The challenge is to increase the

yield,” says Estêvão Rodrigues, Clusa’sAngola representative. “By using betterplants, taking better care of them andby moving from flood irrigation tomicro-sprinkle irrigation, you can increase yields from 25 tonnes ahectare to 50. I definitely think bananaswill do well here, especially if the ex-porting mechanisms are put in place.For instance, we need a specific ba-nana terminal at the Port of Lobito,which would get the fruit out quicker,rather than taking it up the long road to Luanda and then into the congestedport there.

“Once we get the banana sectorgoing, there’s hope for other fruit too,like pineapples and citrus fruit. It’s abig hope.” �

Once we getthe bananasector going,there’s hope forother fruit too likecitrus fruit andpineapples. It’s a big hope

“”Estêvão Rodrigues, Clusa

Bananas: the yellow road

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MOBILE PHONES

Hello Luanda! There arealmost as many mobile

phones in Angola as thereare adults

AUTUMN 2009 19

The mobile phone is a success story inAngola. Since the licensing of mobileoperators began in 2000, the market

has boomed. There are two companies,Movicel and Unitel. Movicel has about 2.5million users and Unitel about five million– in a country with only eight millionadults. According to Inacom, the agency re-sponsible for regulating and monitoringtelecommunications services in Angola,mobile phone density rose by 32 per cent in2007 and is set to rise further this year.

Meanwhile, a report by consultantsFrost & Sullivan says revenues in the Angolan mobile-communications marketare set to triple by 2015. The company’s leadresearch analyst Silvia Hirano Venter saysthat this record growth is due in part tostate initiatives.

“The law of universal access imple-mented by the Ministry of Communica-tions seeks to provide communicationfacilities for everyone, everywhere in Angola,” she says.

An example of this is the renovationpackage for Huambo province, in which therural municipality of Mungo, about 120kmfrom its provincial capital, has been priori-tised for connection to both Angolan mobile telephone networks.

Mobile phones have experienced thisamazing growth because there is a realneed for them. The country has only about200,000 landlines and because the tradi-tional communications infrastructure isprecarious, mobile phones are now beingused in very ingenious ways.

New weaponIn the rural south of Angola a mobile phonebeeps, alerting the phone’s young ownerthat a text has been received. He looks atthe screen and reads the message: Life isstronger than Aids. Get an HIV test.

In Africa, the mobile phone is muchmore than just a handy tool for people tokeep in touch or send messages to eachother. It is an important new weapon in the

war against the spread of infection. For example, the Angolan National Institute forthe Fight Against Aids (INLS) sends out textmessages that provide information relatingto the disease.

“Text messages are a great way to raiseawareness, combat stigma and provide in-formation on treatment. They are short,clear and hard hitting,” says Luís SantosKyame, a director of the INLS. “Text messages are direct and personal, yet donot infringe on people’s privacy. People respond well to text-message campaignsbecause they are addressed personally, butthey do not feel threatened.”

Last year, during the general election,Angolan phone users could text their voterregistration number to a central number,which would send back a text informingthem of the nearest polling station. In European countries, this informationwould normally be received by post or online via the internet, two options whichare not always available in parts of �

UPWARDLYMOBILEAngola’s booming mobile phone industry is changing lives, reports Nina Hobson

Randy Faris/Corbis

SU23.Mobile phones.pp18-23:SU23 10/8/09 19:11


MOBILE PHONES

Hello Luanda! There arealmost as many mobile

phones in Angola as thereare adults

AUTUMN 2009 19

The mobile phone is a success story inAngola. Since the licensing of mobileoperators began in 2000, the market

has boomed. There are two companies,Movicel and Unitel. Movicel has about 2.5million users and Unitel about five million– in a country with only eight millionadults. According to Inacom, the agency re-sponsible for regulating and monitoringtelecommunications services in Angola,mobile phone density rose by 32 per cent in2007 and is set to rise further this year.

Meanwhile, a report by consultantsFrost & Sullivan says revenues in the Angolan mobile-communications marketare set to triple by 2015. The company’s leadresearch analyst Silvia Hirano Venter saysthat this record growth is due in part tostate initiatives.

“The law of universal access imple-mented by the Ministry of Communica-tions seeks to provide communicationfacilities for everyone, everywhere in Angola,” she says.

An example of this is the renovationpackage for Huambo province, in which therural municipality of Mungo, about 120kmfrom its provincial capital, has been priori-tised for connection to both Angolan mobile telephone networks.

Mobile phones have experienced thisamazing growth because there is a realneed for them. The country has only about200,000 landlines and because the tradi-tional communications infrastructure isprecarious, mobile phones are now beingused in very ingenious ways.

New weaponIn the rural south of Angola a mobile phonebeeps, alerting the phone’s young ownerthat a text has been received. He looks atthe screen and reads the message: Life isstronger than Aids. Get an HIV test.

In Africa, the mobile phone is muchmore than just a handy tool for people tokeep in touch or send messages to eachother. It is an important new weapon in the

war against the spread of infection. For example, the Angolan National Institute forthe Fight Against Aids (INLS) sends out textmessages that provide information relatingto the disease.

“Text messages are a great way to raiseawareness, combat stigma and provide in-formation on treatment. They are short,clear and hard hitting,” says Luís SantosKyame, a director of the INLS. “Text messages are direct and personal, yet donot infringe on people’s privacy. People respond well to text-message campaignsbecause they are addressed personally, butthey do not feel threatened.”

Last year, during the general election,Angolan phone users could text their voterregistration number to a central number,which would send back a text informingthem of the nearest polling station. In European countries, this informationwould normally be received by post or online via the internet, two options whichare not always available in parts of �

UPWARDLYMOBILEAngola’s booming mobile phone industry is changing lives, reports Nina Hobson

Randy Faris/Corbis

SU23.Mobile phones.pp18-23:SU23 10/8/09 19:11 Page 18

AUTUMN 2009 21

MOBILE PHONES


Beach cover: mobilephones can be used wherethere are no land lines

Angola. In fact, mobile phones are so important in the developing world thatthey have been hailed as one of the bestways to improve livelihoods. A study by theLondon Business School concluded that anincrease in mobile phone penetration by 10per cent leads to an increase in GDP by 0.6per cent.

Positive outlookOne idiosyncrasy of Angola’s mobile indus-try is that people often have two phones –one from each operator – since it is cheaperto call a phone from the same network, andreception often varies in different areas.Movicel and Unitel are very prominent inAngolan life. Unitel was the number oneadvertiser on Angolan TV last year, and billboards for both companies are seen allover Luanda.

Research analyst Venter says that theoutlook is very positive for the Angolan mobile phone industry. “Government reconstruction efforts are not only facilitat-ing the expansion of mobile networks, butare also fuelling growth in all sectors of industry, and thus the demand for mobilecommunications increases too.”

She adds that the Angolan networksare improving their services because of foreign investment. “Foreign companiesare importing staff from countries with de-veloped technology, so they are likely to de-mand value-added services. Mobile phoneoperators are therefore investing in infra-structure development to support this.”

While she acknowledges that there arestill connection problems in some ruralareas, Venter notes that both Unitel andMovicel are upgrading their systems andexpanding their networks rapidly, “resultingin a boom in 2013, which will settle but remain strong”.

Equally, Research and Markets, a com-pany which specialises in internationalmarket research, is projecting revenue inAngola to grow by an average of 15 to 20 percent over the next three years. It predictsthat “Angola is deep enough for mobileservices to break the $2 billion mark before2010, and at least come close to $3 billionbefore 2013. This is a remarkable feat: Angola is half the size of Kenya in subscriber terms, but will be almost twice

its size in revenue terms.”On a social level, mobile phones are

now indispensible in education. For AnaTato, a teacher working in Katabola Schoolin rural Bié province, a mobile phone hasallowed her to build up a huge network ofcontacts and deal with problems and emer-gencies much quicker than previously.

“I can contact and be contacted by students whenever necessary,” she says. “Ifa pupil is absent from school for a pro-longed period, I can call them directly orget in touch with their parents or a friend.”

Mobile phones are used widelythroughout the school and from one schoolto the next, since there are only a few land-lines. “If there is an IT problem in anotherschool further away in the province, I canoften solve it by phone,” says Tato. “If thereis a teacher absent, we can find a replace-ment. Mobile phones save us so much timetravelling around the province.”

A mobile phone is also important toher in her private life. Many Angolans fledto different provinces during the war andare now resettling across the country. “Themembers of my family live very far awayfrom one another and so having a mobilemeans we can stay in touch,” she says.

The growth of the mobile phone market is not only great business – it ishelping Angolans at every level of the socialspectrum. �

UNITELFounded: 2001Market share: 62 per cent

MOVICELFounded: 2003Market share: 38 per cent

An increasein mobile

phone penetra-tion by 10 percent leads toan increase

in GDP by 0.6per cent

”

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London Business School


In 2001, Africa became the first continent where the number of mobilesubscribers exceeded fixed-line users.

With almost 280 million customers, Africais now the fastest-growing market in theworld. It is estimated that by 2010, a thirdof Africans will own a mobile phone. Mobiles are now recognised as vital instruments of change in finance,agriculture, the media and developmentwork. Here are a few of the innovative waysthat mobiles are changing the shape of thecontinent.

BankingSince 2005, South African banks have allowed account holders to pay for goods,transfer money to friends and family andtop up credit on their pre-pay phones viatext message. The service is called m-bank-ing and is used by almost five millionclients. Transfers via mobile phone are reportedly as safe as using ATM machinesor the internet as each customer has a personal code, and voice-recognition technology is used to screen customers.Banks in Nigeria and Kenya offer a similarservice. A bank in Zambia allows con-sumers to pay utility, television, restaurantand petrol bills using their mobile phones.M-banking is expected to continue spread-ing throughout Africa and will eventuallyreach Angola.

HealthIn South Africa, the NGO Cell-Life runs aproject which uses mobile phones to provide information for people infected

with or affected by HIV. This includes massmessaging for awareness raising, links tothe national Aids helpline via text messageand adherence messaging – a reminder totake antiretroviral drugs at the prescribedtimes or to attend appointments. In Mali,the Ikon Telemedicine Project allows doc-tors from smaller hospitals to get advicefrom larger hospitals via their mobilephones. Trials have also got under way inGhana for a simple text message systemwhich will allow customers purchasingmedicine to be assured of its quality beforeleaving the pharmacy. The consumerscratches off a panel on the drug’s packetto reveal a unique code. The consumerthen sends a text message with this code toa hotline number which confirms if themedicine is authorised and original. Theproject, currently in the latter stages of de-velopment, is being led by nonprofit or-ganisation mPedigree and is set to beintroduced in Ghana as well as Nigeria andpossibly Rwanda. The providers have alsoexpressed their interest in extending theconcept to French-speaking and Por-tuguese-speaking Africa, including Angola.

EducationStudents from rural communities studyingat the University of South Africa can nowstudy from home, even receiving exam results via their mobile phones.

EmploymentThe Kenyan company Mobile4Good runs aservice to alert job seekers about potentialwork via text messages.

AgricultureTradeNet, a Ghana-based trading firm, al-lows farmers to access prices from tradersand advertise their merchandise by mobilephone, ensuring they get the fairest pricefor their produce. TradeNet offers servicesin Benin, Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast,Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique,Nigeria, Sudan and Togo. Similarly, in Sene-gal and Tanzania, farmers and fishermenare able to receive market-price updatesvia text message. In Cameroon, farmerscan also use mobile phones to contactrural-development agronomists based inYaoundé, the capital, with questions viathe ‘Allo ingenieur’ scheme. �

Vital instruments: new ways that mobile phones are used in Africa


MOBILE PHONES

AUTUMN 2009 23

With almost280 millionsubscribers,Africa is now thefastest-growingmarket in theworld

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Pass mark: exam resultsare sent by text message



GENETICS


A group of Angolans might be the direct descendants of the earliest human beings. Universo reports on a fascinating study of African genetic data

Ever wondered where the first humans came from? Thanksto advances in genetic research, scientists are closer thanever before to answering that question – and a group of

native Angolans may hold the key.A ten-year study of DNA samples from all over Africa

analysed the genetic make-up of 121 African populations andcame to the conclusion that the continent is made up of 14 an-cestral population clusters.

By looking at the genetic diversity of the samples, a team ofscientists led by Dr Sarah Tishkoff of the University of Pennsylva-nia discovered that the group with the most ancient roots wasthe San who live in the border area between Angola andNamibia.

Formerly known as bushmen, the San are an ethnicgroup that number about 90,000 and live in isolatedcommunities in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, SouthAfrica, Zambia and Zimbabwe. �

ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES

First people? the AngolanSan have the oldest DNA

in the world

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SU23.SAN people.pp24-29:SU23 10/8/09 19:12


GENETICS


A group of Angolans might be the direct descendants of the earliest human beings. Universo reports on a fascinating study of African genetic data

Ever wondered where the first humans came from? Thanksto advances in genetic research, scientists are closer thanever before to answering that question – and a group of

native Angolans may hold the key.A ten-year study of DNA samples from all over Africa

analysed the genetic make-up of 121 African populations andcame to the conclusion that the continent is made up of 14 an-cestral population clusters.

By looking at the genetic diversity of the samples, a team ofscientists led by Dr Sarah Tishkoff of the University of Pennsylva-nia discovered that the group with the most ancient roots wasthe San who live in the border area between Angola andNamibia.

Formerly known as bushmen, the San are an ethnicgroup that number about 90,000 and live in isolatedcommunities in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, SouthAfrica, Zambia and Zimbabwe. �

ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES

First people? the AngolanSan have the oldest DNA

in the world

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GENETICS

Dr Tishkoff explained that the more genetically diverse a person’s DNA, theolder that person’s ancestry. “The assump-tion is that the oldest population has themost genetic diversity because it takes timeto accumulate the variation,” she said.Since the San from the Angola-Namibiaarea had the most diverse DNA of the study,this showed that they were the world’s “oldest living population”.

While it was already known that thefirst humans came from Africa – which nowhas a population of 680 million – it has longbeen a matter of debate which part of thecontinent they came from.

Dr Tishkoff said, however, that just because the San people are related to thefirst humans, this did not mean that thespecies began where the San now live. “It isvery possible these populations may havemigrated from another region, such asEastern Africa,” she said. If that were so,then the San people of the Angola-Namibiaborder “would be the descendants of thatoriginal migration”.

Africa is the most genetically diversecontinent in the world, which shows that itspopulation is the oldest. Dr Tishkoff’s teamhas also calculated the exit point fromwhich a small human group – believed tobe a single tribal band of around 150 people– left Africa 50,000 years ago and went on topopulate the rest of the world.

The region, the study says, is near themidpoint of the African coast of the RedSea. Dr Tishkoff has been widely praised forher work published in May this year in theAmerican journal Science Express.

Muntaser Ibrahim, a researcher fromthe University of Khartoum who was alsoinvolved in the study, has called it “a spec-tacular insight into the history of Africanpopulations and, therefore, the history ofmankind”, and Alison Brooks, a specialiston African anthropology at George Washington University, described it as “anenormously impressive piece of work”.

The DNA was collected by takingblood or cheek swab samples from acrossthe continent. The study has given histori-ans, linguists and anthropologists a wholenew volume of research with which to testout theories of population history, culturalevolution and human migration acrossAfrica.

For instance, by looking at lactose tolerance genes and how they have mu-tated in different parts of Africa, the teamcan trace the introduction of cattle herdingand the domestication of agriculture.

More importantly, there is now a newfoundation for medical and pharmaceuti-cal research which can help scientists anddoctors tackle HIV, malaria and tuberculo-sis, all major killers in Africa.

According to Dr Tishkoff, the genetic

library will help create a better understand-ing about interpretations of drugs and dis-ease risks. “People can respond differentlyto different drugs and different diseases,”she said. “For example, there is one genewhich makes people more naturally resist-ant to malaria but gives them a very bad reaction to some malaria medication.

“Then there is another gene whichvaries the tolerance of medicine for tuber-culosis, so one person may benefit from adose but the same-sized dose could betoxic for someone else.”

She explained that most genetic research has been done in the Western pop-ulation and very little is still known aboutHIV and malaria. “If we don’t include Africain genetic research, then we are not goingto be able to understand its genetic envi-ronment and the continent will be left be-hind, which is a problem when you look atthe needs of Africa.”

Dr Tishkoff is humble enough to admither work only scratches the surface andthat she studied 120 populations out of apossible 2,000, but she believes it is an important start. “This is a beginning and wehope that our work will motivate others forfuture studies.

“Long term, we want to play a role intraining African scientists to do human-genetics research, with facilities, technol-ogy and training for African educational in-stitutions so that they can play animportant role in future research in Africa.”

Other needs may also be satisfied byDr Tishkoff’s work, and that is the renewedinterest among African Americans abouttheir ancestry. “We know that many AfricanAmericans originate from slaves leavingWest Africa, and that includes Angola,which was a large exporter of slaves,” shesaid.

“It will be very interesting to look moreclosely at the links between Angola andAfrican Americans. There has been very little genetic research done from within Angola and this is a huge untapped areawith a lot of potential.” �

Africa is the most genetically diverse continent in theworld, which shows that its population is the oldest“ ”

DNA under themicroscope

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Dr Tishkoff believes a single tribalgroup of 150 people left Africa

50,000 years ago and went on topopulate the rest of the world


AUTUMN 2009 29

GENETICS


CLICK CLIQUEA Namibian filmmaker is raising awareness of Angola’s San

The beauty andintrigue of theancient San

first caught RichardPakleppa’s attentionas a boy while visiting

his grandfather’s farm in Namibia. Fas-cinated, he began to learn some wordsof their unusual language (see box).

After working as a trade union offi-cer, Pakleppa went on to representNamibian San over land-rights issuesand in 2004 he was part of the team be-hind Where the First are Last, the firststudy of the Angolan San communitiesin more than 30 years.

Pakleppa’s latest project is a filmpart-financed by Christian Aid and theNetherlands Development Ministrycalled Da Terra, do Fogo e da Agua(Earth, Fire and Water). Filmed in Huílaand Cunene provinces, which are hometo Angola’s San communities, now be-lieved to number just a few thousand,the film offers a rarely-seen insight intothe lives of the descendants of the firsthumans. Pakleppa spent weeks travel-ling into some of the remotest parts ofAngola to hear the stories of the Sanwhose numbers are dwindling fast.

As well as their distinctive lan-guage, brightly-coloured clothes andbead adornments, and unique physicalappearance, the San are also known fortheir music and trance-dances. Thesedances take on various forms, depend-ing on each community and its tradi-tion and what the dance is for, whetherto protect from evil spirits, to heal, tobring rain or to visit others in out-of-body experiences.

The dancers sometimes adornthemselves with rattles made from fruitcases with seeds inside, or hold sticks orpieces of animals. Once the dancing be-gins, the dancer is transported into atrance. Often the trances end in fainting

as the dancer enters into an alteredstate.

“Traditionally, they are hunter-gatherers relying on game and bushfood,” said Pakleppa. “Inward migrationof Bantu groups led them to lose accessto large stretches of land over 300 yearspreceding the war. During the warmany animals were hunted, leaving lit-tle large game. The smaller game has inmany cases been seen off by new ani-mals being brought in by the Bantufarmers, cattle for instance. Then youhave land being taken over, bush foodtrampled underfoot, less rainfall so lessgrows, then there are floods…these areall factors which have reduced their re-sources and their traditional survivalskills are dying out.”

Extreme povertyPakleppa said this had left many San liv-ing in extreme poverty without the sup-port to which other Angolans haveaccess, and disease and hardship werecommonplace. “They can’t hunt andgather any more, so they have to go andask for help and work for their neigh-bours. In many cases they are exploitedas cheap labour and sometimes they arepaid in alcohol, not money, whichcauses more problems.”

Pakleppa, who is based in Londonbut travels regularly back to Africa onfilm assignments, said the film was de-signed to show the lives of the San toother Angolans. “We wanted people toget a better understanding of the Sanand not to just think they are beggars orscavengers on the edge of society,” heexplained.

“I have spent a lot of time with Sanpeople. They can be really raucous, anddynamic and crazy; they sometimeslaugh out loud in the middle of thehardest moments. They have this verydark sense of humour, born out of their

conditions, like you see in the toughestneighbourhoods of Luanda. It’s thatkind of tough spiritedness that all Angolans have.”

Pakleppa said money was startingto be spent helping create dialogue be-tween San and Bantu communitieswhere there had been problems, and hehoped more funding in the futurewould continue this.

Angolan NGO Organização Cristãde Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Comu-nitário (Christian Organisation Sup-porting. Community Development)which is working closely with theprovincial government in Huíla, hasmade a major contribution.

“We are not about pointing fingerswith the film – it’s about exploring thesituation as it is and asking how we canmake it better,” said Pakleppa. “I don’tbelieve in ethnic rights, this is simplyabout human rights. I really believe inthe San; they are wonderful people.” �

The Angolan San speak !Kung, whichlike several other languages in south-ern Africa involves speaking with aclick sound. It is thought that theclick sound came about because ithelped the San to communicate whilehunting – animals are scared byhuman language but not by clicks.

Some basic !Kung phonetics:

// This sign is used when writing Sanwords to indicate a click – similarto the sound made when urging ahorse to move.

/ Another click sound, like the –tut-ting– sound made when expressingsympathy.

! A tongue click which has the soundof cork popping from a bottle.

# With one slash only, a sound likethe sucking of a baby made withthe tongue just behind the teeth.

Tip of the tongue

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TOURISM

GOTCHA!Angola offers some of the best fishing in the world – as tourists are beginning to find out

Green giant: a 25lb doradocaught near Luanda

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TOURISM

GOTCHA!Angola offers some of the best fishing in the world – as tourists are beginning to find out

Green giant: a 25lb doradocaught near Luanda

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TOURISM

For fly fishermen, Angola is the finalfrontier, unchartered waters waitingto be discovered. Fish such as tarpon,

dorado, Atlantic threadfin and Crevalle jackcan all be found in abundance in Angola’sestuaries, and in weights and sizes rarelyseen elsewhere.

“There are a lot of fish waiting to becaught in Angola,” says Gerhard Laubscher,a South African who runs FlyCastaway, aspecialist company organising global fly-fishing trips. “We travel the world look-ing for the best places to take our clients.Angola has excellent fishing and more andmore people are starting to go there for thisreason.”

Jungle base“It is a venue unlike any other we havefished and guided in. Its potential and diversity mixed with the unique jungle environment at our base on the KwanzaRiver is a life-altering experience.”

Angola’s sport-fishing resources arecertainly getting the country noticed. Aswell as attracting anglers from around theworld, South African satellite television operator DStv is currently broadcasting aleisure-fishing series featuring Angolaacross the continent.

Even before FlyCastaway and otheroperators began trips to Angola, it had longbeen a popular fishing destination. Prior toindependence in 1975, the country was theplace for Atlantic sailfish. During the conflict years, fishing became less accessi-ble, but since 1987 there have been annual

offshore fishing events attracting interna-tional fishermen in search of sailfish, bluemarlin and tuna, and the country holdsmany weight records for these species.

Part of the reason for the attraction toAngola is that the war kept fishing levelsdown and allowed the seas and rivers to restock. The current boom is in inshore flyfishing, particularly on the River Kwanza,whose mouth is situated at the north ofKissama National Park, and on the RiverLonga, which joins the ocean at its base.Here coastal fish enter the estuaries at dif-ferent times of year creating an angling par-adise where record weights are regularlyrecorded.

The Kwanza is less than an hour’s drivefrom Luanda and is a popular weekenddestination for expatriate oil workers andinternational visitors. Lodges – some up-market, some more basic – are springingup as a peaceful escape from the noise ofthe city, and offer good food, stunning sun-sets and plenty of fishing nearby.

The Kwanza begins in Kwanza Sul andflows north and west out to the Atlanticthrough Kwanza Norte and Bengo

provinces. Typical of a jungle river, it is thickin vegetation with large mangroves liningthe banks of the heavily-silted waters.

Here in August in the lower reaches ofthe river, among the large drifting islands ofgrass and weeds, visitors will find giant or“bull” dorado, a favourite among anglersbecause of their playful acrobatics andelectric colouring.

Stubborn fightersThese fish, regularly weighing more than40lbs, explode into the air when hooked,tail walking along the water, as if deliber-ately showing off their neon hues. Furtherinto the river are Crevalle jack. These stub-born fighters roam in packs close to theshore, hunting down the shoals of smallerfish which swim in this area. Weighing upto 50lbs, Crevalle jack are known for theirdogged determination and can be thetoughest to tangle with on a fly rod.

Another sought-after catch is the giantAfrican threadfin, which are found at themouth of the Kwanza and up the AtlanticCoast into the Gulf of Guinea.

The best time of year to catch �

Further south down the coast in the desert province of Namibe, fishingenthusiasts are drawn to the mouth of the Cunene River for giant kob,garrick and shad as well as bronze whaler sharks, large yellowbelly rockcod and skate. More intrepid rodsmen can cross to the Baía dos Tigres –Bay of Tigers – a tiny island of only 95 square metres, once joined to themainland and now only accessible at certain tide times.

Here among the lagoons there is an abundance of bird life, dolphins,turtles and game such as gemsbok and jackals, as well as excellentfishing, particularly for sharks and rays. This barely-touched wildernessis just a few hundred kilometres north of the Angolan and Namibian border, close to Lubango in Huíla where there is an airport. The region is also popular with adventure travellers looking for off-road tours andquad biking. It may be becoming more accessible, however, as there is agovernment plan to redevelop the area with a quay, an airport, an urbancentre and the installation of a wind-energy station.

Southern catches

We travel the world looking forthe best places to take our clients. Angola has excellent fishing andmore and more people are starting togo there for this reason“

”Double hander: a 170lb Atlantic

tarpon caught with fly tackle in themouth of the Kwanza River

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Gerhard Laubscher, FlyCastaway

SU23.Fishing.pp30-35:SU23 10/8/09 19:08


TOURISM

For fly fishermen, Angola is the finalfrontier, unchartered waters waitingto be discovered. Fish such as tarpon,

dorado, Atlantic threadfin and Crevalle jackcan all be found in abundance in Angola’sestuaries, and in weights and sizes rarelyseen elsewhere.

“There are a lot of fish waiting to becaught in Angola,” says Gerhard Laubscher,a South African who runs FlyCastaway, aspecialist company organising global fly-fishing trips. “We travel the world look-ing for the best places to take our clients.Angola has excellent fishing and more andmore people are starting to go there for thisreason.”

Jungle base“It is a venue unlike any other we havefished and guided in. Its potential and diversity mixed with the unique jungle environment at our base on the KwanzaRiver is a life-altering experience.”

Angola’s sport-fishing resources arecertainly getting the country noticed. Aswell as attracting anglers from around theworld, South African satellite television operator DStv is currently broadcasting aleisure-fishing series featuring Angolaacross the continent.

Even before FlyCastaway and otheroperators began trips to Angola, it had longbeen a popular fishing destination. Prior toindependence in 1975, the country was theplace for Atlantic sailfish. During the conflict years, fishing became less accessi-ble, but since 1987 there have been annual

offshore fishing events attracting interna-tional fishermen in search of sailfish, bluemarlin and tuna, and the country holdsmany weight records for these species.

Part of the reason for the attraction toAngola is that the war kept fishing levelsdown and allowed the seas and rivers to restock. The current boom is in inshore flyfishing, particularly on the River Kwanza,whose mouth is situated at the north ofKissama National Park, and on the RiverLonga, which joins the ocean at its base.Here coastal fish enter the estuaries at dif-ferent times of year creating an angling par-adise where record weights are regularlyrecorded.

The Kwanza is less than an hour’s drivefrom Luanda and is a popular weekenddestination for expatriate oil workers andinternational visitors. Lodges – some up-market, some more basic – are springingup as a peaceful escape from the noise ofthe city, and offer good food, stunning sun-sets and plenty of fishing nearby.

The Kwanza begins in Kwanza Sul andflows north and west out to the Atlanticthrough Kwanza Norte and Bengo

provinces. Typical of a jungle river, it is thickin vegetation with large mangroves liningthe banks of the heavily-silted waters.

Here in August in the lower reaches ofthe river, among the large drifting islands ofgrass and weeds, visitors will find giant or“bull” dorado, a favourite among anglersbecause of their playful acrobatics andelectric colouring.

Stubborn fightersThese fish, regularly weighing more than40lbs, explode into the air when hooked,tail walking along the water, as if deliber-ately showing off their neon hues. Furtherinto the river are Crevalle jack. These stub-born fighters roam in packs close to theshore, hunting down the shoals of smallerfish which swim in this area. Weighing upto 50lbs, Crevalle jack are known for theirdogged determination and can be thetoughest to tangle with on a fly rod.

Another sought-after catch is the giantAfrican threadfin, which are found at themouth of the Kwanza and up the AtlanticCoast into the Gulf of Guinea.

The best time of year to catch �

Further south down the coast in the desert province of Namibe, fishingenthusiasts are drawn to the mouth of the Cunene River for giant kob,garrick and shad as well as bronze whaler sharks, large yellowbelly rockcod and skate. More intrepid rodsmen can cross to the Baía dos Tigres –Bay of Tigers – a tiny island of only 95 square metres, once joined to themainland and now only accessible at certain tide times.

Here among the lagoons there is an abundance of bird life, dolphins,turtles and game such as gemsbok and jackals, as well as excellentfishing, particularly for sharks and rays. This barely-touched wildernessis just a few hundred kilometres north of the Angolan and Namibian border, close to Lubango in Huíla where there is an airport. The region is also popular with adventure travellers looking for off-road tours andquad biking. It may be becoming more accessible, however, as there is agovernment plan to redevelop the area with a quay, an airport, an urbancentre and the installation of a wind-energy station.

Southern catches

We travel the world looking forthe best places to take our clients. Angola has excellent fishing andmore and more people are starting togo there for this reason“

”Double hander: a 170lb Atlantic

tarpon caught with fly tackle in themouth of the Kwanza River

Pau

l Bre

hem

/Ph

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threadfin in Angola is in July and August,according to Iain Nicholson, a Brit andlong-term resident in Angola, who is thecountry’s representative of the Interna-tional Game Fish Association.

“They move up the river in shoals andthe fishing can be outstanding,” he says.“The threadfin is a personal favourite ofmine. They are a peculiar-looking fish witha semi-transparent, almost shark-like noseand four pairs of long filaments below thepectoral fins. Their large and deeply-forkedtail gives you a hint of what can be expectedwhen they are hooked.”

Prize catchFor FlyCastaway’s Gerhard Laubscher, however, it is the tarpon, also known as silver kings, which make Angola special.“You just don’t find them in the size andquantities that you find them in Angola,” hesays. “For a fly fisherman, the tarpon is theone.”

First caught off the Florida Quays inthe 1950s, tarpon are one of the oldestspecies of fish found today. Growing up totwo metres long and weighing hundreds ofpounds, they are known in angling terms asa prize catch.

Tarpon can be found between Octoberand July, but the main season for the largerfish is between November and February,and they have been known to swim as far as80km up the River Kwanza. “It’s alwaysbeen said that the biggest tarpon were inWest Africa, so we decided to go to Angolato have a look for ourselves,” says Laubscher. “When we got here and caughtsome, it was pretty amazing. One of themmust have been over 200lbs which, if wehad killed it to be weighed, would definitelyhave been a world record.”

However, just as Laubscher andNicholson agree on the quality of the fishing in Angola, they are also united intheir concern for the future of the fishingstock due to an increase in illegal nettingwhich is depleting fish numbers and threat-

ening their survival. “For Angola to benefit both economi-

cally and environmentally from sport fishing and ecotourism, such areas will require urgent protection from over-fish-ing, the removal of mangroves, and an endto poaching and polluting,” says Nicholson.“Illegal netting inside the rivers and aroundmost river mouths is rapidly depletingstocks in areas where fish congregate. It isalso preventing the natural movement ofwildlife, game fish and their forage baitfish,and indiscriminately killing protected andendangered species like turtles.”

Laubscher adds: “You’ve got peoplenetting who were once doing it on a subsis-tence basis, but now they are doing it commercially and it is causing real prob-lems. The legislation is there against nettingbut it is happening more and more and if itdoes not stop, then these species aren’tgoing to survive.

“Fishing tourism is worth a lot ofmoney to Angola. It is a positive thing forthe country, so I hope it can continue.” �

AUTUMN 2009 35

TOURISM


Fishing tackle is not readily available inAngola and anglers are advised to cometotally prepared with spares and a varietyof lures and jigs.

Angolan Adventure Safaris offers accommodation, tours and fishing tripsaround Angola: www.aasafaris.com

FlyCastaway arranges trips to Angola:www.flycastaway.com

User’s guide

You just don’t find tarpon in the size and quantities that you find themin Angola“ ”

Silver fish: a white-fin Crevallejack from Mussulo Bay

Dav

id F

leet

ham

/nat

ure

pl.c

om

Pau

l Nic

klen

D

ale

C. S

par

tas/

CO

RB

IS

ww

w.F

lyC

asta

way

.co

m/G

erh

ard

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her

ww

w.F

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.co

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Teamwork! A young female dorado taken from a

weed line just off Luanda


SU23.Fishing.pp30-35:SU23 10/8/09 19:08

threadfin in Angola is in July and August,according to Iain Nicholson, a Brit andlong-term resident in Angola, who is thecountry’s representative of the Interna-tional Game Fish Association.

“They move up the river in shoals andthe fishing can be outstanding,” he says.“The threadfin is a personal favourite ofmine. They are a peculiar-looking fish witha semi-transparent, almost shark-like noseand four pairs of long filaments below thepectoral fins. Their large and deeply-forkedtail gives you a hint of what can be expectedwhen they are hooked.”

Prize catchFor FlyCastaway’s Gerhard Laubscher, however, it is the tarpon, also known as silver kings, which make Angola special.“You just don’t find them in the size andquantities that you find them in Angola,” hesays. “For a fly fisherman, the tarpon is theone.”

First caught off the Florida Quays inthe 1950s, tarpon are one of the oldestspecies of fish found today. Growing up totwo metres long and weighing hundreds ofpounds, they are known in angling terms asa prize catch.

Tarpon can be found between Octoberand July, but the main season for the largerfish is between November and February,and they have been known to swim as far as80km up the River Kwanza. “It’s alwaysbeen said that the biggest tarpon were inWest Africa, so we decided to go to Angolato have a look for ourselves,” says Laubscher. “When we got here and caughtsome, it was pretty amazing. One of themmust have been over 200lbs which, if wehad killed it to be weighed, would definitelyhave been a world record.”

However, just as Laubscher andNicholson agree on the quality of the fishing in Angola, they are also united intheir concern for the future of the fishingstock due to an increase in illegal nettingwhich is depleting fish numbers and threat-

ening their survival. “For Angola to benefit both economi-

cally and environmentally from sport fishing and ecotourism, such areas will require urgent protection from over-fish-ing, the removal of mangroves, and an endto poaching and polluting,” says Nicholson.“Illegal netting inside the rivers and aroundmost river mouths is rapidly depletingstocks in areas where fish congregate. It isalso preventing the natural movement ofwildlife, game fish and their forage baitfish,and indiscriminately killing protected andendangered species like turtles.”

Laubscher adds: “You’ve got peoplenetting who were once doing it on a subsis-tence basis, but now they are doing it commercially and it is causing real prob-lems. The legislation is there against nettingbut it is happening more and more and if itdoes not stop, then these species aren’tgoing to survive.

“Fishing tourism is worth a lot ofmoney to Angola. It is a positive thing forthe country, so I hope it can continue.” �

AUTUMN 2009 35

TOURISM


Fishing tackle is not readily available inAngola and anglers are advised to cometotally prepared with spares and a varietyof lures and jigs.

Angolan Adventure Safaris offers accommodation, tours and fishing tripsaround Angola: www.aasafaris.com

FlyCastaway arranges trips to Angola:www.flycastaway.com

User’s guide

You just don’t find tarpon in the size and quantities that you find themin Angola“ ”

Silver fish: a white-fin Crevallejack from Mussulo Bay

Dav

id F

leet

ham

/nat

ure

pl.c

om

Pau

l Nic

klen

D

ale

C. S

par

tas/

CO

RB

IS

ww

w.F

lyC

asta

way

.co

m/G

erh

ard

Lau

bsc

her

ww

w.F

lyC

asta

way

.co

m/G

erh

ard

Lau

bsc

her

ww

w.F

lyC

asta

way

.co

m/G

erh

ard

Lau

bsc

her

Teamwork! A young female dorado taken from a

weed line just off Luanda



AUTUMN 2009 37

Norwegian dealAngola and Norway have signed amemorandum of understanding for

the development of an integrated projectfor hydropower and aluminium production.The deal was inked by Emanuela VieiraLopes, Angolan Energy Minister, and ArvidMoss, the deputy chairman of the Norwe-gian firm Hydro. Vieira Lopes said: “Thiswill involve the implementation of an inte-grated project for two hydroelectric cen-trals with an indicative capacity ofbetween 750 and 1000 megawatts andelectricity conveying lines.”

Big tubeAngola LNG has begun building

the gas pipe which will link the

offshore oil blocks with the new lique-

fied natural gas plant in Soyo. The pipe

will be 25km long and take 18 months

to construct – work which is being car-

ried out offshore by Acergy and on-

shore by Spie. It will link offshore

blocks 0, 1, 2, 14, 15, 17 and 18 to the

LNG plant onshore in Soyo in Zaire

province, northern Angola. There will

be three strands to the pipe with fibre

optics fitted to electronically control the

pressure and temperature and to detect

breakdowns. The project is a shared

venture between BP Exploration (13.6

per cent), Chevron (36.4 per cent),

ExxonMobil (13.6 per cent), Sonangol

(22.8 per cent) and Total (13.6 per cent).

Shipping ahoySonangol Shipping, a Sonangol

subsidiary, has launched a new

maritime training centre in Sumbe,

Kwanza Sul. The Centro de Treinamento

Marítimo will have classrooms, laborato-

ries, libraries, a research centre, a

mechanical engineering base and house

nautical instruments. There will also be a

residential area and a dedicated fire-pre-

vention unit at the centre in Kicombo

which will train Sonangol’s maritime staff.

It is the first project of its kind to be devel-

oped in the region and is due to open in

two years.

NEWSSonangol news briefingHalfway through Angola’s

first year at the helm of theOrganization of the

Petroleum Exporting Countries(Opec), there has been some goodnews about the price of oil.

When Angola took the presi-dency of the cartel in January,prices were near $30 a barrel, and as a result Opec implemented production cuts which meant lessincome for Angola.

Yet by the middle of the year, theprice had risen to $70 a barrel, alevel which Angola Oil Minister JoséMaria Botelho de Vasconcelos feelsis good for everyone. “I believe thecurrent prices satisfy both con-sumers and producers,” he says.“The Opec goals are being met andI think that if by the end of the yearprices remain at the $70 to $75level, that will be positive for theeconomy.”

Opec controls more than a thirdof the world’s crude-oil productionand over the course of the pastyear has agreed to cut output tocounter a slide in prices.

In 2008, Angola was producing2 million barrels per day (bpd) andbriefly overtook Nigeria as sub-Sa-haran Africa’s largest oil producer.Under Opec-enforced cuts, its out-put is now 1.656 million bpd. An-gola has had to readjust its budgetand reduce public spending to ac-commodate the fall in oil income.Botelho de Vasconcelos is report-edly negotiating an increase inAngola’s quota within Opec. ➔36 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

New office

Early oil

Mosquito moneyThe ExxonMobil Foundation has donated $1

million to USAID, the US Agency for Interna-tional Development, taking its total funding of the

organisation to $3 million. USAID, workingthrough the American president’s Malaria Initia-tive, is collaborating with the Angolan govern-

ment to reduce the number of malaria deaths inAngola. The initiative includes the distribution

of bed nets, the provision of testing kits,anti-malarial medication, community ed-ucation and the training of health profes-sionals across the country. Malariaprevention is a key priority for theExxonMobil Foundation which has in

total given $6 million in the last twoyears to fight malaria in Angola.

Sonangol has opened a new officein the Ivory Coast, in a bid to further develop bilateral co-operation inthe oil sector. Sonangol is involvedin a new refinery due to open theresoon. Gilberto Buta Lutukuta, Angolan ambassador to the IvoryCoast, Mali and Burkina Faso, saidthat Angola and the Ivory Coast enjoyed good relations in a numberof areas.

Chevron’s Angolan subsidiary CabindaGulf Oil Company (CABGOC) and itspartners have begun crude-oil produc-tion ahead of schedule on the Ma-fumeira Norte project in Block 0.Located in 160 feet of water about 15miles off the Angolan coastline, the project is the first-phase development ofthe Mafumeira Field located in Area A ofBlock 0. The project is being commer-cialised through 14 wells to the existingKungulo water-injection platform and isexpected to reach maximum total pro-duction of 30,000 barrels of crude oiland 30 million cubic feet per day of natural gas in 2011.

The engineering, procurement, construction and installation contractfor the Mafumeira Norte platform wasawarded to Sonamet (Lobito), a jointventure between Sonangol and Acergy,marking the first time Sonamet wasawarded such a contract. The fabrica-tion of the platform was completed atSonamet’s Lobito yard in southern Angola. George Kirkland, executive vice president for Chevron Global Upstream and Gas, said: “This under-scores Chevron’s commitment to grow-ing its resource base in West Africa anddelivering on our robust queue of majorcapital projects.”

Nearly 700 exhibitors from 28 countriestook part in the 2009 Luanda Interna-tional Fair in July. Tens of thousands ofpeople attended the six-day event,known by its Portuguese acronym Filda,which was themed around agricultureand agricultural industry. Exhibitorscame from all over the world includingPortugal, Brazil, Germany, Spain, Japan,South Africa, France and China. Therewere six pavilions spread across the sitenear Viana, and in addition to the exhi-bitions, there were a number of sympo-siums and conferences on agricultureand national reconstruction. Energy

companies shared a special pavilionwhich featured stands from Sonangol, Angola LNG, BP, Chevron,Esso and Total, among others. In the Angolan pavilion, local producers exhib-ited their food and drinks and therewere experts on hand from Angola’s National Coffee Institute (Inca) andother governmental agro agencies. Francisca do Espírito Santo, governor of Luanda, opened the event, accompa-nied by a number of top-level ministersincluding the Minister of Agriculture,Pedro Canga, and Minister of Economy,Manuel Nunes Jnr.

Filda success

GC

I

Yan

n A

rth

us-

Ber

tran

d/C

OR

BIS

iSto

ckp

ho

toPh

oto

libra

ry

Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Oil Minister JoséMaria Botellho de

Vasconcelos meetsAntónio Órfão, head

of Sonagás

SU23.Sonangol News.pp36-37:SU23 10/8/09 19:13

AUTUMN 2009 37

Norwegian dealAngola and Norway have signed amemorandum of understanding for

the development of an integrated projectfor hydropower and aluminium production.The deal was inked by Emanuela VieiraLopes, Angolan Energy Minister, and ArvidMoss, the deputy chairman of the Norwe-gian firm Hydro. Vieira Lopes said: “Thiswill involve the implementation of an inte-grated project for two hydroelectric cen-trals with an indicative capacity ofbetween 750 and 1000 megawatts andelectricity conveying lines.”

Big tubeAngola LNG has begun building

the gas pipe which will link the

offshore oil blocks with the new lique-

fied natural gas plant in Soyo. The pipe

will be 25km long and take 18 months

to construct – work which is being car-

ried out offshore by Acergy and on-

shore by Spie. It will link offshore

blocks 0, 1, 2, 14, 15, 17 and 18 to the

LNG plant onshore in Soyo in Zaire

province, northern Angola. There will

be three strands to the pipe with fibre

optics fitted to electronically control the

pressure and temperature and to detect

breakdowns. The project is a shared

venture between BP Exploration (13.6

per cent), Chevron (36.4 per cent),

ExxonMobil (13.6 per cent), Sonangol

(22.8 per cent) and Total (13.6 per cent).

Shipping ahoySonangol Shipping, a Sonangol

subsidiary, has launched a new

maritime training centre in Sumbe,

Kwanza Sul. The Centro de Treinamento

Marítimo will have classrooms, laborato-

ries, libraries, a research centre, a

mechanical engineering base and house

nautical instruments. There will also be a

residential area and a dedicated fire-pre-

vention unit at the centre in Kicombo

which will train Sonangol’s maritime staff.

It is the first project of its kind to be devel-

oped in the region and is due to open in

two years.

NEWSSonangol news briefingHalfway through Angola’s

first year at the helm of theOrganization of the

Petroleum Exporting Countries(Opec), there has been some goodnews about the price of oil.

When Angola took the presi-dency of the cartel in January,prices were near $30 a barrel, and as a result Opec implemented production cuts which meant lessincome for Angola.

Yet by the middle of the year, theprice had risen to $70 a barrel, alevel which Angola Oil Minister JoséMaria Botelho de Vasconcelos feelsis good for everyone. “I believe thecurrent prices satisfy both con-sumers and producers,” he says.“The Opec goals are being met andI think that if by the end of the yearprices remain at the $70 to $75level, that will be positive for theeconomy.”

Opec controls more than a thirdof the world’s crude-oil productionand over the course of the pastyear has agreed to cut output tocounter a slide in prices.

In 2008, Angola was producing2 million barrels per day (bpd) andbriefly overtook Nigeria as sub-Sa-haran Africa’s largest oil producer.Under Opec-enforced cuts, its out-put is now 1.656 million bpd. An-gola has had to readjust its budgetand reduce public spending to ac-commodate the fall in oil income.Botelho de Vasconcelos is report-edly negotiating an increase inAngola’s quota within Opec. ➔36 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

New office

Early oil

Mosquito moneyThe ExxonMobil Foundation has donated $1

million to USAID, the US Agency for Interna-tional Development, taking its total funding of the

organisation to $3 million. USAID, workingthrough the American president’s Malaria Initia-tive, is collaborating with the Angolan govern-

ment to reduce the number of malaria deaths inAngola. The initiative includes the distribution

of bed nets, the provision of testing kits,anti-malarial medication, community ed-ucation and the training of health profes-sionals across the country. Malariaprevention is a key priority for theExxonMobil Foundation which has in

total given $6 million in the last twoyears to fight malaria in Angola.

Sonangol has opened a new officein the Ivory Coast, in a bid to further develop bilateral co-operation inthe oil sector. Sonangol is involvedin a new refinery due to open theresoon. Gilberto Buta Lutukuta, Angolan ambassador to the IvoryCoast, Mali and Burkina Faso, saidthat Angola and the Ivory Coast enjoyed good relations in a numberof areas.

Chevron’s Angolan subsidiary CabindaGulf Oil Company (CABGOC) and itspartners have begun crude-oil produc-tion ahead of schedule on the Ma-fumeira Norte project in Block 0.Located in 160 feet of water about 15miles off the Angolan coastline, the project is the first-phase development ofthe Mafumeira Field located in Area A ofBlock 0. The project is being commer-cialised through 14 wells to the existingKungulo water-injection platform and isexpected to reach maximum total pro-duction of 30,000 barrels of crude oiland 30 million cubic feet per day of natural gas in 2011.

The engineering, procurement, construction and installation contractfor the Mafumeira Norte platform wasawarded to Sonamet (Lobito), a jointventure between Sonangol and Acergy,marking the first time Sonamet wasawarded such a contract. The fabrica-tion of the platform was completed atSonamet’s Lobito yard in southern Angola. George Kirkland, executive vice president for Chevron Global Upstream and Gas, said: “This under-scores Chevron’s commitment to grow-ing its resource base in West Africa anddelivering on our robust queue of majorcapital projects.”

Nearly 700 exhibitors from 28 countriestook part in the 2009 Luanda Interna-tional Fair in July. Tens of thousands ofpeople attended the six-day event,known by its Portuguese acronym Filda,which was themed around agricultureand agricultural industry. Exhibitorscame from all over the world includingPortugal, Brazil, Germany, Spain, Japan,South Africa, France and China. Therewere six pavilions spread across the sitenear Viana, and in addition to the exhi-bitions, there were a number of sympo-siums and conferences on agricultureand national reconstruction. Energy

companies shared a special pavilionwhich featured stands from Sonangol, Angola LNG, BP, Chevron,Esso and Total, among others. In the Angolan pavilion, local producers exhib-ited their food and drinks and therewere experts on hand from Angola’s National Coffee Institute (Inca) andother governmental agro agencies. Francisca do Espírito Santo, governor of Luanda, opened the event, accompa-nied by a number of top-level ministersincluding the Minister of Agriculture,Pedro Canga, and Minister of Economy,Manuel Nunes Jnr.

Filda success

GC

I

Yan

n A

rth

us-

Ber

tran

d/C

OR

BIS

iSto

ckp

ho

toPh

oto

libra

ry

Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Oil Minister JoséMaria Botellho de

Vasconcelos meetsAntónio Órfão, head

of Sonagás

SU23.Sonangol News.pp36-37:SU23 10/8/09 19:13 Page 36

AUTUMN 2009 39

NEWS


Enlightened view:Vicente Inácio is responsible forhealth and safety

Oil companies are by the very nature of their work in-volved in high-risk situations. From the engineerworking offshore using high-pressure equipment, to

the person driving the forklift truck in the local warehouse,there are countless daily risks involved in all operations.

Sonangol has strict policies and guidelines to ensuresafety at work, which include operational discipline, workpermits, confined-space entry, working at heights, lifting operations, excavations, traffic safety, drugs and alcohol andenvironmental awareness. “Quality, health, safety and environment (QHSE) are core Sonangol values and the man-agement of these values is essential for the sustainable development of Angolan oil resources,” says Manuel Vicente, Sonangol’s chief executive.

CommitmentTo underline Sonangol’s commitment to QHSE, the com-pany is in the process of implementing a 14-step manage-ment programme called Progressa-Q. This is designed tocover every element of Sonangol’s work from office to rig,and from classroom to boardroom. The aim is to eliminateworkplace accidents, reduce emissions and discharges,ensure safe products and services and open communi-cations with others about health and safety programmesand performance.

Leading the implementation of Progressa-Q is Vicente Inácio, Sonangol’s QHSE manager. “The Sonangol group is committed to reaching �

Sonangol is employing the latest health and safety measures to keep thecompany operating at the highest standards

Order andprogress

Kam

ene

M T

raça

SU23.Inacio.pp38-41:SU23 10/8/09 19:09

AUTUMN 2009 39

NEWS


Enlightened view:Vicente Inácio is responsible forhealth and safety

Oil companies are by the very nature of their work in-volved in high-risk situations. From the engineerworking offshore using high-pressure equipment, to

the person driving the forklift truck in the local warehouse,there are countless daily risks involved in all operations.

Sonangol has strict policies and guidelines to ensuresafety at work, which include operational discipline, workpermits, confined-space entry, working at heights, lifting operations, excavations, traffic safety, drugs and alcohol andenvironmental awareness. “Quality, health, safety and environment (QHSE) are core Sonangol values and the man-agement of these values is essential for the sustainable development of Angolan oil resources,” says Manuel Vicente, Sonangol’s chief executive.

CommitmentTo underline Sonangol’s commitment to QHSE, the com-pany is in the process of implementing a 14-step manage-ment programme called Progressa-Q. This is designed tocover every element of Sonangol’s work from office to rig,and from classroom to boardroom. The aim is to eliminateworkplace accidents, reduce emissions and discharges,ensure safe products and services and open communi-cations with others about health and safety programmesand performance.

Leading the implementation of Progressa-Q is Vicente Inácio, Sonangol’s QHSE manager. “The Sonangol group is committed to reaching �

Sonangol is employing the latest health and safety measures to keep thecompany operating at the highest standards

Order andprogress

Kam

ene

M T

raça

SU23.Inacio.pp38-41:SU23 10/8/09 19:09 Page 38

excellence in the management of quality,health, safety and environment to becomea leader in Africa in this domain,” he says.“QHSE is an integral part of our values and is essential to the success of our business because it promotes solutions thateffectively reduce the occurrence of accidents.

“Line managers are responsible for theimplementation and maintenance of thesystem, but all workers are responsible forthe many activities necessary to protectthemselves, the company assets, the envi-ronment, the clients and the wider commu-nity,” he adds.

StandardsProgressa-Q was created by internationalconsultants Det Norske Veritas whichworked with Sonangol to build an integrated management system. All Sonan-gol subsidiaries will follow the plan to en-sure continuity of the highest standards insafety across the organisation and many arealready making good headway through theimplementation.

Progressa-Q is based on three key inter-nationally-recognised safety standards: ISO9001 and ISO 1401 from the InternationalOrganisation for Standardisation (ISO), theworld’s largest developer and publisher ofinternational standards, and OHSAS 18001from the US-based Occupational Safety andHealth Administration.

“The Angolan government has issueddifferent decrees for QHSE at work, and environment decrees – and we have to follow these to comply with the law,” says Inácio. “But we want to do more than justcomply with the law; we want this inte-grated management system because we arean international company and we are operating all over the world. This is a tool

which gives a company a better image. Itcreates a positive culture of safety and envi-ronment in the company and this givesmore respect to the client, the government,the public.”

TrainingAs well as each department in the sub-sidiaries instigating the QHSE plans andstrategies, part of achieving the standardscomes from high-quality training which,thanks to its subsidiary Essa, Sonangol isable to partly organise in-house.

Essa (Empresa de Serviços de Sonda-gens de Angola) was established to provideprofessional, technical and safety trainingfor all of the oil industry, not just Sonangolstaff. Based in Cacuaco, near the Luanda re-finery, the Essa centre is one of Africa’slargest offshore training establishments. Itboasts modern conference facilities, a largetraining pool with a launch ramp for boats,an underground viewing room with a largeglass window, a full-scale replica of a heli-copter cabin for underwater escape exer-cises and an advanced fire-fighting trainingarea.

Courses on offer include transportingdangerous goods, well control and blow-outprevention, confined-space entry, helicop-ter underwater-escape training, scaffold-in-spection, rigging and slinging, first aid, firefighting, defensive driving, forklift operationand chemical safety.

“People look to Sonangol, and they can see that the company is doing some-thing positive in respect of QHSE,” says Inácio. “All Sonangol managers have QHSEincluded in their performance evaluations.This is in order to become a more robustcompany and to show that from the topdown we are serious about health and safetyat work.” �

AUTUMN 2009 41

NEWS


Sonangol’s quality, health, safety andenvironment manager.

Age 52, married with five children.

Studied mechanical engineering atAgostinho Neto University in Angola,completing his degree in Portugal,and then studied petroleum engineer-ing at the French Petroleum Institute in France.

Has worked with Sonangol for 24years. Since 2005 has been QHSEmanager. Before that was in explo-ration and production and worked on the plan for the new refinery in Lobito.

Prior to working for Sonangol,worked for Angolan coffee producersGinga Café.

Vicente InácioThe Sonangol group is committed toreaching excellence in the manage-ment of quality, health, safety andenvironment to become a leader inAfrica in this domain“

”Vicente Inácio, QHSE manager

Safety in the workplace isa top priority at Sonangol

Kam

ene

M T

raça

Son

ang

ol

Terr

y V

ine

Pho

tolib

rary

SU23.Inacio.pp38-41:SU23 10/8/09 19:09

excellence in the management of quality,health, safety and environment to becomea leader in Africa in this domain,” he says.“QHSE is an integral part of our values and is essential to the success of our business because it promotes solutions thateffectively reduce the occurrence of accidents.

“Line managers are responsible for theimplementation and maintenance of thesystem, but all workers are responsible forthe many activities necessary to protectthemselves, the company assets, the envi-ronment, the clients and the wider commu-nity,” he adds.

StandardsProgressa-Q was created by internationalconsultants Det Norske Veritas whichworked with Sonangol to build an integrated management system. All Sonan-gol subsidiaries will follow the plan to en-sure continuity of the highest standards insafety across the organisation and many arealready making good headway through theimplementation.

Progressa-Q is based on three key inter-nationally-recognised safety standards: ISO9001 and ISO 1401 from the InternationalOrganisation for Standardisation (ISO), theworld’s largest developer and publisher ofinternational standards, and OHSAS 18001from the US-based Occupational Safety andHealth Administration.

“The Angolan government has issueddifferent decrees for QHSE at work, and environment decrees – and we have to follow these to comply with the law,” says Inácio. “But we want to do more than justcomply with the law; we want this inte-grated management system because we arean international company and we are operating all over the world. This is a tool

which gives a company a better image. Itcreates a positive culture of safety and envi-ronment in the company and this givesmore respect to the client, the government,the public.”

TrainingAs well as each department in the sub-sidiaries instigating the QHSE plans andstrategies, part of achieving the standardscomes from high-quality training which,thanks to its subsidiary Essa, Sonangol isable to partly organise in-house.

Essa (Empresa de Serviços de Sonda-gens de Angola) was established to provideprofessional, technical and safety trainingfor all of the oil industry, not just Sonangolstaff. Based in Cacuaco, near the Luanda re-finery, the Essa centre is one of Africa’slargest offshore training establishments. Itboasts modern conference facilities, a largetraining pool with a launch ramp for boats,an underground viewing room with a largeglass window, a full-scale replica of a heli-copter cabin for underwater escape exer-cises and an advanced fire-fighting trainingarea.

Courses on offer include transportingdangerous goods, well control and blow-outprevention, confined-space entry, helicop-ter underwater-escape training, scaffold-in-spection, rigging and slinging, first aid, firefighting, defensive driving, forklift operationand chemical safety.

“People look to Sonangol, and they can see that the company is doing some-thing positive in respect of QHSE,” says Inácio. “All Sonangol managers have QHSEincluded in their performance evaluations.This is in order to become a more robustcompany and to show that from the topdown we are serious about health and safetyat work.” �

AUTUMN 2009 41

NEWS


Sonangol’s quality, health, safety andenvironment manager.

Age 52, married with five children.

Studied mechanical engineering atAgostinho Neto University in Angola,completing his degree in Portugal,and then studied petroleum engineer-ing at the French Petroleum Institute in France.

Has worked with Sonangol for 24years. Since 2005 has been QHSEmanager. Before that was in explo-ration and production and worked on the plan for the new refinery in Lobito.

Prior to working for Sonangol,worked for Angolan coffee producersGinga Café.

Vicente InácioThe Sonangol group is committed toreaching excellence in the manage-ment of quality, health, safety andenvironment to become a leader inAfrica in this domain“

”Vicente Inácio, QHSE manager

Safety in the workplace isa top priority at Sonangol

Kam

ene

M T

raça

Son

ang

ol

Terr

y V

ine

Pho

tolib

rary

SU23.Inacio.pp38-41:SU23 10/8/09 19:09 Page 40

NEWS

AUTUMN 2009 43

NEWS


Sonangol’s Central Laboratory opened only this year, but already its director hopes it will become a reference point insub-Saharan Africa. “We have no limits to the objectives we

want to achieve,” says Rosária de Fátima Castro. “We want andwe’re heading towards internationalisation.”

The lab is located in a two-storey building a few kilometresnorth of the Port of Luanda. The facilities it offers includes the ability to analyse seabed sediments and to check on the qualitycontrol of all kinds of all oil products.

“This is like my other child,” says Mrs Castro, who spear-headed the project. But while it was a dream come true to see thelab finally in operation, she says there is always room for improve-ment. One major challenge is to achieve the internationally-re-spected ISO/IEC 17025 Standard.

Mrs Castro believes that providing a quality service is thegolden rule to achieving recognition. The lab is equipped with thelatest technology and, as well as helping with Sonangol’s explo-ration projects, it will also help other companies with their needs.“We have set up the analytical structure to support Sonangol’s internal needs and those of our partners,” she says. �

LAB FABThe inauguration of a high-tech laboratory for oil products in Luanda is a sign of thematurity of the hydrocarbons industry in Angola

Rosária de Fátima Castro

Director, Sonangol Central Laboratory.

Married with two children, aged 19 and 23.

Joined Sonangol in 1978 and was involved in laboratory-related work.

Graduated from Agostinho Neto University in1989 with a degree in geology .

From left to right,the lab team at work

Pict

ure

s: K

amen

e M

Tra

ça

SU23.Lab.pp42-43:SU23 10/8/09 19:10

NEWS

AUTUMN 2009 43

NEWS


Sonangol’s Central Laboratory opened only this year, but already its director hopes it will become a reference point insub-Saharan Africa. “We have no limits to the objectives we

want to achieve,” says Rosária de Fátima Castro. “We want andwe’re heading towards internationalisation.”

The lab is located in a two-storey building a few kilometresnorth of the Port of Luanda. The facilities it offers includes the ability to analyse seabed sediments and to check on the qualitycontrol of all kinds of all oil products.

“This is like my other child,” says Mrs Castro, who spear-headed the project. But while it was a dream come true to see thelab finally in operation, she says there is always room for improve-ment. One major challenge is to achieve the internationally-re-spected ISO/IEC 17025 Standard.

Mrs Castro believes that providing a quality service is thegolden rule to achieving recognition. The lab is equipped with thelatest technology and, as well as helping with Sonangol’s explo-ration projects, it will also help other companies with their needs.“We have set up the analytical structure to support Sonangol’s internal needs and those of our partners,” she says. �

LAB FABThe inauguration of a high-tech laboratory for oil products in Luanda is a sign of thematurity of the hydrocarbons industry in Angola

Rosária de Fátima Castro

Director, Sonangol Central Laboratory.

Married with two children, aged 19 and 23.

Joined Sonangol in 1978 and was involved in laboratory-related work.

Graduated from Agostinho Neto University in1989 with a degree in geology .

From left to right,the lab team at work

Pict

ure

s: K

amen

e M

Tra

ça

SU23.Lab.pp42-43:SU23 10/8/09 19:10 Page 42


TOP OF THELEAGUESonangol has begun to sponsor Superleague Formula, a sporting crazethat links football and motor racing ➔

Pict

ure

s: S

up

erle

agu

e Fo

rmu

la

NEWS

SU23.Superleague Formula.pp44-47:SU23 10/8/09 19:14


TOP OF THELEAGUESonangol has begun to sponsor Superleague Formula, a sporting crazethat links football and motor racing ➔

Pict

ure

s: S

up

erle

agu

e Fo

rmu

la

NEWS

SU23.Superleague Formula.pp44-47:SU23 10/8/09 19:14 Page 44


Where on earth can you say that FC Basel of Switzerland isbetter than Italy’s AC Milan, or that Anderlecht of Belgium is higher in the league than France’s Olympique

Lyonnais?The answer is that you can in Superleague Formula, a new

style of motor racing that involves some of the world’s top footballclubs. The league contains 18 high-performance cars, in which professional drivers race in the colours of 18 of the world’s biggestsoccer teams. The sport is now in its second year and this season issponsored by Sonangol.

After three rounds, Liverpool FC were top of the league, fol-lowed by FC Basel and Tottenham Hotspur. The other clubs takingpart come from all over Europe and Brazil. Superleague Formulabrings footballing rivalries to a new sporting theatre – the racetrack.

The format of Superleague Formula is innovative. There are six rounds in total, each at one of Europe’s top racing tracks. Duringeach round there are two races. In order to make the race a little like football, which has two halves of 45 minutes each, each Superleague contest is similarly timed. After 44 minutes, once the leader has passed the start/finish line there is just onemore lap to go. This means that the length of each race is about 45minutes.

The starting grid of the first race is determined by the results ofa qualifying session. The starting grid of the second race of eachround is the reverse of the first race. So, if you win the first race, youare at the back of the grid for the second, and if you are last in thefirst race, you are in pole position for the second. This makes thesecond race very exciting as the fastest riders must push up fromthe back.

All drivers race in cars that have the same technical specifica-tions, which insist on a 750-horsepower V12 engine. The winningdriver of each race wins 50 points, the second-placed driver 45 andthe third 40. The points for the remaining positions are 36-32-29-26-23-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.

Points go to a league table and the team with the most pointsat the end of the season will be crowned Superleague Formula bySonangol champions. In addition, the best team in each roundwins 333,000.

Superleague Formula president Alex Andreu says he is delighted that Sonangol has decided to sponsor the sport: “Sonangol is an ambitious company with global aspirations, so it’sa perfect match for Superleague Formula, which has very similarobjectives. Over the next two years we will work closely together todevelop both of our brands.” �

NEWS

This page: Images from the first round of races, held at Magny-Coursracecourse in France. Below, Liverpool FC driver Adrián Vallés

celebrates winning the first race.



NEWS

1 Magny-Cours France June 27/28, 2009

2 Zolder Belgium July 18/19, 2009

3 Donington Park UK August 1/2, 2009

4 Estoril Portugal September 5/6, 2009

5 Monza Italy October 3/4, 2009

6 Circuito de Jarama Spain November 7/8, 2009

League table...after three rounds

This page: Images from the second round of races, held at Zolderin Belgium. Above, Liverpool driver Adrián Vallés shakes the bubbly after confirming his position at the top of the table, aftertwo third places.

DriversClub Driver

Liverpool FC

Sevilla FC

Tottenham Hotspur

FC Basel

AC Milan

RSC Anderlecht

Olympiacos

Flamengo

Corinthians

Galatasaray

Atlético de Madrid

FC Porto

FC Midtjylland

Rangers FC

AS Roma

Olympique Lyonnnais

Sporting Clube de Portugal

PSV Eindhoven

Adrián Vallés

E. G uerrieri

Craig Dolby

Max Wissel

Giorgio Pantano

Yelmer Buurman

Davide Rigon

Enrique Bernoldi

Antonio Pizzonia

Duncan Tappy

Ho-Pin Tung

Tristan Gommendy

Kasper Andersen

John Martin

Jonathan Kennard

Nelson Panciatici

Pedro Petiz

Dominick Muermans

Timetable

www.superleagueformula.com

Pos. No RACING TEAM TOTAL

1 21 Liverpool FC 217

2 10 FC Basel 207

3 19 Tottenham Hotspur 196

4 3 AC Milan 154

5 16 FC Porto 146

6 14 Corinthians 139

7 6 Al-Ain * 135

8 8 RSC Anderlecht 122

9 24 FC Midtjylland 122

10 15 Atlético de Madrid 120

11 17 Rangers FC 118

12 9 Olympiacos 118

13 22 AS Roma 110

14 2 Sporting Clube de Portugal 110

15 4 Galatasaray 101

16 7 Flamengo 98

17 69 Olympique Lyonnais 82

18 5 PSV Eindhoven 59

19 18 Sevilla FC * 28

* Sevilla replaced Al-Ain after two rounds


AUTUMN 2009 51

Cabinda

Uíge

Bengo

Luanda

Kwanza Norte

MalanjeKwanza Sul

Lunda Norte

Lunda Sul

Kuando Kubango

Huíla

Cunene

Namibe

Benguela

Huambo

Zaire

Bié


ZAMBIA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICOF CONGO

NAMIBIA

CONGO

THE BIG PICTURE:

RIVERS

Moxico

The Kwanza, 886kmThe Kwanza empties into the Atlantic60km to the south of Luanda and has,famously, given its name to the Angolan

currency, the kwanza, as well asbeing a symbol of

Angolan unity.In his poem

Ladies of An-other Time,Mário An-

tónio wrote:“The water of the

Kwanza cannot stop flow-ing, it is always other and renewed.”

This great river is navigable for some192km from the coast as far as theKambambe Dam and it was along itswaters that the Portuguese first pene-trated the interior of northern Angola. Some 50 fish species have beenidentified here and world-class gamefish such as the tarpon can be found inthe lower reaches. Other creaturesknown from these waters are theAfrican manatee (pictured), the giantotter shrew and the African water rat.On a tributary, the Lukala, are the Ka-landula Falls, relatively unknown bytourists yet one of the largest and mostspectacular waterfalls in Africa. Themassive Kapanda Dam in Malanjeprovince was completed in 2004 andprovides power and water for irrigation.

The Kasai, 2153kmThe source of the Kasai is near the bor-der of Moxico and Bié provinces, nearwhat Angolan writer Pepetela has calledthe “fabulous cradle of the Chokwe”, oneof the major ethnic groups of Angola. Itthen flows eastwards and then northalong the Angolan-DRC border. This is aremote, unpopulated area and the Kasaiand its tributaries have an incrediblyrich variety of fish with over 200 speciesrecorded, many of them known only toa particular location.

Some 60 species of frogs have beennoted in the river system. The Kwango(1,100km) is a large tributary of theKasai and forms the eastern border withthe DRC in Malanje and Uíge provinces.The Kasai flows into the Congo in theDRC.

The Kuando, 731km The Kuando rises near Mount Tembo incentral Angola and drains southeastinto the vast Linyanti Swamp, thenturns sharply east to trickle into the Zambezi. The river flows through theCoutada Pública do Luiana reserve,which has a great diversity of birds andreptiles. It was badly depleted of wildlifeduring the civil war, before which it hadelephants, black rhinos, ostriches, lions,hyenas and hippos. Of the many speciesof fish that live in the Kuando, one is the

fierce-looking tiger fish which hasalarmingprotrudingteeth.

TheKubango,1600km The Kubango rises 35km to theeast of Huambo and runs southeastuntil the border with Namibia before itheads into Botswana where it dischargesinto the Okavango Swamp, the largestinland delta in the world. When theheavy rains fall on the Angolan high-lands, the water eventually pours southinto the Okavango, flooding the dryKalahari Desert and providing foragefor vast herds of animals and 450 birdspecies and allowing fish to spawn pro-lifically in the flooded areas.

The Cunene, 945kmThe Cunene also rises not far fromHuambo, heading south alongside theBicuari and Mupa National Parks. Beforeit reaches the sea, the river travelsthrough a deep gorge between theZebra and Baynes mountains andrushes over the 30m high Epupa Falls.Finally, it passes into the Namibe Desertbefore reaching the Atlantic. TheCunene is one of the few rivers in thisregion that flows all year round. Onefish that is endemic to the Cunene is theNamib happy (pictured).

Two of the greatest rivers in Africa – the Congo and the Zambezi – pass through Angolan territory. TheCongo forms the border in the north with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before the riverflows into the Atlantic. The source of the Zambezi is in Zambia, but the river then runs for 150 miles

through Angola before re-joining Zambia and heading towards Mozambique where it enters the IndianOcean. Here we look at five of the most important rivers that rise in Angola

The Kuando

TheCunene

The Kwanza

The K

ubango

The K

asai

Kalandula Falls

BOTSWANA

Th

e

Congo

The

Zam

bezi

TheKwango

Kambambe DamKapanda Dam

NB

Illu

stra

tio

ns/

Dav

id A

tkin

son

The Lukala

SU23.map.pp50-51:SU23 10/8/09 19:10

AUTUMN 2009 51

Cabinda

Uíge

Bengo

Luanda

Kwanza Norte

MalanjeKwanza Sul

Lunda Norte

Lunda Sul

Kuando Kubango

Huíla

Cunene

Namibe

Benguela

Huambo

Zaire

Bié


ZAMBIA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICOF CONGO

NAMIBIA

CONGO

THE BIG PICTURE:

RIVERS

Moxico

The Kwanza, 886kmThe Kwanza empties into the Atlantic60km to the south of Luanda and has,famously, given its name to the Angolan

currency, the kwanza, as well asbeing a symbol of

Angolan unity.In his poem

Ladies of An-other Time,Mário An-

tónio wrote:“The water of the

Kwanza cannot stop flow-ing, it is always other and renewed.”

This great river is navigable for some192km from the coast as far as theKambambe Dam and it was along itswaters that the Portuguese first pene-trated the interior of northern Angola. Some 50 fish species have beenidentified here and world-class gamefish such as the tarpon can be found inthe lower reaches. Other creaturesknown from these waters are theAfrican manatee (pictured), the giantotter shrew and the African water rat.On a tributary, the Lukala, are the Ka-landula Falls, relatively unknown bytourists yet one of the largest and mostspectacular waterfalls in Africa. Themassive Kapanda Dam in Malanjeprovince was completed in 2004 andprovides power and water for irrigation.

The Kasai, 2153kmThe source of the Kasai is near the bor-der of Moxico and Bié provinces, nearwhat Angolan writer Pepetela has calledthe “fabulous cradle of the Chokwe”, oneof the major ethnic groups of Angola. Itthen flows eastwards and then northalong the Angolan-DRC border. This is aremote, unpopulated area and the Kasaiand its tributaries have an incrediblyrich variety of fish with over 200 speciesrecorded, many of them known only toa particular location.

Some 60 species of frogs have beennoted in the river system. The Kwango(1,100km) is a large tributary of theKasai and forms the eastern border withthe DRC in Malanje and Uíge provinces.The Kasai flows into the Congo in theDRC.

The Kuando, 731km The Kuando rises near Mount Tembo incentral Angola and drains southeastinto the vast Linyanti Swamp, thenturns sharply east to trickle into the Zambezi. The river flows through theCoutada Pública do Luiana reserve,which has a great diversity of birds andreptiles. It was badly depleted of wildlifeduring the civil war, before which it hadelephants, black rhinos, ostriches, lions,hyenas and hippos. Of the many speciesof fish that live in the Kuando, one is the

fierce-looking tiger fish which hasalarmingprotrudingteeth.

TheKubango,1600km The Kubango rises 35km to theeast of Huambo and runs southeastuntil the border with Namibia before itheads into Botswana where it dischargesinto the Okavango Swamp, the largestinland delta in the world. When theheavy rains fall on the Angolan high-lands, the water eventually pours southinto the Okavango, flooding the dryKalahari Desert and providing foragefor vast herds of animals and 450 birdspecies and allowing fish to spawn pro-lifically in the flooded areas.

The Cunene, 945kmThe Cunene also rises not far fromHuambo, heading south alongside theBicuari and Mupa National Parks. Beforeit reaches the sea, the river travelsthrough a deep gorge between theZebra and Baynes mountains andrushes over the 30m high Epupa Falls.Finally, it passes into the Namibe Desertbefore reaching the Atlantic. TheCunene is one of the few rivers in thisregion that flows all year round. Onefish that is endemic to the Cunene is theNamib happy (pictured).

Two of the greatest rivers in Africa – the Congo and the Zambezi – pass through Angolan territory. TheCongo forms the border in the north with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before the riverflows into the Atlantic. The source of the Zambezi is in Zambia, but the river then runs for 150 miles

through Angola before re-joining Zambia and heading towards Mozambique where it enters the IndianOcean. Here we look at five of the most important rivers that rise in Angola

The Kuando

TheCunene

The Kwanza

The K

ubango

The K

asai

Kalandula Falls

BOTSWANA

Th

e

Congo

The

Zam

bezi

TheKwango

Kambambe DamKapanda Dam

NB

Illu

stra

tio

ns/

Dav

id A

tkin

son

The Lukala

SU23.map.pp50-51:SU23 10/8/09 19:10 Page 50

SON

AN

GO

L UN

IVER

SO

ISSUE 23 – A

UTU

MN

2009

Universo

INSIDE:oil and gas news

AUTUMN 2009

Crop readyThe boom in

Angolanfarming

Catch ofthe day

Fishing onthe Kwanza

Joyof textsHow mobile phones are changing Africa

SU23-cover:Layout 1 10/8/09 18:07 Page 1

universo23

Documents

snapshot of angola

sonangol universoissue

lcio santos

new sportmixing cars

sonangols new laboratory

vicente incio

speciesthe san

chandos place