Angola - Grupo Salvador Caetano

Project Director: Sara Prada
Editorial Director: Alejandro AndrÉs
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10 years of peace
˝the best of...˝
How institutions and companies in different
sectors are showing the best face of Angola to the
world and driving sustainable development
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Epic Sana Luanda Hotel
the International Choice
Luanda’s newest and most elegant hotel, the EPIC SANA Luanda has become a firm
favourite with international business travellers looking for a stylish and comfortable stay
Situated in Rua da Missão, in downtown Luanda, and a stone’s throw
from all the major corporate and administrative areas of the capital,
the EPIC SANA Luanda Hotel opened in November 2011 and has
quickly become one of the city’s most popular hotels for international
visitors as well as for Angolans and residents of Luanda.
Guests at the hotel are just a short stroll away from the cosmopolitan
coastline road, an attractive and relaxing part of Luanda that
looks out over celebrated Luanda Bay, the most privileged view in
all of Angola.
In addition to its strategic location in the very heart of the city, as
a brand new five-star hotel the EPIC SANA can lay claim to the most
stylish interior design and elegant decoration in town.
In total, the EPIC SANA Luanda Hotel offers 219 Standard rooms,
16 Master Suites and three Presidential Suites. For business trips, or
longer stays, the hotel also has 50 SANA Residence apartments, with
one or two bedrooms.
Inspired by the earthy colours of Angola, all the rooms and
apartments emanate serenity and comfort and are characterised
by wood and golden colours, soothing the senses and creating a
uniquely cosy environment right in the centre of bustling Luanda.
The standard rooms are among the largest in Luanda for their
category, at 32 square metres. For weary travellers there can be few more
comfortable places to sleep than on the EPIC SANA’s 34-cm thick luxury
mattresses, which include an advanced and healthy comfort system.
In addition to the micro-massage effect, the mattresses also provide
hypoallergenic treatment that prevents against fungus and bacteria.
Even after the hardest day of work, the hotel’s pillows with their
Aloe Vera finish and a refreshing, anti-stress essence will quickly
guide any guest into a peaceful sleep.
The Master Suites turn the luxury up a notch, adding a magnificent
lounge with a sitting and dining area and an overwhelming terrace,
all covering a total area of 100 square metres.
Spoilt for choice
DIFFERENT options AT THE Epic SANA serve some of the finest cuisine in town
The diverse restaurants and bars at the hotel
have already become some of the most popular
spots in Luanda, attracting visitors from all over
the city. Each restaurant provides a very unique
environment for discerning diners, catering to a
full range of tastes and preferences.
In the afternoon, Kosmopolis, the hotel
lounge on the first floor, becomes the venue for
a traditional high tea, to the sound of a piano, all
in the relaxing atmosphere of people unwinding
after work. At any time of the day, the menu
includes a wide variety of snacks and drinks for a
light meal whilst reading the newspaper or just
having a chat. It is a comfortable space where
the aroma of Premium cigars accompanies
golden cognacs, armagnacs, malt whiskies, and
vintage spirits.
On the ground floor, Terrakota serves international cuisine and the best in local and regional
Angolan gastronomy to up to 268 diners at a time.
The most recent addition to the EPIC SANA’s
diverse range of restaurants is Vitrúvio, an Italian
restaurant on the first floor that opened its doors
for the first time in July. Blending traditional cuisine
with modern design, Vitrúvio is one of the most
popular new entrants to Luanda’s restaurant scene
this year. In addition to the finest fresh pastas and
pizzas, prepared right before guests’ eyes, Vitrúvio
boasts one of the best wine lists in Luanda, with
120 wines from Italy, Portugal, France and the
New World, including the most sought after grand
marque Champagnes. In the future, this privileged
location will also host wine-tasting events and
courses in Italian cuisine.
Before long, these bars and restaurants will be
joined by the Kimera Lounge & Bar on the 21st
floor, an ideal meeting point for ending up the
day and an exclusive and sophisticated location
for special occasions and celebrations, where a DJ
will be in residence until dawn.
Other restaurants and bars, including a fish
restaurant on the swimming pool terrace and
even a cosmopolitan and stylish supper club, are
set to open in the coming months as the hotel
approaches the first anniversary of its opening.
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Finally, the Presidential Suites are the very last word in style,
comfort and glamour, boasting some of the best views over the
Luanda Bay in the entire city.
For special events these three suites, each with a total area of 200
square metres, have become some of the most sought after spaces in
Luanda. The spacious bedroom area with en-suite bathroom includes
a sitting space and work area. The social area has a dining room, a
sitting room and a guest bathroom. Finally, there is a kitchenette for
preparing daily meals and providing food and drinks for dinners and
social gatherings in this most exclusive of locations.
For longer stays, the SANA Residence Luanda is designed to offer
cosy, comfortable and private accommodation. The apartments are
ideal for those who spend long periods of time away from home for
business or leisure reasons.
SANA Residence Luanda comprises 50 apartments. These include
one-bedroom Premier Suites, with a kitchenette, dining room, sitting
room and bedroom, covering a total area of 63 square metres. Bedrooms
can either have one double bed or two single beds. Premier Plus Suites
offer all the comfort of a Premier apartment and a little more. Together,
the bedroom, living room, dining room and kitchenette cover an area of
71 square metres. The living room is complemented by a semi-private
work area, with a panoramic view of the city and Luanda Bay.
The top of the range Deluxe Suites offer guests the luxury of a terrace
and a dazzling view over the city and the bay, with 100 square metres of
space. And for families, there are also fifteen two-bedroom apartments,
of 107 square metres each, that incorporate a master bedroom with a
bathroom and a twin bedroom with a guest bathroom.
As with any well planned and exclusive hotel, there is much more
to the EPIC SANA than just luxury rooms and personal service.
The hotel facilities include four restaurants and four bars and an
extensive Wellness Club & Spa,Sayanna Wellness, which
was recently opened to the public. This is the latest
addition to Luanda’s select number of spaces that
are dedicated to the concept of well being.
It includes a gymnasium with state
of the art equipment, a Personal
Trainer service and a Nutritionist. The Spa area provides
indoor treatment pools,
a tepidarium, hammam and foot baths,
a sauna and ajacuzzi
and it will soon offer
a wide range of treatments including a Vichy shower, and even
a nail spa.
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For business travellers, the meetings and conference centre of
the hotel offers nine meeting rooms, the largest with capacity for
680 people. All the meeting rooms have state-of-the-art audiovisual
equipment and are served by a dedicated team.
Innovation and technology, in combination with the highest
standards of design, characterise SANA hotels wherever they are
located and the success of the chain’s newest hotel is due above
all to this philosophy of customer care and the closest possible
attention to detail.
SANA Hotels currently owns ten hotels in Portugal and one in
Germany. It is one of the main hotel chains in Lisbon, where it is
currently developing new luxury hotels.
While SANA operates a full range of hotel concepts, EPIC is its
flagship brand; five-star hotels that know how to provide luxury
and elegance in every room, with thorough personal assistance,
exclusivity and refinement in every service.
When not out on business, hotel guests at the EPIC SANA Luanda
can easily visit one of a whole range of tourist attractions and historic
sites nearby, including the Fortaleza de São Miguel (the Fortress of
São Miguel), Fortaleza de S.Pedro de Barra (Fortress of S.Pedro da
Barra), the Natural History Museum and the Cathedral.
Nature lovers will find themselves close to Parque da Liberdade
(Liberty Park), Parque Nacional da Quissama (the Kissama Game
Park), Foz do Rio Cuanza (the mouth of the Cuanza River), Cabo Ledo
and Ilha do Cabo. For relaxing at the weekend, there’s no better
destination than the unique Island of Mussulo, a true oasis in the
heart of Africa, with vast sandy beaches and warm water.
And for shopping, the hotel is very close to local
traditional markets, where one can buy
Angolan handicraft and other items. For
a slightly different shopping experience,
the EPIC SANA is also not far from the
Belas Shopping Centre, the city’s
most upscale shopping mall.
As any guest in the EPIC
SANA in Luanda will discover, the philosophy of
the hotel is reflected in
the comfort of each room,
in the refinement of each
meal and in the tranquillity
of the leisure and wellness
facilities. There is no better
place for making a stay in
Luanda a relaxing, inspiring and truly memorable
experience.
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OON.DAH
I ts subtle mix of elegant
sophistication and cosy
intimacy makes it the perfect
place for those who wish to
see and be seen
One of the latest additions to Luanda’s buzzing
restaurant scene, Oon.dah, may have only been
open for little over a year, but, for many among
the capital’s wining-and-dining crowd, it is hard to imagine there
was ever a time without it. Its subtle mix of elegant sophistication
and cosy intimacy makes it the
Under the guidance perfect place for those who wish
of head chef Samson to see and be seen.
On the second storey of the
Peter, a crack team
Escom building, perched atop a
of five international plateau overlooking the Bay of
cooks creates the Luanda, Oon.dah was designed
finest fusion food, by the UK’s Julian Taylor Design
Associates. With a portfolio of
using only the highest
projects worldwide, Taylor took
quality ingredients on the task of creating a unique
sourced from all over space that satisfied and surpassed
the world the owners’ aspirations, without
having visited the site or
even the country.
When his plans were delivered and Taylor eventually travelled to
Luanda, he had concerns that converting his vision into reality would
be possible, due to skill limitations in Angola. But he did not reckon
on the owners’ determination, nor the veritable army of specialist
contractors who covered columns, constructed ceilings, and plastered
walls to make his design come to life.
From the moment you walk through Oon.dah’s doors, it’s evident
it has nothing to envy the most design-conscious establishments in
the world’s fashion capitals.
Constantly changing textures, across the restaurant’s walls,
seating, and table linen, combine with reflections from floorto-ceiling mirrors and glassware, make the space shimmer and
shift. Its carefully chosen chairs and lighting come direct from
designer dreamland, while the bespoke wood-and-stone bar
running the length of the dining room acts as an anchor and magnet
for the action.
The scene, then, is set and the appetite wet for what you’ve
really come to do: eat and drink. In that sense, Oon.dah does not
disappoint. Under the guidance of head chef Samson Peter, a crack
team of five international cooks creates the finest fusion food, using
only the highest quality ingredients sourced from all over the world,
bringing together some of the most fanciful and flavoursome dishes
you’ll have sampled anywhere around the globe.
Inspired by Asian influences, the menu lists all the usual gourmet
suspects, like Wagyu beef, truffles, and shitake mushrooms, as well
as the highest grade fish and seafood, some painstakingly prepared
as sushi. The salmon and tuna used to make the Japanese delicacies
is flown direct from Norway every week, not only guaranteeing its
quality but also its freshness.
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An ample selection of wines, featuring famous French names,
aims to provide the ideal balance between cost and value, as well as
the perfect accompaniment to the food.
Another thing you’ll immediately appreciate about Oon.dah is the
quality of service. The restaurant’s owners have invested time and
effort to ensure all the members of staff are not only knowledgeable
about the fare on offer, but are also well-versed in the psychology of
fine dining. That kind of attention to detail means glasses never go
empty, courses are always promptly cleared, and it often seems the
waiter knows what you want next before you do.
What’s next on the menu for Oon.dah? Building on the success of
their sushi take-away service, the restaurant’s owners aim to expand
the scope of the brand with a mini-gourmet store, selling not only
the ingredients used in the kitchen but also prepared food to enjoy
at home. And then there is a new lounge bar, located upstairs in
the same building, which sounds like the perfect place for a cocktail
before dinner or a digéstif afterwards.
The Doo·bahr comes to Luanda
In early June Luanda’s most stylish bar opened its doors
The owners of the Oon·dah have opened the latest
entry to the capital’s burgeoning bar scene, the
Doo·bahr. Located on the third floor of the iconic
Escom building, the bar has already become
something of a hot spot for Angola’s affluent and
well connected, bringing international standards
in drinking and dining to this buoyant city. The
bar includes a number of different spaces that
suit all types of clients, from couples to parties and
business travellers and residents alike.
Designed by specialist interior design firm
Julian Taylor Design Associates, the Doo·bahr has
introduced the latest trends in interior design to
Luanda nightlife, providing a stylish setting for
relaxing with friends, colleagues and partners.
The design firm has worked on exclusive projects
around the world, including the Maya bar and the
Palm Beach Casino, both in London.
And it’s not only the setting and the interior
design that have already made the Doo·bahr
a success. The extensive and innovative menu
has quickly won the bar new admirers among
Luanda’s most sophisticated crowd. The bar
serves what is perhaps the widest and most
sophisticated range of cocktails in town, all served
in high style by the Doo·bahr’s impeccable team
of bar staff and waiters.
It is as night falls that the Doo·bahr really
comes into its own. Every day as the sun sets, a
select band of DJs play R&B for an exclusive and
appreciative audience, many of whom will still be
there enjoying the music, the food and the drinks
all through the night. Every night of the week
has a different theme, and just a few months
since opening, Thursday night (ladies’ night) in
particular has already become a firm favourite
with Luanda’s trend-setters and celebrities.
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Angola
by Car
Renting a car from
Aventour, one of the leading rental
agencies in Angola, is one of the best ways of getting around the country’s cities and provinces
If you’re doing any driving while in Angola, there are a few things
you may want to look out for. Outside urban areas, a four-by-four is
a sensible choice, especially if you take a road not yet repaired, or
still undergoing work, where fat tyres and tough shocks are the best
prevention against potholes.
In the capital, traffic remains the biggest challenge, as its
reconstructed road network and increasingly affluent population
attract more and more cars to the rush-hour jam.
Perhaps the best way to travel by road in the country is renting
from Aventour. In business for a decade, it specialises in long-term
rentals for corporate clients. Offering a wide selection of vehicles from
its offices in Luanda, Aventour provides 24-hour assistance, compulsory and multirisks insurance, and professional drivers for those who’d
rather take in the view from the back seat.
As one of the first agencies in the marketplace and still a leader,
Aventour guarantees unrivalled service, unbeatable prices, and
thousands of miles of experience, providing the right means of
transport to reach your destination every time.
High
definition
content
ZAP’s use of high definition technology have helped
it become one of Angola’s fastest growing pay-TV
broadcasters
Television company ZAP is not only one of the leading satellite broadcasters in Angola but is also becoming one of the most popular pay-TV
platforms anywhere in the Portuguese-speaking world.
The company is a joint venture between local entrepreneur Isabel
dos Santos, with a 70% stake, and Portuguese multimedia company
Zon Multimedia, the number one cable and satellite operator in Portugal.
ZAP was launched in Angola in 2010 and currently broadcasts over
100 channels of international and Portuguese language content, all using
high definition technology that differentiates ZAP from its competitors.
Much of ZAP’s content and its technology is provided by the audiovisual
operations of Zon in Portugal, which has long been keen to enter the high
growth Angolan pay-TV market. ZAP’s strategy is to appeal to a broad
social range of African society and win new subscribers for pay-TV with
attractively priced packages, not only in Angola but also in Mozambique
and among Portuguese-speaking communities all across the continent.
And in the two years since the start of operations, ZAP has established
itself in hundreds of thousands of households across Angola as a trusted
source of information and entertainment for all the family.
100 years of service
For over one hundred years, Robert Hudson, Lda. has been
providing services to the Angolan market, and since the
1930s it has been Ford’s leading distributor in the country
“The company continued to operate even through the most difficult times
in Angola, and we are very proud to form a permanent part of Angolan
history,” says André Castro Pinheiro, the Managing Director of Robert
Hudson. In 1990, the business was acquired by Portugal’s leading car
distributor, Grupo Salvador Caetano, which has annual revenues of over
two billion euros and employs more than 6,000 people around the world.
Following the acquisition, Robert Hudson had the financial resources
to expand across Angola; it now sells Ford vehicles in Luanda, Lobito,
Benguela, Malanje, Lubango and Namibe. In all of these provinces it
remains committed to the company’s traditional values of responsibility
and of forming close relationships with its customers.
In 2011, Robert Hudson sold over 2,000 Ford vehicles and was the fourth
largest importer of new vehicles in Angola, with a market share of 9.5%. In
the pick-up segment, it is the clear market leader, thanks to the success of
Ford’s products in this range.
This year, it expects to increase sales by 50% to 3,000 vehicles, providing
it with a market share of over 10%. Mr Castro Pinheiro says this growth
partly reflects the success of the new Ford Ranger and Figo models in the
market. The attractively priced Ford Figo in particular is very well suited to
the Angolan market, he says. In 2012 and 2013, the company expects to
invest a total of more than $20 million in modernising existing dealerships,
establishing new facilities
across Angola, including new
operations in the provinces
of Cabinda, Zaire, Huambo and
Kunene, and in training its staff.
“Robert Hudson employs more
than 200 people and we are strongly committed to hiring and training a
local workforce,” Mr Castro Pinheiro says. “We have always been very concerned about providing good working conditions for our people.”
Mr Castro Pinheiro says that as the company sells increasing volumes
of vehicles, it is focused on enhancing its after-sales service to customers.
“Robert Hudson has always been seen as a leader in terms of service, but we
always want to improve,” he says. As part of this effort, at the end of 2012
the company will open a logistics centre for car parts in Luanda-Talatona, to
ensure that parts are available for customers as and when they need them.
“With this investment, we will be able to provide an even more professional service to the public,” Mr Castro Pinheiro says. “Thanks to the new
centre, we will be able to distribute all Ford parts, as well as tyres, batteries
and oils for other brands, to all our dealers in Angola in less than 24 hours.
This will reinforce our reputation for service and help us continue to increase
our market share in the years to come.”
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Movicel makes African
Telecoms History
Movicel is a pioneer in the African telecoms marketplace, bringing 4G mobile
broadband to the continent for the first time, while helping new parts of the
Angolan population join the mobile communications revolution
The undisputed technology leader in the Angolan mobile telecoms
market, Movicel is the first telecom company anywhere in Africa to
deploy fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband technology.
Earlier this year, Movicel started offering 4G services using the
state-of-the-art LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard, a technology
so advanced that it has only been deployed in a select handful of
markets. Many developed economies, including the UK, France and
Italy, still do not provide the service.
“With this technology, we can offer our subscribers Internet
browsing speeds of up to 100 Mb/second,” says Yon Moreira da Silva,
Movicel’s Chief Executive Officer. “It’s as fast as using a fibre optic
cable. Movicel is helping pave the future of Angola and Africa with
this state-of-the-art communication infrastructure. It will remove the
gap between networks in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.”
Movicel is currently providing its Movinet 4G services in the
oil-rich province of Cabinda, where the operator has installed the
highest telecoms tower in all of Africa, enabling 4G signals to reach
oil companies working on platforms far out at sea.
In partnership with Chinese equipment providers Huawei and ZTE,
the company plans to roll out LTE across the entire country within
three years, starting with the major cities. “We are not waiting for the
future – we are building it,” Mr Moreira says. “We have by far the most
modern telecommunications network in Angola, which means that
we can provide services at lower costs to our subscribers.”
Movicel’s decision to launch 4G in Cabinda and then in Benguela
was driven by symbolic reasons as much as by commercial strategy.
“We wanted to show that there is a lot more to Angola than just
Luanda and that we are increasingly investing in the country’s
provinces,” Mr Moreira explains.
As an originally state-owned company, in which public telecommunications operator Angola Telecom retains a 20% stake, Movicel
has always been driven by a strong sense to serve the nation with
best in class technology, at affordable prices. Rather than just operating in the most attractive markets in the country , Movicel has
concentrated on bringing mobile voice and data communications to
some of Angola’s most underprivileged and remote areas.
“We see ourselves as an agent of change and a force for national
integration,” Mr Moreira says. “We are proud to provide services to two
very different segments of the market, 4G mobile broadband in Cabinda
and 2G voice in the poorest parts of the country. We are very aware of
the potential for mobile telecoms to generate prosperity.”
Following the launch of 4G for corporate customers, Movicel will be
able to use these new high margin revenues to balance its services for
the mass market, meaning that Angolans will pay lower charges for their
mobile telecoms.
And Movicel’s leadership in technology is complemented by an
aggressive and innovative model for distribution. The company has
invested in setting up attractively designed retail outlets in many of
Angola’s most populated and deprived urban areas, so that these
customers can access Movicel’s low prices for mobile telecoms.
It is actions like these that are spearheading the rise in penetration of
mobile telephones in Angola, bridging the digital divide and opening up
all the opportunities of mobile communications for ordinary Angolans.
As well as increasing its market share, Movicel’s presence in these areas also reflects its strong commitment to corporate social responsibility.
No telecoms company in Angola has installed Internet access in as many
schools and churches, and Movicel is also one of the country’s main financial supporters of vaccination campaigns against diseases such as polio.
As a result of its investments in technology and in increasing coverage
in the provinces, Movicel now has a rapidly growing subscriber base
of some four million people, from all regions of the country and every
class, from blue chip oilfield services companies to agricultural workers
and the neediest residents of Angola’s cities. For all of these subscribers,
Movicel is determined to provide the same quality of service, wherever
they may be.
“Everyone wants good, reasonably
priced services and thanks to our investments in new networks we can offer the
widest range of services in the market, at the
lowest price,” Mr Moreira says. “We believe
that our services can make a real difference
www.movicel.co.ao
to national development.”
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Angola TRANSPorts
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Augusto da Silva Tomás Minister of Transport
“From north to south, massive
investments have been made
to upgrade and extend existing
facilities, and add new and
improved installations to the
national network.”
“Transportation is undergoing a revolution,” declares Augusto da Silva Tomás,
Angola’s Minister of Transport. “The network is
being transformed, making it better connected
and integrated, via intermodal and multimodal
interfaces and terminals, to respond to the
movement needs of the population and goods
throughout Angola.
“The network will [also] be connected to the
main centres of production: industrial areas,
special economic zones, and agricultural, livestock, and fisheries centres,” the Minister adds.
The government has committed to reform
in every sector – air, rail, road, and maritime –
to bring local networks in line with international standards and ensure Angola’s infrastructure
not only serves its own people and businesses,
but also provides competitive and effective
solutions for landlocked neighbours, like the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.
With some 80% of imports and exports
passing through its ports, distributed along its
1,000-mile Atlantic coastline, the importance of
the maritime sector cannot be underestimated.
From north to south, massive investments have
been made to upgrade and extend existing
facilities, and add new and improved installations to the national network.
In the exclave of Cabinda, a new 320-metre quay, which will be finished in the next
three months according to da Silva Tomás,
will service two large-capacity vessels simultaneously, and a new deep-water port is at the
planning stage in Caio. “Cabinda will become
a hub for development in the region,” the
Minister believes.
At Soyo, on the border with the DRC, new
equipment and buildings have been completed and a concession will soon be offered for
the Kwanda terminal. Near to Luanda, the nation’s capital and most congested port, work is
advancing on the new deep-water facility and
container terminal at Barra do Dande. “It will
be the biggest port in this part of Africa,” notes
Minister da Silva Tomás.
Further south lies Lobito, Angola’s only
current deep-water port, and the railhead for
the Benguela railway connection to the DRC
and beyond, where a $1.8 billion rehabilitation
project is also underway. The first phase of
improvements has been delivered, while work
continues to extend quays and construct new
container and mining terminals, and a dry port.
Finally, at Namibe, not far from Angola’s
border with Namibia, the quay has already
been enlarged by 250 metres, with a second
phase pending. The Minister also confirms that
Namibe will be linked to Lobito and Luanda
by rail in the future, providing people and
businesses with a choice of routes from north
to south.
“Connecting infrastructure networks to production centres will create the conditions to increase the offer of goods and services,” Minister
da Silva Tomás insists, “bringing populations
closer together, stimulating economic growth,
and enhancing social and territorial cohesion
to benefit national unity.”
Best practices at work
The Transport Ministry is leading the way in modernizing the country’s state-owned
companies and introducing best practices in employee relations
For Angola’s most senior policymakers, ending the civil war and
establishing a peaceful, democratic state was only the first step in the
country’s journey towards development.
With peace now secure, the current government is focused on the
other elements that will be needed to ensure that Angola meets its
economic and social targets as quickly as possible. Those elements
include education, infrastructure, and the reform of public sector
institutions and in particular of publicly owned companies.
For an economy in which the state still plays such a key part in so
many sectors, the modernisation of state-owned companies will not only
improve service delivery, enhance efficiency and increase transparency –
it will also help Angola invest its resources more effectively and create a
fairer and more prosperous society.
“Angola has developed rapidly and has become a much more
complex country, but our state institutions remain largely unchanged,”
says Professor Amândio Vaz Velho, an author on management issues and
a senior consultant to the government who this year helped organize
the Empresa Feliz, Trabalhador Feliz seminar. “Investing in infrastructure
without having more advanced institutions is like putting an engine
onto a bicycle rather than buying a motorbike; the bicycle will simply
break,” he adds. “Angola needs institutions that are strong enough to
handle multi-billion dollar investments.”
No sector is as critical to national development as is the transport
sector, and it is the Ministry of Transport, headed by Minister Augusto da
Silva Tomás, that is leading the way in public service reform.
The Ministry played a leading role in launching the Empresa Feliz,
Trabalhador Feliz initiative, which is designed to make the employees of
Angola’s state-owned companies, initially in the transport sector, more
productive, efficient and motivated.
Angola TRANSPorts
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“Public sector institutions need to have the appropriate financial
and material resources to carry out their tasks, and have the right
people working for them,” Professor Vaz Velho says. “One of Angola’s
main problems in recent years has been that its institutions aren’t
up to the job of coordinating and implementing the investment
programmes required from them.”
Support for the Ministry’s programme comes from the very top;
“the wellbeing and happiness of employees contribute to the smooth
running and profitability of a company,” President dos Santos said
when inaugurating the seminar in April 2012, “this is a pioneering and
creative initiative.”
The key message of the Empresa Feliz, Trabalhador Feliz initiative
is, as its name suggests, that a company where the employees are
content and motivated is “a happy company.”
Professor Vaz Velho explains
that
the main drive of the efThe Ministry played a
fort will be to train public sector
leading role in launching
employees from all levels in inthe Empresa Feliz, novative thinking, encouraging
Trabalhador Feliz initiative, them to break free from hierarwhich is designed to make chical habits and helping them
the employees of Angola’s become more committed to
state-owned companies, their work and more confident
initially in the transport in their abilities.
“Employees in the public sector
sector, more productive,
need to become more committed
efficient and motivated and have a greater sense of
responsibility,” he says. “Because
of this, we are placing great emphasis on the need for public companies
to treat their employees fairly and with respect. The first article of
the Angolan Constitution talks about human dignity, and we believe
Since 1926,
Ford in Angola
is Robert Hudson
Go further
Luanda
+244 222 00 63 26
BEnGuELa
+244 272 23 29 43
MaLanGE
+244 251 23 21 51
LuBanGO
+244 929 14 95 82
LOBITO
+244 272 22 26 66
naMIBE
+244 264 26 50 13
that good companies
are those that respect
human dignity.”
Professor Vaz Velho
says that inclusive, motivated public sector companies are what he calls
the “second rung” on the
development ladder; a
peaceful state with the
rule of law forms the first
rung, but it is the second
rung, the companies,
which have to provide
the products and services that satisfy the needs
of the people.
“Angola’s companies,
especially in the public
sector, need to perform
at a higher operational
level, and this depends
on building the capacity of public sector workers and improving their
remuneration,” he says.
“Angola can be a very socially stratified place, but we need to get
the best people working to the best of their abilities at our state-owned
companies. Empresa Feliz, Trabalhador Feliz is one of the first steps on
the way to developing a more meritocratic, inclusive culture in the Angolan public sector. We hope that the transport sector will show the rest
of the public sector the way ahead in uniting employees from all levels
in an organisation for one common purpose.”
Taking international trade
to new heights in Angola
Multiparques is Angola’s leading logistics and storage company, offering
domestic and overseas clients an unrivaled partner for all of their import
and export needs. Every day, Multiparques ensures the safe and secure
movement of hundreds of containers through the new 60-hectare dry
port facilties at the Port of Viana. Our multi-million dollar investments
in world-class systems and technology represent an important step
forward in opening Angola up to international trade.
Multiparques
Rua Cirilo da Conceiaçao, 13. Luanda. Angola
Tel: +244 222 3393 40 • Fax: +244 222 3957 29
9
10
Angola Ports
advertising feature
With massive investments in its major seaports, Angola is positioning itself
to become the maritime gateway to southern Africa
Opening Africa
up to the world
Cabinda
Located in Angola’s northernmost province, the Port
of Cabinda has the potential to dominate trade for
neighbouring countries of central Africa. In 2012,
work has been completed on modernisation and
expansion of the port’s docks and jetties, enabling
more ships to berth at the same time and larger
vessels to use the port. Investments are also being
made in administrative facilities and support services
to improve the efficiency of unloading.
Soyo
The Port of Soyo, in the northern province of Zaire,
has constructed over 300 metres of quays and two
new dry ports. Mainly serving the oil industry, the
port is preparing for the massive rise in demand that
is expected following new offshore discoveries and
downstream investments. The port is also streamlining
its customs procedures and simplifying red tape.
Luanda
Situated on the great natural harbour of the Bay of
Luanda, the Port of Luanda has long been Angola’s
major gateway for maritime trade, handling 80 per
cent of the country’s imports. Significant investments
in new container terminals and quays have been
made by the port’s private sector partners, speeding
up imports and cutting the cost of transport. A major
new port in Barra do Dande just north of the capital is
now being planned.
Namibe
The third largest port in the country, the Port of
Namibe in south western Angola has built 240 metres
of additional quays, almost doubling its capacity for
handling cargo. The port handled 961,000 tons of
cargo in 2011 and 18,000 containers. A second phase
of expansion is now under way, preparing the port to
meet rising demand from southern African countries.
Lobito
The deep water Port of Lobito is the main seaport
for central Angola, located just to the north of
Benguela. The government has invested $1.2 billion
in expanding quays and building terminals for
containers and above all for mineral cargo. With the
modernisation of the Benguela railway, the port is set
to become a major export hub for mineral products
from landlocked central Africa.
advertising feature
12
Angola Ports
advertising
advertisingfeature
feature
The Port of Luanda, Angola’s major hub for imports and
exports, is preparing for a period of massive change
modernising the Port of Luanda
As the Angolan economy experiences rapid growth, the pressure on the
country’s transport infrastructure is increasing on a continuous basis. To
respond to this pressure, the government is investing public funds in
modernising ports, railways and roads, and is also opening up the sector
to private capital.
The ongoing transformation of the Port of Luanda is testimony to the
success of this strategy. The port has led the way in partnering with the
private sector to construct and expand key facilities such as its cargo and
container terminals and its 4.5 kilometres of quays.
A series of 20-year concessions have been awarded to major foreign
port operators, who are investing in modernising and expanding
container terminals and storage areas and introducing international
best practices to the port.
Francisco Venancio, President of the Port of Luanda, says that the
port is now set for a dramatic stage in its history, as construction starts
on a new deepwater port in Barra do Dande that will be able to handle
today’s giant container and bulk cargo vessels.
This new port, just to the north of Luanda, will assume much of
the import and export responsibilities of the existing port, easing the
pressure on the port.
“The Angolan economy is diversifying rapidly and Luanda is
witnessing a boom in industrial investment,” Mr Venancio says. “The city
is now growing so fast that we need new port facilities, so the decision
has been made to build a new site to handle Angola’s industrial exports.
The country’s port infrastructure is undergoing a process of complete
transformation and modernisation.”
Growth with Responsibility
Sonasurf is the clear leader of Angola’s fast growing offshore support
sector and is preparing for new opportunities in pre-salt exploration
Angola has long been one of the leading
oil producers in Africa and following recent
discoveries it is set to assume a crucial position in
the global oil market. Led by companies such as
Sonasurf, the country is now gradually building
a domestic oilfield services industry that will
provide high-value employment opportunities to
thousands of Angolans.
The oil services sector is one of the fastest
growing in the national economy. Sonasurf itself,
which manages service vessels for the offshore
industry, has grown from a workforce of around
50 employees ten years ago to a total of over
1,200 employees at the present time.
The company is a joint venture between
Angola’s giant national oil company, Sonangol,
and the Bourbon Group, a leading French
maritime services provider, which worldwide
operates over 400 vessels.
The joint venture was incorporated in 1999 to
transport crews to offshore fields and supply the
offshore industry with support services such as
security, logistics and technical services. Sonasurf
initially had a fleet of three vessels, providing
offshore facilities with the personnel, equipment
and material needed to develop the giant Girassol field off the coast of Angola.
That fleet has grown rapidly and now includes
a wide range of around 80 different vessels that
serve all the requirements of the offshore sector. In just ten years, Sonasurf has become the
dominant player in its sector, supplying not only
Sonangol but multinational oil majors, independents and services companies with the critical
marine services they need to develop Angola’s
hydrocarbon resources.
Albano Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of
Sonasurf, says the company has barely noticed
the impact of the global financial crisis, such is
the scale of investment that is taking place in
the Angolan offshore sector, especially since the
discovery earlier this year of a new “pre-salt”
region that potentially holds billions of barrels
of reserves.
“We are already planning our business
around the development of the pre-salt fields,”
Mr Fernandes says. “Some of our multinational
clients who made the pre-salt discovery have requested services from us, and of course we will
meet their requirements.
Because it is expected that more pre-salt
fields will be found even further offshore, we
are also analysing how we will have increase our
fleet to serve operators in these fields.”
Sonasurf currently operates a number of different types of supply vessels, from three onshore
bases. Its fleet includes crew boats to transport
personnel to and from rigs and platforms, platform supply and multi-purpose supply vessels for
transporting sub-sea equipment, as well as tugs
and high speed vessels - the latter mainly for use
in emergencies.
“With some of our vessels, within three hours
we can reach the Girassol field,” Mr Fernandes
says. “We are the clear leader in the Angolan
market and we want to build high speed, high
comfort vessels that can go even further and even
faster, so that we will still be the leaders in new
pre-salt fields. We are planning to operate ships
that can reach speeds of up to 40 knots.”
Sonasurf takes the responsibilities of its
leadership position seriously. The company is
highly focused on preparing Angolan nationals
and Angolan supply companies for the challenges
of the offshore services industry.
The company has been strikingly successful
in training Angolans for employment; although
Angola is a country with limited maritime
heritage, some 95% of Sonasurf’s employees are
Angolans, especially in positions such as seamen
and cooks, and 100% Angolan crewed vessels are
now in operation.
To serve as officers and to work in more
technical positions, Sonasurf sends Angolans
to attend special courses at university in South
Africa. The large majority of the company’s
management are also locals.
Mr Fernandes says that both Bourbon and
Sonangol are committed to best practices in
corporate social responsibility, and Sonasurf
applies international, world-class standards in
health and safety and the environment (HSE). The
company has a dedicated local HSE department
with three full time staff.
“We never undertake any job without fully
assessing the risks and preparing for them,” Mr
Fernandes says. “If we feel that we can’t carry
out the job in safety, or it will impact the environment, then we prefer not to provide the service for the client. In 2011, we transported over
2 million people without suffering any accidents.
Our customers have very stringent safety and
environmental standards. To be a partner of the
world’s largest oil companies and service suppliers, you have to apply the highest standards.”
Angola Ports 13
advertising feature
Partners for Growth
Logistics and dry port operator Multiparques
is spearheading the investments of the Angolan
private sector in new transport infrastructure
Leonel da Rocha Pinto, Chief Executive
Officer of Multiparques, says that the
government’s commitment to the transport sector is transforming logistics in the
country and changing the face of Angola’s infrastructure.
“It is not just the investment in new
infrastructure that is important,” he
adds, “it is also critical to introduce
new processes and procedures into
our transport hubs. For instance, the
Transport Ministry’s Empresa Feliz,
Trabalhador Feliz programme is having
a significant impact on the motivation of
employees across the transport sector. It’s really beginning to make a
difference to productivity.”
Multiparques operates a dry port that is under construction just
outside Viana, where containers will be transported to and from the
port of Luanda by rail. When complete, the total capacity of the dry port
will be around 45,000 tonnes of cargo.
Multiparques is the sister company to Multiterminais, which in 2005
won a 20-year concession to modernise and operate the cargo terminal
at the port of Luanda. The two companies are investing tens of millions
of dollars in enhancing the country’s logistical facilities, increasing
capacity and reducing the
cost of trade for Angola’s
importers and exporters.
“By investing in new
“Without
investments
facilities, and motivating
in transport and storage
employees in the
infrastructure, products will
transport sector (…), we
be more expensive as it will
take more time and cost more
can reduce costs to the
to transport them,” Mr Pinto
benefit of all Angolans.”
explains. “They will also be
more likely to be damaged.
By investing in new facilities,
and motivating employees
in the transport sector and
making them more effective,
we can reduce these costs to
the benefit of all Angolans.”
Mr Pinto says that the
company’s employees are
highly aware of the part they
Leonel da Rocha Pinto
are playing in reconstructCEO of Multiparques
ing Angola, which motivates
them in the workplace. Productivity levels improve month after month, he says, testimony to the
corporate culture that he has helped develop at Multiparques.
“At Multiparques we have established the conditions for our workers
to excel,” he says. “With this level of productivity, we know that we are
making an important contribution, not only to the financial wellbeing of
our own company, but also to the national development cause.
“It’s clear that Angola can’t have sustainable growth based on oil
alone. We have enormous potential in mining, agriculture, and even
tourism. If we invest in infrastructure, invest in education and let the
private sector grow, then the future for our country is going to be very
bright indeed.”
Lide looks to the future
In his role as one of the main driving forces of business association Lide
Angola, Mr Pinto is also playing an important part in encouraging the
growth of the private sector in the country.
“We need to support the expansion of the middle classes and the
creation of small and medium enterprises,” he says. “All business
people in Angola have the responsibility to invest in ways that will
support these trends.”
Lide is a business network that brings together companies and
executives from Angola’s emerging private sector so that they can
debate economic and social trends, explore opportunities and discuss
how they can contribute to national development.
As chair of the Lide organisation in Angola since 2011, Mr Pinto says
he believes that the business community is only just beginning to tap
into the economic potential of Angola in a sustainable and socially
responsible way.
“At Lide I am in almost continuous discussions with local and foreign
businesses who want to expand in Angola,”
he says. “Lide also has a major part to play
in bringing international best practice in
business to our country. To me it’s clear
that every business that forms a part of
Lide is highly aware of their responsibility
www.lideangola.com
to contribute to national reconstruction
and development.”
14
Angola Ports
advertising feature
Over the past five years, Sogester S.A.
has transformed the container terminal
of the port of Luanda into one of the most
advanced facilities in southern Africa
A world-class port
Since Sogester in 2007 was awarded the 20-year concession in
The company is currently implementing an accelerated expansion
the port of Luanda, the company has achieved dramatic improveprogramme at the terminal, which handled 360,000 TEUs in 2011.
ments in productivity; by 2012, it had halved the average length of
Upon completion of the expansion project in 2012, the terminal’s
storage for containers from
annual throughput capacity
around 20 days to approxiwill be 530,000 TEUs.
The company has been in the vanguard of
mately 10 days, while the
Meanwhile, Sogester has
containerisation and the growth of maritime
time ships have to wait to
opened
a 36 hectare Inland
trade for over fifty years. It has operations in
berth has come down from
Container
Depot (ICD) at
6 ports and terminals in 37 countries
several weeks to an average
Panguila, 30 kilometres
of 20 hours.
from the port.
The improved operational performance has enabled Sogester to
At the port itself, Sogester is also making substantial investments
increase the capacity of the port, which is a critical trade gateway for
and improvements to the container yard, quaysides, terminal
Angola, handling around 80% of all Angola’s imports.
handling equipment, new gates and repairing the quays.
Responsible partners
Sogester’s commitment to the people of Angola extends well beyond its own workforce
In 2012, the company stepped up its actions to help underprivileged parts of the Angolan population, especially children and
young people who live near its facilities in Panguila and the Luanda terminal.
In the Panguila area, Sogester has made much appreciated
contributions to the rehabilitation and improvement of local
schools, so that children can benefit from all the opportunities that
good quality education can offer.
Sogester has also officially embraced the “Little Seed” project,
an orphanage located in Cacuaco which at present houses 80
homeless children.
For the last three years, the company has been supporting this
orphanage with basic materials and supplies. This year, Sogester
has also begun to engage its customers in this worthy cause, raising
funds to help improve the quality of life for some of Angola’s most
disadvantaged children.
Angola Ports 15
advertising feature
People first
So far, Sogester has acquired 21 specialist reach stackers for
handling the containers, as well as six mobile harbour cranes that
have a radius of 54 metres, doubling crane capacity at the port.
Before Sogester took over management of the terminal, many vessels
often had to rely on their own gear to load and discharge containers.
In addition, two of the new cranes are the first in all Africa to be
fitted with a hydraulic hybrid drive system, enabling faster operations
and fuel conservation and reflecting Sogester’s commitment to
bringing the latest innovations to Angola.
To improve the productivity of the terminal, Sogester is not only
investing in logistical hardware. It has also established new IT systems
and invested heavily in staff training, enabling it to provide faster
access to cargoes, enhance services and reduce costs for customers
using the terminal.
Sogester has also implemented the Six Sigma business strategy
to enhance key management processes at the terminal. In 2011,
the company established a presence at the “Port’s Guichet Único”, a
one-stop-shop for customers to clear their cargo, arrange transport
and storage, and pay any invoices. As a result of these efforts and
innovations, the productivity of the terminal, as measured by moves
per hour and TEUs handled, reached record levels in 2011.
Sogester’s success in Angola is due to its commitment to the
modernisation of the port, to the development of the country and
to ensuring the wellbeing of its own employees.
In October 2011, Sogester organised a Safety Day as part of
its efforts to develop a world-class culture of safety and support
best-practice procedures in the daily operations of all the
company’s terminals.
Sogester followed up the Safety Day with a three-day
training programme in January 2012, which covered topics such
as safety procedures, risk assessment, investigation of accidents,
and safety inspections.
The company has a zero accident rate target in its operations
and thanks to the efforts of its health and safety team, it now
appears well set to meet that goal. In 2008, Sogester reported five
accidents; in 2011, less than two. At the same time, Sogester is
also investing heavily in training the company’s employees and in
ensuring their continuous professional development and personal
growth. Wherever possible, it tries to fill vacancies internally.
Many Angolan employees who started in the company in
positions such as drivers have already gone on hold positions such
as crane operators, equipment operators, financial assistants, and
health, safety and environment supervisors.
This emphasis on internal promotion
motivates Sogester’s employees, giving
them a clear direction and a career
path to follow at the company. It also
reflects Sogester’s commitment to
investing in developing Angolans and
in preparing them for high value, high
www.sogester.co.ao
technology positions.
16
Angola Ports
advertising feature
The billion dollar port
A billion dollar investment programme is
transforming the Port of Lobito into one of
southern Africa’s leading gateways
The expansion and modernisation of the Port of Lobito is the jewel
in the crown of Angola’s infrastructure investment programme and is
designed to ensure that the country takes back its former role as the
trade centre of southern Africa.
The Port has historically played an important part in the Angolan
economy as the location for the terminus of the 1,300-kilometre
Benguela Railway that linked central Africa to Atlantic shipping
routes. Thanks to the ongoing restoration of the railway, the Port
of Lobito is once again returning to its former privileged position in
African trade as the shipping gateway for a new logistics corridor
that stretches from the port to the mineral-rich countries of Zambia,
the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond.
Investment in the
The port’s location Port of Lobito and
in central Angola, on a the Benguela Railway
deep water harbour that is represents a concerted
sheltered by a natural bay, effort by the Angolan
government to help the
provides it with a series of
country make the most
competitive advantages that of the port’s strategic
give it an edge over ports location and its intermodal infrastructure.
Anapaz de Jesus Neto, CEO of the Port of Lobito, says that the
government has so far invested $1.2 billion in modernising the port,
including building a new import and export terminal designed
specifically for mineral products from central Africa.
The mineral terminal was completed earlier this year, opening up
a new route for minerals such as copper, cobalt and manganese from
Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo to reach Asian, European
and even American markets, rather than having to rely on more
expensive routes from ports in southern and eastern Africa.
The US ambassador to Angola, Christopher McMullen said on a
visit to the port in July that the modernisation of the facility was a
“strategic undertaking for southern Africa” which would “help the
rapid development of Angola and neighbouring states.”
All told, the government’s investments will increase the capacity
of the port to 11 million tons of cargo per year – in 2011, it handled
2.7 million tons and in 2010 the total was 2.3 million tons - and will
enable 12 vessels to dock at the same time, up from ten currently.
The port has also invested in its container handling and
storage facilities and in enhancing its services to shipping lines.
Although the focus of the current expansion programme is on bulk
cargo, the port’s new dry port will enable containerised goods to be
loaded and unloaded much more quickly and efficiently, saving time
and cutting costs for its customers.
“The Empresa Feliz
initiative is making a
major contribution to
improving the productivity
and motivation of the
employees of the Port.”
Anapaz de Jesus Neto Port of Lobito Chief Executive Officer
“The investments that we are undertaking are going to improve
our capacity and productivity significantly and will help us compete
strongly with other ports in the region,” Mr Neto says.
“We’re not only investing in new infrastructure and facilities; we’re
also introducing the latest information technology and handling
equipment, and above all we are training our employees in the latest
processes and technologies for port operations. Our employees are at
the heart of our business and to improve our productivity we know
that we have to continue to invest in them.”
The port’s location in central Angola, on a deep water harbour that
is sheltered by a natural bay, provides it with a series of competitive
advantages that give it an edge over ports. Couple this with the
investments in new facilities for shipping and the modernisation of
the Benguela Railway, and it’s a combination that will be hard to
match in the regional logistical race.
“We plan to transform the Port of Lobito into one of the most
important ports in the area. We really have the conditions to achieve
this; for instance, in southern Africa we are the port that is closest to
Europe and also closest to Brazil,” Mr Neto says.
“I believe that the returns on the investments that we are making
are going to be extremely significant, not only for the port and for the
province of Benguela, but also for the development of Angola and of
southern and central Africa.”
Angola Ports 17
advertising feature
Leading the Way
The Port of Namibe is investing in new infrastructure and developing a new
working culture to reflect its growing importance in Angolan trade
It is not only investment in Angola’s state-owned ports that holds the
key to unlocking the country’s full economic potential. The companies
that operate these critical facilities are also modernising their processes
and implementing world-class management practices, improving the
efficiency of the ports and bringing down the cost of logistics in the
country. In terms of both new investment and administrative reform,
it is the south western Port of Namibe that is leading the way in the
development of Angola’s maritime infrastructure.
The port is the third largest in the country, behind Luanda and Lobito,
and has a crucial part to play as a platform for mineral exports from
Angola and central Africa. The port has invested heavily in increasing
the capacity of its quays so that it can handle the very largest vessels,
enabling greater shipments of materials to be sent per vessel, lowering
the cost of shipping.
“thanks to the railway we will be
In addition to the 240
in a position to export products metres of additional quays
from our neighbours much more that have already been
efficiently and quickly.” built, the port will also construct new storage space
for containers, as part of
Joaquim M. D. Neto,
a second stage of expanPort of Namibe CEO sion. At the same time, it
is preparing the construction of a new building that
will house the operations
centre of the port; building
is expected to begin later
this year.
But the investment that
more than any other will
transform the port’s place
on the global trade map
will be the completion
of a railway line linking Namibe to the country’s southern provinces,
Namibia and the African interior, providing a new export route for
southern Africa’s mineral resources.
“Railways can make a major contribution to the development of
countries in the region,” says Eng. Joaquim M. D. Neto, the CEO of the
Port of Namibe. “For example, Zambia depends on ports in South Africa
and Mozambique. The Port of Namibe is much closer to Zambia than
those ports, and thanks to the railway we will be in a position to export
products from our neighbours much more efficiently and quickly.”
The port is also planning to step up its import activities. Mr Neto
says that he is already planning the construction of a distribution
and logistics centre in Cuando-Cubango for freight arriving by sea in
Namibe for distribution in neighbouring countries; there is already
a high level of interest from members of the Southern African
Development Community in the project. Even greater deep water
capacity will be needed in the port to make the most of its potential,
Mr Neto says.
But the port is not only focused on ambitious investment in new
infrastructure. It is also very aware of the need to invest in its human
resources, to ensure that it has the productive and motivated workers
it needs to provide the best services possible to customers in Angola
and beyond. The port has already hosted part of the “Empresa Feliz,
Trabalhador Feliz” seminars organised by the Ministry of Transport,
and Mr Neto says that the event at the port had a significant impact on
employees and managers alike.
“Empresa Feliz, Trabalhador Feliz” emphasises that every employer
and every employee has responsibilities and obligations,” he says.
“It shows our people how important it is to have good relations
between employers and employees if we are to obtain good results.
Workers at the port were all very impressed by the seminar, which
demonstrated to them how important it is that we all work together
for a common purpose.”
To follow up the seminar, Mr Neto has already posted signs
throughout the Port of Namibe to motivate employees, reminding
them of their importance to the process of national development.
Some of these signs also carry a very personal message, he explains.
“I want everybody here at the port to feel love for the company and
love for what they do. Love for the company is all that I can hope for,
so one of the signs says just that - ´I love my company´- while another
one shows a manager and a technician together, smiling and happy.
I want our employees to feel united behind our company. It’s a very
special and exciting place to work, and we have a major contribution
to make to the future of Angola.”
18
Angola Construction
advertising feature
Building
the new Angola
Fernando Fonseca Construction and Urban Planning Minister
Fernando Fonseca, the minister spearheading an
ambitious investment programme in housing and
infrastructure
It is the strong partnership between domestic policy makers and
internationally experienced construction and engineering companies
that is powering one of Africa’s most ambitious infrastructure drives.
“We have a very integrated programme for investments in
infrastructure and housing across the country,” says Fernando Alberto
de Lemos Soares Fonseca, the Minister for Construction and Urban
planning. “The government has set clear targets for this construction
programme, which can only be achieved with the cooperation of the
private sector.
We are leveraging the resources and know-how of the private
sector to improve the quality of life for people in rural and urban
Angola. It is our responsibility to work together to meet the challenges
the country faces.”
Fonseca says that it is important that international contractors
operating in Angola share this commitment to national development.
Companies participating in procurement processes for infrastructure
and construction projects will need to prioritise the use of local labour
and invest in training Angolans in the regions where they operate.
For the Minister, the legacy of a construction company should not
just be a railway line or a power station, but a body of people who are
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trained in constructing, maintaining and operating infrastructure. New
housing and Infrastructure is not an end in itself, but a means to create
the conditions for generating wealth and employment in the urban
and rural communities of Angola.
Since 2008, the public investment programme of the government
has begun to transform the country’s infrastructure and its housing
stock, enhancing the quality of life for ordinary Angolans and delivering
new economic opportunities.
In the housing sector, the government has successfully partnered
with private construction companies to build hundreds of thousands
of new social housing units, mainly in Angola’s largest towns and
cities but also in rural areas. At the same time as investing in new
housing, the Minister says that the government has also prioritised
infrastructure projects to help develop urban areas.
“It’s not enough just to build new houses in deprived areas, such
as Sambizanga in Luanda,” he says. “We also have to put in roads,
sanitation, water and electricity, so that we can create the conditions for
economic development, the conditions for the private sector to come
into these areas and create jobs and opportunities. It’s very important
to have this integrated approach to housing and infrastructure.”
Complementing these investments within towns and cities, the
Ministry is also overseeing an extensive programme of investments in
the country’s transport network, especially in road and rail.
After three decades of civil war, which wreaked major damage
on the road network and on Angola’s industrial and engineering
Angola Construction
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capacity, the Ministry is leading investment programmes to connect
port of Benguela and Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, and
by road all of the country’s provincial capitals, industrial centres and
between the port of Namibe and Namibia, to improve the country’s
ports. It is these roads that are now transporting the heavy machinery
logistics and trade capacity. Angola is also continuing to invest in
and goods that are powering the industrialisation process.
new airport capacity, such as the new international airport of Luanda,
Fonseca estimates
which will be able to
that the government has
handle over 13 million
“the public investment programme […] has begun to
so far repaired around
passengers when comtransform the country’s infrastructure and its housing
16,000 kilometres of
pleted in 2014.
stock, enhancing the quality of life for ordinary
roads and constructed
For Fonseca, these
Angolans and delivering new economic opportunities”
over 400 bridges. He
investments in infrasays the Ministry is also
structure will be a critiplanning to invest in a network of new roads that will allow freight and
cal factor in the sustainable economic development of all the regions
goods traffic to bypass urban centres, reducing congestion and cutting
of Angola. “Our investment programmes are literally paving the way
carbon emissions in Angola’s fast growing cities. Meanwhile, the govtowards development,” he says, “and that should be the ultimate goal
ernment plans to invest in international rail connections between the
of everyone who works with us.”
Rising to the Challenge
Many construction companies pulled out of Angola in 2009. But Eusebios stayed the
course, restructured and is now eyeing new opportunities in the water sector
As governments and the private sector in the developed world cut
back their spending, the world’s largest construction companies are
looking to emerging markets such as Angola for revenue growth and
new orders. However, even the most experienced of these companies
should be under no illusions. Carlos Ramalho, Executive Director of
one of Angola’s leading construction firms, Eusebios, says that Angola
can be a very challenging market for foreign companies and is no
place to make a quick buck.
During the financial problems of 2009, many companies from
China and Brazil, drawn here by the prospect of easy money, threw
in the towel, and the market is now dominated by a small number of
experienced companies who are fully committed to the reconstruction
of Angola. Eusebios is one of the select band of construction companies
to stay the course through the downturn and it is now reaping the
benefits of its long-term engagement with the country.
“We took advantage of the general slowdown in construction in
2009 to restructure the company,” Mr Ramalho says. “As a result, we
were one of the few companies to improve our margins and cash
flows, which is very important in this high-interest rate environment.”
As part of the restructuring process, Eusebios also invested heavily in training its personnel and today it has one of the best qualified workforces in the Angolan construction market. “Many companies
are now trying to improve the quality of their workforce and employ
Angolans in key positions,” Mr Ramalho says. “But Eusebios has been
focusing on this for a relatively long time. As part of our long-term
commitment we realise that we have to invest in training Angolans to
the very highest standards.”
Eusebios was established in Angola twenty years ago, and started
to become a major player in the country in 2007. Although sister companies operate in Spain, Morocco and Algeria, it is growth in Angola
that is the company’s strategic priority.
In particular, the company is focusing on the water treatment sector, where it aims to leverage its extensive know-how in Algeria in
upcoming tenders in Angola, where the government is looking for
partners to help it improve the population’s access to clean water.
Eusebios is especially interested in water supply and treatment
programmes in provinces such as Huambo and Bié, where the
company has participated in some of its most ambitious projects in
partnership with the government.
“We are particularly proud of some of the work we carried out
in Kuito to restore many heavily damaged buildings,” Mr Ramalho
says. “In financial terms the return was not very significant, but for us
the reconstruction symbolises the contribution we can make to the
development of Angola.”
“There is a lot of new home building taking place in the provinces
and these communities need facilities to supply clean water and
treat waste water. We are very interested in this opportunity.”
Although about 70% of the company’s work is for Angola’s fast
growing private sector, Eusebios also partners extensively with the
public sector, including government ministries and oil giant Sonangol; the company has built many of the country’s newest gas stations.
“The construction market in Angola is now in a new phase of
development,” Mr Ramalho says. “The reconstruction of infrastructure
and public sector building is still very important, but we are also
seeing more and more demand from the private sector.” There’s also
been a significant improvement in standards in the construction
sector in the last five years, he adds.
“I’m glad to say that things are much more professional now,”
he says. “The sector takes health and safety, the environment, and
quality very seriously, which is very positive for the country. The
public tender process also been improved, and inspections are much
more stringent and demanding. It’s a tough market, but we have a
large and varied portfolio of customers and we are committed to
growing our business here.”
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Angola Construction
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Breathing new life into Luanda
Under the leadership of José Tavares Ferreira, the executive commission of
Luanda is revitalising life in the streets of Angola’s capital city
José Tavares Ferreira is one of the leading
figures in the reshaping of Angolan infrastructure
and culture, especially in Luanda.
As the Chairman of the Administrative Commission for the city, Mr Tavares is spearheading a series
of investments and reforms that are turning Luanda
into a more attractive and pleasant place to live
and work. One of his main priorities is to improve
the level of municipal services in the capital city, especially services such as street cleaning and waste
collection, in order to enhance the quality of life for
everyone who lives here.
The Executive Commission is highly focused on
improving the delivery of public services and cracking down on illegal and antisocial behaviour. In July
this year, the city began to take concerted action
against criminals who connect to the water network
and steal water supplies to sell to residents.
Mr Tavares is also committed to providing residents
of the city with a more secure supply of electricity, with
new substations opening across Luanda in 2012. Partly thanks to these investments in electricity infrastructure, the city is also making dramatic improvements to
public lighting, especially in poorer neighbourhoods,
at times using solar panels to power the lights. One
of the main purposes of these investments in lighting,
Mr Tavares says, is to provide residents with a more
secure environment, reducing the levels of criminality
and revitalising street life in the city.
On his visits to all regions of Luanda, and in particular to underprivileged areas, Mr Tavares brings a
message of hope and optimism from the city government, which is fully engaged with the mission of reducing social inequality and sharing the fruits of economic growth with Luanda’s less fortunate residents.
In addition to investing in new infrastructure and
services, the municipal government is undertaking a
range of initiatives to support the economic developments of poorer neighbourhoods, such as building
local markets, shops and kiosks where residents can
offer their services and sell their wares.
The government is also establishing one-stopshop centres for micro-businesses and entrepreneurs
in these areas, to help local businessmen set up and
run companies and become a catalyst for socioeconomic development.
Mr Tavares has made it clear that, in combination with improved living conditions, education and
continuous professional training are key elements
to the development of Luanda’s poorer districts.
The municipal government is providing residents
with extensive opportunities for training for jobs in
rapidly growing sectors in Luanda, including information technology, construction and design, electricity, restaurants, clothes making and retail.
Helping local residents to enter the labour market or to start their own businesses and open their
own shops is providing new hope to young people
in the city, reducing criminality and powering the
economic development of Luanda.
The success of the Luanda government’s investment in professional training has been such that
MrTavares says over 203,000 young people have
now participated in the various courses provided.
All the daytime courses are now fully booked, and
as of 2013 the government will start offering the
courses at night, such has been the demand from
the citizens of this dynamic and fast growing city.
Angola Construction
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On the
front line of development
Real estate developer EFES
Empreendimentos is Angola’s leading
investor in high quality residential and retail
complexes for the country’s lower- and
middle-income communities
EFES Empreendimentos is one of the fastest growing real estate
developers in the country. The company’s decision to specialise in
developments for the middle-income and low-income segments has
paid off spectacularly in recent years.
This surge in business is a result of the visionary investments that
EFES is making in building homes for Angola’s new middle classes;
investments that are playing a fundamental part in the sustainable
and equitable development of the Angolan economy.
“Even during the darkest times for Angola, we always believed in
the future of our country,” says Fernando Anjos Ferreira, the Executive
Chairman of EFES Empreendimentos. “It hasn’t always been easy and
“Demand for high
quality, affordable
housing has remained
strong and will remain
strong in the long-term”
Fernando Anjos Ferreira
Executive Chairman of EFES
Angola can be a tough place to operate, but we are proud to have
worked hand in hand with the government to provide high quality,
affordable housing to our country’s families.”
Initially the state was the company’s largest client, but as the national
economy grew and the private sector expanded, the EFES portfolio has
become increasingly diversified and it now counts some of the country’s
largest privately owned companies among its customers.
The explosive growth of the private sector has provided EFES with
a new source of cash flow and financing for its real estate projects,
releasing it from reliance on expensive bank debt. This financial
strength has been the key to the company’s recent growth; few real
estate companies in the country have the portfolio of projects that
EFES has delivered or is now completing.
In the public sector, the company is one of the leading partners
to the Ministry of Construction and Urbanism in the government’s
programme to build one million affordable homes across the
country. It also works closely with the Ministry of Youth and Sport to
provide subsidised housing specifically for the country’s youth.
Mr Ferreira’s decision to focus on lower-income segments, long
before it became fashionable, has ensured that EFES has maintained
a solid financial structure, with very little exposure to the ongoing
difficulties in the higher end of the market where speculation and
oversupply have resulted in a sharp slowdown.
“Most other developers in Angola only invested in high-income
segments, but it was clear to us that this is a much more limited
market,” Mr Ferreira explains.
“We could see that the real growth market in Angola was always
going to be in the lower-income segment, where millions of people
are joining the middle class and are moving to the cities. There was
no speculative bubble in this part of the market. Its growth reflects
long-term trends in the real economy, and demand for high quality,
affordable housing has remained strong and will remain strong in
the long-term. We are one of the very few Angolan companies who
are investing their own funds in such an important sector.”
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Angola Construction
advertising feature
Top, From left to right:
Luanda - Condominio
Russinha/Exterior view,
Luanda - Condominio
Russinha/Interior view,
Huambo - Sol Nascente
Villas /Exterior view, Luanda
- Condominio Russinha/
Exterior view.
Bottom, Conceito
Habitacional Moradia “Uma Casa Para Todos”.
While banks may be withdrawing credit from developers who
invested only in the high end of the market, EFES is now enjoying
high levels of liquidity. EFES is one of the very few Angolan real
estate development companies that is in the enviable position of
being able to invest its own equity in major projects in the real estate
sector and beyond.
To continue to diversify its portfolio of projects, EFES is not only
investing in residential housing. One of its current projects represents
a new departure for EFES; the company plans to invest, in partnership
with a Portuguese wine-making company, in planting a vineyard in
“we always aim to ensure that our
developments are robust and are also
visually appealing, whether we are building
social housing or exclusive villas.”
the province of Kwanza-Sul that will produce locally made wines for
consumption by Angola’s rapidly increasing numbers of wine drinkers.
“We are going to be pioneers in this market, just as we were
pioneers in low-income housing,” Mr Ferreira says. “Angola is a fast
moving economy and at times a challenging place to do business, but
I don’t know any other country where there are so many potential
opportunities. What is important is to have a proactive attitude, as
well as solid partners for each project.”
Partnerships
Mr Ferreira says that partnerships with architecture and urban planning firms have been critical to the success of the company’s real
estate projects.
Mr Ferreira says that while the focus of EFES is on the low-income
segment, standards in this market are as demanding as in other
parts of the real estate market. EFES is very committed to innovative
design and architecture that meets the requirements of lowincome residents in a way that is aesthetically pleasing as well as
financially accessible.
“A lot of people in Angola don’t believe it when they see our
units and we tell them they are for people on low incomes,” he says.
“We produce houses that cost $55,000 but which are very attractive
and highly differentiated from other products in the market.
In terms of architecture and design, we always aim to ensure that our
developments are robust and are also visually appealing, whether
we are building social housing or exclusive villas.”
These partnerships also mean that EFES has the resources to
continue to expand without overstretching. For instance, EFES is
now embarking on one of its most ambitious developments to date.
Angola Construction
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In the Camama district of Luanda, it has begun construction of a
major project that by 2015 will have around 3,000 apartments which
includes facilities such as a shopping mall, police station, medical
clinic, high school, playground and kindergarten.
“We believe that there can only be sustainable development in
Angola if there is a national commitment to providing ordinary
people with decent housing and dignified living conditions,” Mr
Ferreira says. “We are very honoured to be part of this process.”
EFES shows no signs of letting up in its construction drive, and
currently has around 1,800 mid-income and 2,000 low income
houses under construction. Buoyed by its success in this market,
the company is also continuing to invest on a more limited basis
in the high-income niche, where it is currently completing luxury
villas in the innovative, minimalist style that characterises many EFES
projects. But the high-income sector represents less than 5% of the
company’s portfolio.
“We believe that our long-term future will continue to be in low
-income and middle-income housing, and we will continue to apply
the latest technologies and the most innovative designs to this
market,” Mr Ferreira says.
Rainbow
shopping center
At the same time as continuing to
invest in residential developments,
EFES is also increasing its exposure
to the booming retail market
The company has designed an innovative
concept for a shopping center that aims to
meet the retail and leisure needs of Angola’s
new middle classes and fill a large gap in the
country’s retail sector.
While most developers in Angola have
targeted their retail investments in upscale
areas of Luanda, EFES believes that the market
is saturated and that there is more potential
to develop modern shopping centers in the
country’s provincial towns and cities, markets
where there is little penetration of shopping
centers and significant margin for growth.
And no real estate developer in Angola
understands the requirements of these markets
better than EFES.
The Arco Íris (Portuguese for ‘rainbow’)
concept for the shopping center leverages the
know-how and experience of EFES in simple
and well designed constructions that meet the
needs of middle-income communities in an
attractive and economic way.
The design of the 6,075 square metre
complex includes 3,207 square metres of space
for a pharmacy, laundry, gym, stores, beauty
salons, exchange house, jewellery, banks,
hypermarket, playground, restaurant area and
cinema, as well as car parking, security, and
services such as free WiFi access.
Mr Ferreira says the shopping center will
only take six months to build, using modular
metal structure units, followed by another two
months for retailers to prepare their stores. He
expects the first Arco Íris shopping center will be
opened in Camama in January 2013.
Following the inauguration in Camama, EFES
and its partners plan to bring the concept to the
cities of N’dalatando in Kwanza Norte and Soyo
in Zaire. By bringing key shops and services together in one attractive and accessible complex,
EFES will be creating employment opportunities, helping generate prosperity and improving
the quality of life in these provincial cities.
And the company’s plans for this shopping
center, designed specifically for the requirements of the growing middle classes, are not
limited to Angola. EFES believes that it can export the Arco Íris model to other countries in Africa, helping to promote social development not
only in Angola, but also in the other rapidly expanding economies of this booming continent.
www.efesinter.com
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Angola Construction
advertising feature
In Luanda and beyond, Odebrecht is
the trusted partner for improving
the lives of everyday Angolans
through its upgrading of critical
infrastructure projects
Transforming life in Luanda
Few companies
have played such
a massive part in
the reconstruction
of Angolan infrastructure as Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
The project was designed by the office of Jaime Lerner, a
Since well before the final end of hostilities, Odebrecht has had
celebrated Brazilian urban planner and architect, and the new
a presence in an unparalleled range of major projects in the energy,
landscaped areas and pedestrian facilities incorporate traditional
transport and water sectors in Angola. Odebrecht has been fully
Angolan motifs in their design.
committed to the reconstruction of Angola since 2002 and to the
“For us, it’s not a question of just building roads,” says Eduardo
reintegration of the country back into the global economy.
Badin, the Contract Director for Vias de Luanda. “The building is the
The company first entered Angola in 1984, when it was hired to
easy part. In Vias de Luanda and all of our infrastructure projects
construct the Capanda hydroelectric plant. Since then, Odebrecht
our priority is to make sure that our work helps to improve the
has become a leading player in the
quality of life for Angolans. It’s
Angolan construction and infrastructure
the human element that drives
market, as well as a major investor in
our work in Angola and has made
“The main reason for our success is
sectors such as diamond mining, real
Odebrecht such a success here.”
that our priorities and interests as
estate, retail and agribusiness.
In addition to the construction
a business are fully aligned with the
“The main reason for our success is
and engineering work involved
country’s own priorities”
that our priorities and interests as a
in Vias de Luanda, Odebrecht
business are fully aligned with the
has also launched a campaign to
Fabio Januario
country’s own priorities,” explains Faraise the awareness of the local
Odebrecht’s Director of Infrastructure
bio Januario, the company’s Director of
population about how to use
Infrastructure. “Energy, water and
and preserve the new roads and
transport are strategic business areas for us, areas in which we are
facilities, educating Luanda residents in citizenship, responsible
global leaders, and they are strategic areas for the government and
driving, and environmental issues.
people of Angola.”
Over 2,500 workers have been involved in the project, the vast
One of the flagship contracts that the company’s infrastructure
majority of them Angolans. Throughout its nearly 30 years in the
division has undertaken is the so-called Vias de Luanda project in
country, Odebrecht has always striven to employ the highest
the capital city, where Odebrecht is revitalizing urban areas, reducing
numbers of Angolans possible and it is one of the country’s leading
congestion and improving the quality of life for residents.
employers. Currently, 94% of its workforce in the country is Angolan,
There is much more to Vias de Luanda, which began in 2008, than
reflecting the company’s commitment to generate jobs and income
just building roads and laying asphalt. The project, which Odebrecht
and to help Angola reduce its social inequalities.
is carrying out in partnership with the provincial government, forms
Some 45% of Odebrecht’s managers and engineers are also
a key part of an integrated urban planning strategy to revitalize the
Angolan, far and away the highest proportion of any large foreign
streets of the city and reclaim Luanda for its residents.
construction company that operates in the country. And the
As well as constructing roads, Odebrecht is responsible for road
company’s ambitions for transferring know-how and investing in
maintenance, street cleaning, waste management, installing public
high-value training go even further.
lighting, drains and sewage systems, and for building pedestrian
“Our target is for 90% of employees at this level to be Angolans,”
walkways, public spaces and green areas to be used for leisure and
Mr Januario explains. “We’ve invested a lot in training, and the high
sports. Vias de Luanda is not only improving traffic flows – it is also
proportion of Angolan employees at all levels of the company
changing the face of life in Luanda.
differentiates us and is a clear competitive advantage for Odebrecht.”
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Angola Construction
Building infrastructure,
raising quality of life
Construction company Somague is a long-standing
partner to Angola in investments for vital infrastructure
including universities, schools, hospitals and airports
In recent years, construction and infrastructure company Somague
has invested heavily in the facilities that are increasing the economic
potential of Angola, providing new employment opportunities and
raising the quality of life for ordinary Angolans.
The company has built a series of hospitals, schools, universities
and airports across the country, partnering with the public sector to
provide Angola with world-class infrastructure in health, education
and transport.
In what is perhaps its most far-reaching project, Somague has just
completed the final touches to the first stage of the new Universidade
Agostinho Neto (UAN), a university campus that will serve 17,000
At the same time, Somague, which employees some 700 people, is
students on a giant 20,000 hectare site just to the south of Luanda.
also benefiting from the strong growth of the Angolan economy and
“It’s a project that represents the future of the country,” says
in particular the private sector. Its most ambitious project currently is
Somague’s Chief Executive Officer
the construction of a major mixed-use
Somague has just completed the final
Luis Gonçalves. “We are investing in
complex in Luanda that will include
the infrastructure that will increase
a shopping centre, offices and aparttouches to the first stage of the new
Angola’s economic growth and provide
hotel. The company has also built the
Universidade Agostinho Neto (UAN), a
opportunities to future generations.”
headquarters for several of Angola’s
Somague began working on the university campus that will serve 17,000 largest corporations and banks.
UAN project some seven years ago. It
Meanwhile, Somague has partnered
students on a giant 20,000 hectare site
has now delivered the library and the
successfully with the public sector
main faculty buildings for the university, including buildings for
in Angola’s airport construction and modernisation programme.
computer science, mathematics, chemistry and physics. These will be
It has contributed to the construction of nearly all of the country’s
followed by administrative facilities and centres for other disciplines
airports, and is perhaps Angola’s leading contractor in this infrastructhat are of high importance for Angola’s economic growth and social
ture segment.
development, such as engineering, agriculture, oil and medicine.
Mr Gonçalves says that now that Angola’s airport infrastructure
Mr Gonçalves says Somague’s contribution to the university
is almost complete, Somague is also exploring new opportunities in
project is in keeping with its commitment to work on construction
water supply and distribution and in the energy sector, as well as
projects in which there is a very high social
other transport infrastructure, including railways.
component. For example, the company has
But it is social projects – hospitals, maternity clinics, schools
just completed the construction of three
and universities - that are closest to the company’s heart. Even
hospitals in underprivileged areas of
as it constructs the airport at Catumbela in Benguela province,
the country.
Somague is taking the time out to build a brand new school in the
Near to the new UAN campus,
neighbourhood. And as part of the UAN project, Somague will also
Somague is also building an
construct schools and hospitals on the university campus.
arts centre that will provide
“We are business people, we are a private company with a
education in theatre, dance,
commercial purpose, but we also have an extremely strong social
arts and other cultural
component,” Mr Gonçalves explains. “We may not be as large as
activities to school children
some of the other construction companies in Angola, but we are very
in the area.
efficient and effective at what we do. We are very committed to the
And Somague’s social
future generations of Angola, and most of our workforce is Angolan,
investments are not limited
with a much lower proportion of expatriates than our competitors.
to Luanda. The company
If Angola is to develop more rapidly in
has constructed a centre
the future, it needs to invest in its young
for homeless children and
people and especially in the education
orphans in Huambo that
sector. It needs to build its own knowhouses the children in
how, and that is what it is doing with the
decent conditions and
UAN project. At Somague, we are very
provides them with an
proud to be making a contribution to
www.somague.pt
education.
this effort.”
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Angola Construction
advertising feature
Acticon Angola is one of the country’s youngest and fastest
growing engineering and construction companies
Setting the pace In the
construction sector
Since the successful delivery of its very first project, a housing and
services condominium for national oil company Sonangol, engineering
and construction specialists Acticon Angola, has emerged as a trusted
partner to some of the largest businesses in the country. “When we
started out on our own we had good relations with Sonangol and some
other blue chip contacts, but not much else,” Martinho Vidal, CEO of
Acticon Angola, says. “But within a couple of months we had already
“We have excellent
reputation and a solid
corporate structure, so a
lot of companies are now
looking to work with us”
Martinho Vidal
CEO of Acticon Angola
been awarded a hotel project in Benguela and a housing contract in
Talatona. So the banks began to believe in us and provide us with the
financing we needed to expand. And we haven’t looked back since then.”
Mr Vidal says that the success of Acticon is above all down to the
people who work for the company, at all levels. In a relatively short
time in the market, Acticon has established an enviable reputation for
delivering projects on time and to the highest standards – a rare feat in
Angola’s notoriously challenging construction market.
“We were able to provide one of the main banks in Angola, BNI, with
new branches in just three months, rather than the eight to ten months
that they normally had to wait,” Mr Vidal says. “It meant that the bank
could start operating in new regions much sooner – and it proved just
how quick and effective we are. The private sector in Angola now has a
very high level of confidence in us.”
Acticon won its initial contract with Sonangol when the original
contractor failed to deliver the project on time; thanks to round-theclock work, Acticon was able to hand over the completed facility in
March, just four months later.
With this reputation for quality and efficiency, Acticon has quickly
built up an order book and a customer portfolio that includes some of
the leading names in Angola’s private sector, in particular in the financial,
oil, telecoms and real estate sectors. These companies are all turning to
Acticon to deliver new homes, offices and shops across Angola.
Acticon is now diversifying into new business areas. At the end
of 2011, in partnership with a Portuguese company, it established
a subsidiary, Tripolar Angola, which will operate in the country’s
electricity sector, installing the equipment and infrastructure that
Angola’s booming economy demands.
This transaction also positions Acticon to increase its share of the
construction market in the public sector, a segment that Acticon is
beginning to explore now.
“I believe we are going to see a lot of opportunities in energy,
water and sanitation, all of which are the responsibility of the public
sector,” Mr Vidal says. “As Acticon expands we will be able to take on
more work for the public sector and have a more balanced order book
between public and private sector work.”
In 2012, Mr Vidal estimates that the company’s revenues will
increase by around 30%. “We have this excellent reputation in the
market and we have a solid corporate structure, so a lot of companies
are now looking to work with us,” he says.
“Our order book for 2013 is already
80% of our order book for 2012 – the
work just keeps coming in. I think that
in the coming years Angola will remain
a land of opportunities for us, in both the
private and public sectors.”
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
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Angola Construction
Paving the Way
to Development
Road construction company Paviterra occupies a central position
in the national reconstruction effort building Angola’s network
Few companies in Angola are making such a major contribution to the
There are other technical challenges in the road sector. Following
country’s reconstruction as Paviterra, which in recent years has built
the civil war, Angola remains a heavily mined country, and road
thousands of kilometres of new roads across Angola, providing this
building involves significant risks as a result. This is a particular
buoyant economy with extra capacity for freight traffic and cars.
problem in parts of central Angola, where the company is now
Although the state holds a majority stake in Paviterra, the road
focusing its investments.
construction market has been liberalised and competition has
“The coastal road network is significantly more advanced than
increased in recent years. However, Paviterra’s operational know-how
the interior network,” Mr Amaral says. “This is a concern to the
and experience is unmatched; for many years following independence
government, as they don’t want there to be any asymmetries in the
Paviterra was responsible for building every single road in the country.
country’s road infrastructure.”
The company continues to play a critical part in national reconstruction,
At the same time as building new roads in central Angola, the company
which is why the government has bought back a minority stake owned
is also increasing the capacity of existing roads by adding new express
by Mota Engil of Portugal, explains Oswaldo
lanes to major routes between provincial
R. Amaral, CEO of Paviterra.
the road construction market has capitals, such as Benguela and Lobito.
Mr Amaral says that Paviterra has
“The Benguela-Lobito experience was
been liberalized and competition
adapted successfully to the opening of the
very positive and the government now
has increased in recent years
market and to the new demands made on
wants to replicate it on other major roads,”
the company. Since liberalisation, landmark
Mr Amaral says. “By dualling lanes, traffic
projects on which the company has worked include the Huambo-Kuito
between economically important cities can flow much faster, and much
highway, the Ngola-Cacula and Caxito-Balacente roads and the new
more safely. We expect to be investing in many more of these projects.”
airport at Kuito.
Paviterra is also diversifying into high margin new businesses, such
“We’ve coped very well with the new market conditions and
as road maintenance. “The quality of the new Angolan road network is
with the arrival of competitors from Brazil and Portugal,” Mr Amaral
very high and is subject to inspection and to international standards,”
says. “Our main challenge now is in finding Angolan road engineers.
Mr Amaral says. “However there are still parts where maintenance has
As a state-owned company, we want to use as much local labour
not been carried out for a long time and is a matter of some urgency
as possible, without relying on expatriates. 99% of our 500-strong
for the government.”
workforce is Angolan.”
The road ahead for Paviterra is clearly one that promises major
Mr Amaral himself studied as a civil engineer in Brazil, supported
opportunities. Mr Amaral says that there is also the potential for
by a grant from the Angolan government. Paviterra itself also awards
foreign investors to participate in these
grants for studies in universities within Angola, as well as investing in
opportunities, as the government is
continuous on-the-job training for its technicians in the country.
prepared to sell a stake in the company.
Paviterra has also partnered with new entrants to the market
But only those bidders who are prepared
in recent road projects. As road building is both capital intensive
to make a long-term commitment to
and labour intensive, this has enabled Paviterra to share the
invest in Angolan reconstruction should
financial burden and make the most of the human resources of
contact the Ministry of Public Works,
other companies.
he advises.
29
Angola industry
Q&A
30
advertising feature
“We are investing heavily in ports, roads
and railways which will open up export
markets to our minerals and make mining
in Angola more attractive to investors”
Q: What plans do you have to mine resources other than
diamonds?
A: It’s true that most of Angola’s mineral exports are currently
diamonds. But we want to diversify this. Angola used to be an iron
exporter. So we are planning to start with iron mining, restarting
exports from the Cassinga mine and others. There have also been
discoveries of manganese in various parts of the country. In northern
Angola there are also copper resources that could be mined. It also
looks as if we have potential for gold and for rare earth metals. It’s
clear to me that in two to five years Angola will be mining much
more than just diamonds.
Q: What is the Government doing to attract investors to the
mining sector?
Joaquim Duarte da Costa David
Minister of Geology, Mines and Industry
A: We want to partner with international mining companies in
mineral prospecting and exploration in Angola. For our part, we will
also have to help supply the infrastructure and the workforce. We
are investing heavily in ports, roads and railways which will open
up export markets to our minerals and make mining in Angola more
attractive to investors. We will also need to make more investments
in energy to supply the new industries.
Q: What are the main principles of the new Mining Code?
Q: How does Angola plan to transform its mineral resources
into prosperity for the country?
A: It’s clear that Angola has exciting mineral potential. But one of
the problems in Angola, and in Africa generally, is that we tend to
export these raw materials and import the finished products. We
would now like to start adding value ourselves to mining products.
For example, in the most well known sector in Angola, diamonds, we
are encouraging the growth of the diamond polishing industry, not
just mining. And we don’t just want to export iron. We would like to
see steelmaking plants here too. It’s one of the reasons why three
years ago mines and industry were put under the same portfolio
at the Ministry. Angola is a relatively small market, so we will not
transform all our raw materials into finished products, but we want
to do more than export minerals.
Q: What is the Ministry doing to explore Angola’s mineral
resources?
A: The mining sector was badly damaged by the war, which disrupted
exploration and extraction. We are trying to put the sector on a more
scientific basis and improve our knowledge of the country’s resources.
Most of Angola still hasn’t been surveyed with modern technologies.
We are currently putting out to tender an aerial geological survey of
the whole country. This will give us the scientific foundations for a
dialogue with potential mining investors, and also a road map for
developing the industry, based on the resources we have and the
demands of world markets.
A: The Mining Code is designed to provide investors with more
guarantees, while at the same time giving more transparency to
revenues from mining and transactions with the State. There are over
300 articles in the Code, which is based on international best practice
and which aims to ensure a secure, transparent and fair environment
for investing in mining in Angola.
Q: What are the main challenges you face in industrialisation?
A: One of the consequences of the war was that a lot of industry was
destroyed. Angola began to import almost everything. So the country
needs to make a massive effort to build up its industrial base again.
Our industries have to be globally competitive. We want “made in
Angola” to be a mark of pride for the country.
Q: How is Angolan industry responding to these efforts?
A: It’s going to take a lot of hard work to improve our technologies
and access to finance for our companies. But we’re already seeing
some positive signs. For some years now the non-oil sector has
been growing faster than the oil sector. In particular we’re seeing
a lot of growth in the construction materials sector and in food
products, with local products beginning to substitute imports.
The government is also investing in technology centres that will
train young Angolans in high technology, high value industries.
There’s a long road ahead but we are laying the foundations for
a diversified industrial economy that can create employment and
wealth for all Angolans.
advertising feature
Angola industry
Shaping the Future
with Explosives
Maxam-CPEA is the main provider of civil explosives to
the mining and infrastructure sectors
A reliable supply of high quality explosives and blasting systems is
critical to the national effort to reconstruct Angola’s infrastructure and
to the continuing development of the country’s mining industries. In
recent years, civil explosives producer Maxam-CPEA has emerged as a
leading partner to national and international infrastructure and mining
To meet current demand and in anticipation of continued growth,
companies across Angola.
Maxam-CPEA is investing in a new, highly automated plant that will be
With local capacity to produce around one thousand tons every
completed by the end of the year.
month, Maxam is the largest manufacturer of explosives in the country,
In addition to this investment, Maxam-CPEA is also strongly
with sophisticated production facilities and high levels of security. As
committed to improving its traditionally high levels of post-sale service
part of the global Maxam group that was founded by Alfred Nobel back
and technical assistance.
in 1872, the Angolan operation is consolidating itself as one of the most
“We are increasing the number of engineers who work on site
robust ones.
with our clients,” Mr Aguincha says. “In particular, we are investing in
Carlos Aguincha, Managing Director of Maxam-CPEA, says that
training Angolan engineers in foreign universities – in the future we
the company’s commitment to high quality and to differentiating
want to work with an almost fully Angolan workforce. We are in Angola
its products have been the key to its success in the Angolan market.
for the long-term, and we are committed to training and employing
“Demand for explosives in Angola is very high,” he says. “We are
local workers.”
working at full capacity to meet our commitments for any current and
Maxam-CPEA also applies the highest standards of health and
future orders, and we are planning to invest to increase our capacity
safety in this potentially hazardous sector.
and enhance our productivity.”
Angola may be a developing country,
One of Maxam-CPEA’s orders is to
“Demand for explosives in Angola
but Maxam-CPEA believes that the same
provide the explosives needed to create
is very high. We are working at full
world-class criteria for preserving safety
an entire new shipping canal in the Port
capacity to meet our commitments”
must be followed here as in the more than
of Lobito, which will provide direct access
forty other countries where it operates.
to the Lobito oil refinery for oil tankers. At
In its 120 facilities worldwide, the Maxam group is currently
the same time, Maxam-CPEA is also a long-standing partner of most
implementing the OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards for
Brazilian construction companies in a series of projects, including
health and safety, quality, and the environment respectively.
supplying explosives to help build new dams and hydroelectric plants.
Mr Aguincha says that this will support the Angolan operations of
‘Our explosives are being used above all in infrastructure, such
Maxam-CPEA as they aim to reduce and recycle waste, prevent risks to
as building new roads, repairing existing roads, bridges and even
workers and clients, and maintain the highest standards of quality in
reconstructing railroads,” Mr Aguincha says, “We supply explosives
the full range of explosive products that Maxam-CPEA supplies.
to some of the largest road building projects in Luanda, and we are
“Implementing OSHAS 18001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 in Angola will
working with some of the largest construction companies in the country.
mean that we add even more value to our customers in the country,”
In addition, we also see high potential in the mining sector, as
he says. “This decision is fully aligned with our long-term commitment
Angola is opening up to investment in mines for iron, copper, and
to our clients in Angola and to the continued sustainable development
many other minerals. We are very excited by the potential to supply the
of the country.”
mining sector with the explosives they need.”
31
32
Angola industry
advertising feature
Diamonds Made in Angola
Diamond company Catoca is a major force in the economic and
social development of Angola and is implementing ambitious plans
to increase production and move up the diamond value chain
The fourth largest diamond mine in the world, Catoca is one of
Angola’s leading sources of export revenues and one of the main
drivers of the country’s fast expanding mining sector.
Controlled by state-owned diamond company Endiama, Russian
diamond giant Alrosa, Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht and
China’s LLI Holding, Sociedade Mineira de Catoca is responsible
for around 87% of Angola’s rough diamond sales by volume.
The company is now implementing ambitious plans to
increase its production capacity at its giant mining
operations in Catoca and elsewhere in the country.
As part of its Vision 2020 strategy, the company
aims to start mining for diamonds at depths of
up to 800 metres at its flagship Catoca mine in
north-eastern Angola, where initial geological
analysis has indicated there are major additional
reserves of diamonds. The company is currently
excavating diamonds as far deep as 600 metres and
is now drawing up plans for a new stage in extraction
from the mine’s kimberlite pipes – the volcanic structures
that are home to Catoca’s vast gem deposits.
“We are currently concluding geological surveys at these deeper
levels, and it looks as if we have significant reserves of diamonds that
can be explored on a commercially viable basis, although we still need
to carry out additional analysis,” José Manuel Ganga Júnior, the Chief
Executive Officer of Sociedade Mineira de Catoca, says. “We are already
running at full capacity and plan to increase our reserves and extend
the life of the Catoca mine.”
By 2020, the company aims to increase the value of its Catoca
mine by 3.5 times thanks to these investments, and to exceed
$1.3 billion in annual revenues.
The mine currently produces about 550,000 carats a month
of rough diamonds; in 2011 production rose by 1% to total 6.78
million, with sales up 16% to $611 million and net profit rising 27%
to $141.6 million, driven by a recovery in global average selling
prices for diamonds. And in addition to investments in the Catoca
mine itself, the company has also set its sights on operating new
diamond mining concessions in other areas of Angola that are now
being prepared for extractive activities.
“It’s important for us to develop new sources of cash flows
from other diamond deposits,” Mr Ganga Júnior says. “The Angolan
government is opening up new opportunities for mining concessions
in other regions of the country and we are very interested in
developing these.
We are already prospecting one very promising kimberlite
formation in the province of Lunda Norte and are preparing a
project for a new mine that could start operating in 2014. We are
also excited by the potential for mining in Kwanza Sul
province. We are confident that these concessions will be
commercially viable for us.”
These investments have been stimulated in
part by the new Mining Code that the Angolan
government implemented in 2011. The Code
has created the conditions for miners such as
Catoca to invest more in exploring the potential
of the sector; under the terms of the Code, the
corporation tax on mining companies has been
cut from 40% to 25%, improving the profitability of
mining projects in the country.
And as well as investing in new prospects in Angola,
Catoca is also increasingly focused on investing in training
its human resources to a world-class level. In recent months, it
has implemented new programmes to assess the performance,
productivity and compensation of its employees.
“Investment in our human capital is a major part of our Vision
2020 strategy,” Mr Ganga Júnior says. “We recognise that we will not
be able to achieve all of our goals without enhancing the training
and improving the motivation of the people who work for us.
We are setting up a corporate university to provide all the training
that our employees need, and we are also benchmarking our
remuneration practices to international standards, so that we attract
the very best people to work for us.”
Creating value, sharing value
Catoca is also expanding into higher value activities such as diamond
polishing, creating employment opportunities within Angola and
helping diversify the economy.
“A major part of our Vision 2020 strategic plan is to create more
value ourselves rather than relying on other companies,” Mr Ganga
Júnior explains. “We will provide polished diamonds to the world
market using the brand ‘Made in Angola’. We are going to move up
the diamond value chain.”
Angola industry
advertising feature
the company aims to start mining for diamonds
at depths of up to 800 metres at its flagship
Catoca mine in north-eastern Angola, where
initial geological analysis has indicated there
are major additional reserves of diamonds
The company’s strategy is motivated not only by the need
to enhance returns for its shareholders, but also by a very strong
commitment to its stakeholders at all levels in Angola, from supporting
the national government’s efforts to diversify the country’s economy
and create employment, to investing in health and education in the
communities in the areas where Catoca has mining operations.
“We don’t just want to provide hand-outs to the neighbouring
communities,” Mr Ganga Júnior says. “Our corporate social
responsibility strategy is based on the need to help communities
“We will provide
polished diamonds
to the world market
using the brand ‘Made
in Angola’. We are
going to move up the
diamond value chain.”
Manuel Ganga Júnior Catoca CEO
become economically self-sufficient. That’s why we are investing so
much in education, for example, all the way from pre-school crèches
to high schools and the university level.”
Catoca is investing heavily in helping local communities develop
their agricultural businesses, supporting smallholders in scaling up
their production and distributing their products.
In 2011, in partnership with the government of the Province of
Lunda Sul, Catoca started working on a project for the economic and
social development of Saurimo, the capital of the province and the
location for the Catoca mine.
The project aims to stimulate the development of local food
production and processing industries, especially of cassava,
fruit and fish, generating employment and income and creating a
new rural middle class of small business people and entrepreneurs
in the region.
In this project, Catoca is currently focusing on financing training
for farmers and agricultural workers, providing them with the know-
how to increase their productivity and the quality of their products.
At the same time, Catoca is also continuing to support the children
of Lunda Sul, partnering with the provincial government to distribute
bread and soy milk for about 29,000 children in the schools of
Saurimo. The company itself has constructed a number of primary
schools in the province, as well as supporting the higher school of
science and technology.
In addition, Catoca is supporting education in culture and
sports, helping to fund a mobile cinema in the region and to train
hundreds of young people in track and field sports, handball, football
and basketball.
Community health is another priority for the company; it
operates a medical centre around the clock for its employees and
their dependents, supports programmes for the treatment of HIV/
AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, distributes condoms, and raises HIV
awareness in the community.
“Health, education and support for local businesses and culture
form the foundations of our work to help community development,”
Mr Ganga Júnior says. “It’s very important for us to enhance our
relations with our stakeholders in the community and support
community development.”
Meanwhile, Catoca has begun a programme to construct around
3,000 social homes for its workers in the province; 1,250 homes will
be delivered to workers in Saurimo by October 2013.
The environment is another major concern for Catoca. The
company is implementing a sophisticated management system
for addressing environmental risks and hazards and is training its
employees in how to identify environmental issues and impacts.
Catoca is already certified for the ISO 9001 quality standard and
is progressing steadily towards the ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001
standards for the environment and health and safety respectively.
As a result of these efforts, in 2011 there was a 28% reduction in
the number of accidents at work at the company, testimony to
Catoca’s increasingly deep commitment to raising standards and
implementing international best practices across its operations.
33
34
Angola industry
advertising feature
In order to supply the
building materials
needed to reconstruct
southern Angola, FCKS
is investing nearly
US$200 million in a
state-of-the-art cement
factory in Chandonga
FCKS new factory
…contributes to
reconstruction
and social efforts
Over the last decade, since Angola’s drawn-out civil war finally came to
an end in April 2002, the national government, together with a long list
of local and overseas businesses, have been hard at work putting back
together what the quarter-century-long conflict tore asunder. And when
it comes to reconstructing a country from the ground up, one thing you
need is a lot of cement.
That was the rationale behind the establishment of FCKS (Fabrica de
Cimento do Kwanza Sul), a 100% Angolan-funded and owned cement
factory currently being erected in Cuacra, close to the provincial capital,
Sumbe. Developed with private-sector financing and expertise, and supported by regional and national government, FCKS aspires to provide
the southern part of the country with plentiful supplies of cement to
construct homes, infrastructure, and much more.
When completed, thanks to a total investment of close to $200
million, FCKS will “have a production capacity of 5,000 tonnes a day
when first phase comes onstream within the next six months,” says
the company’s Chairman, Marcos Sassa. By 2014, Sassa continues, an
additional production line will double output, helping to satisfy the
burgeoning demand for building materials necessary to continue with
the nation’s ambitious reconstruction plans.
But ensuring Angola has access to sufficient quantities of cement is
not enough for FCKS. Quality is the company’s watchword, and Sassa
insists its products will also meet the highest international standards.
The combination of innovative technologies, stringent quality control,
and outstanding natural resources means FCKS will not only serve
southern Angola’s needs, but should be in a position to deliver its ‘Yetu’
brand cement to the rest of the country.
New Homes
for Angolans
The Ministry of Construction and
Urban Planning is not only overseeing the modernisation of Angola’s
transport infrastructure. It is also
at the heart of the country’s major
investments in social housing
In May, Fernando Fonseca laid the foundation
stone for the construction of 200 new housing
units in four municipalities of Malanje province in
the north of the country, the latest housing project
that is being constructed as part of the National
Urbanisation and Housing Programme.
The Ministry aims to build 200 new social
housing units in every district of Angola and a
total of one million homes nationwide by 2014.
It is using private sector contractors to deliver
low cost housing rapidly and to the very highest
standards of quality.
“We are committed to delivering social housing
to all Angolans who need it,” Fonseca says. “It is our
duty and responsibility in the government to work
to provide our people with a decent place to live
and to integrate them into our society.”
A key to the success of the housing programme
is the integration of the new housing projects with
other infrastructure and services, including roads,
schools, health centres, stores, sports facilities, and
fire and police services.
To this end, the Ministry of Construction is
working closely with the Ministry of Energy and
Water to plan integrated infrastructure in the
new developments. The Ministry is also closely
coordinating the housing investments with
provincial governments, united in their efforts
to raise the quality of life for ordinary Angolans,
wherever they may be.
Angola industry
advertising feature
FCKS awarded best stand
at important construction fair
Last November, Fabrica de Cimento do Kwanza
Sul (FCKS) won the prize for ‘Best Building
Materials Stand’ at the PROJEKTA by Constrói
Angola exhibition. Designed by the RS Brand,
the FCKS stand was created especially to
promote the company’s ‘YETU’ cement.
the country’s reconstruction projects together,
now and in the future. In Kwanza Sul, FCKS
is creating new jobs and constructing new
opportunities for communities and companies.
YETU means ‘our’ in the local Kimbundu
and Kikongo languages and, together with the
slogan ‘YETU is our cement’, seeks to reinforce
the wholly Angolan identity of the brand. FCKS
aim to produce 1.4 million tonnes of its YETU
cement every year at its new factory near to the
capital of Kwanza Sul province.
YETU branded cement has fast won a
reputation for high quality, thanks to its
structural integrity, proven durability and ease
of use, making it the cement of choice to hold
FCKS is committed to contributing to another vital building block for
the country’s future progress and prosperity: employment. “As well as
helping the government overcome the difficulty of sourcing materials,
we are also creating jobs,” Sassa points out. “At the moment, we already
have 1,500 positions that directly employ 1,500 people and we provide
work for another 1,500 indirectly.”
At the same time, the company is busy constructing what Sassa
calls “parallel structures” to provide new opportunities for those
required to move away for environmental reasons. The Ministry of the
Environment has been supervising work on the factory on a monthly
basis and are ensuring the development will not impact negatively
upon the area or its people.
Other than building new access roads, bridges, and water networks,
FCKS aims to improve living standards for those who formerly inhabited
the 10-hectare site where the factory will soon be located, via the
construction of new schools, medical posts, police stations, and even a
business district, in collaboration with the local community.
“We have cleared and prepared an area for the construction of 400
homes,” Sassa points out. “Our social responsibility includes the creation
of energy, sanitation, and telecommunications. We are
doing everything in our power for our neighbours,
so that they have the best and, tomorrow,
will not turn around and say the factory
has brought them nothing.”
While the new installations may have
been financed exclusively by domestic
investment to date, drawing on the
wealth of homegrown know-how and
capital in the construction sector, Sassa
is quick to insist the company is open
to the world. FCKS’ Chairman actively
invites overseas investors to come and
work with it, to play a part in the factory’s
and the country’s future development.
Grupo M2 Angola · Rua Luther King nº147A Maculusso, Luanda, Angola · Tel: +244 917 314 184 + 244 926 465 961
35
36
Angola industry
advertising feature
Innovation in
the countryside
Agribusiness company Giasop is investing in
research and innovation in a wide range of food
production and processing sectors
Although oil production is still the largest sector of the Angolan
economy, agriculture is catching up fast, as investors allocate
increasing levels of capital to one of the country’s industries with the
highest potential.
According to the African Economic Outlook, agriculture now
represents 10.1% of the country’s GDP, up from 9.1% in 2006, and is
the second largest economic activity in Angola.
“Angola has the natural conditions to increase food production
significantly,” explains Tambwe Mukaz, Chairman of agribusiness
group Giasop. “It has fertile land, abundant water and a large
workforce. What companies such as Giasop are now doing are
bringing technology and innovation to the sector, so that the country
can produce more food and at lower costs.”
“(We) are bringing
technology and innovation
to the sector, so that the
country can produce more
food and at lower costs.”
Tambwe Mukaz
Chairman of Giasop Group
Luanda-based Giasop itself is investing in agricultural production
and in factories that transform crops and meat into a wide range of
food products for local consumption.
It already owns one of the most popular premium brands of fruit
juices in the country – Amboim Natural – which it produces and
distributes from a modern factory in Porto Amboim in the province of
Kwanza Sul. Every hour, this factory turns five tons of fruit into products
such as pineapple juice, mango juice, guava juice and others.
Giasop produces 24,000 litres of fruit juice every day, and Mr
Mukaz says the company is planning investments to increase this
capacity, add more flavours to the product range for Amboim
Natural, and expand the distribution network.
At the same time, Giasop is also diversifying into cattle breeding.
As in its juices business, the company’s actions in this sector are
guided by its strategy of investing in innovation to differentiate its
products and ensure high quality.
Reflecting this focus on research and innovation, Giasop has
successfully crossed Angola’s native breed of cattle, the Mucubal,
with the South African Brahman, to form a new biotype, the Bramuco.
“At Giasop, we are always looking to invest in innovation, whether
that be in new juices or in the Bramuco cattle,” Mr Mukaz says. “The
Bramuco is ideally suited to Angolan conditions. This type of cattle is
very strong and copes well with the heat. They combine the strength
and stamina of the Mucubai with the productivity of the Brahman.”
Since producing its first Bramuco in 2003, Giasop now has a herd
of over 1,500 of the cattle at its experimental farm, supported by the
Ministry of Agriculture.
“We think because Bramuco cattle develop much faster, farmers
will be able to sell them for meat at a much younger age than the
Mucubai,” Mr Mukaz says. “It will be much more lucrative for the rural
population of Angola – smallholders will be able to sell the animals
after two or three years, rather than having to wait up to six years. It
will help reduce poverty in the countryside.”
Meanwhile, Giasop is also investing in other agribusiness sectors.
It plans to build mills to produce animal feed and is also acquiring
state-of-the art production equipment from Buhler of Germany for
mills with capacity of 1,500 tons of wheat per day.
And next to its fruit juice production plant, Giaspop is now
preparing to construct a dairy factory with capacity for 30,000 litres
of milk per day. By the end of 2012, Mr Mukaz says that at this site
the company will be producing milk, butter, cheese and yoghurts,
especially for Angola’s children, all under the same Amboim Natural
brand. Other projects in the pipeline include a plant to produce
tomato paste, using tomatoes grown by Angola’s ever growing army
of smallholders.
“In all of our projects, we are partnering with the very best
international suppliers of animals and
equipment,” he adds. “The market for local
food products is growing very rapidly in
Angola. By investing in innovation, we
have been able to establish a leading
position in this market and also create
employment and increase incomes in
www.giasop.com
rural Angola.”
advertising feature
Angola industry
37
38
Angola BANKS & finance
advertising feature
advertising feature
helping to grow
Angola’s financial system has withstood the worst of
the global crisis and is making a major contribution to
economic development
Angola’s banks are gradually extending access to credit to new
segments of the population, while at the same time helping to fund
investment in infrastructure and finance the expansion of the country’s
growing private sector.
Banking coverage in 2010 expanded by 22.1%, reaching 51% of
Angola, with 70 bank branches per million people, according to the 2012
African Economic Outlook. In 2011 Angola conducted a major public
campaign for financial literacy aimed at increasing social inclusion.
Reflecting the growth of the economy and the increased opportunities
for financing, foreign participation in the banking sector has risen rapidly
in recent years. According to the International Monetary Fund, nine out
of 22 commercial banks in the country are foreign owned, and account
for about 40% of the assets, loans, deposits, and capital of the system.
The central bank, the National Bank of Angola (BNA), is now
fast-tracking reforms to improve the supervision of the sector and
ensure that rapid growth in credit does not compromise capital
ratios or solvency. An enhanced regulatory regime will also support
Angola’s efforts to attract more top-tier international banks to the
market, as well as helping the financial sector make an even greater
contribution to the economy.
The BNA is undergoing what the IMF calls a complete restructuring
of its supervision department and is hiring additional staff, including
people with international expertise. And the central bank has signed
a Memorandum of Understanding to step-up cooperation with crossborder supervisors. It has also established a Financial Stability Committee,
chaired by the Governor, to enhance analysis of systemic risks.
“The steps taken by the BNA to implement Financial Sector
Assessment Program recommendations and to enhance cooperation
with supervisors in Europe are in the right direction,” the IMF said in a
report from August 2012.
At the same time, commercial banks are revamping their internal risk
assessment and tightening collateral standards, especially for their real
estate lending. Reflecting these efforts, non-performing loans declined
to 2.5% in 2011 from a high of 7.1% in 2010, a level that was partly due to
the effect of late payments from the public sector to creditors.
The IMF now believes that it is important that non-performing loans
should be better recognized and adequately provisioned, and bank
capital strengthened, in order to ensure that the financial system is well
capitalised and can continue to contribute to national development.
Finally, to complete the modernisation of the financial system, the
government is putting in place a legislative framework that will create
a more competitive financial market and lead to the establishment of a
stock exchange, providing yet another source of financing for Angola’s
diversifying economy and its fast growing private sector.
A Champion of
Micro-Finance
Worldwide, micro-finance has proved to be one of the
most effective mechanisms for supporting development.
Banco Sol is Angola’s major supplier of micro-finance
In recent years, Banco Sol has emerged as Angola’s leading provider
of micro-finance, supplying credit to the entrepreneurs and small
businesses that are driving the growth of the private sector and
changing the face of the Angolan economy.
“One of the main challenges facing Angola is to combat poverty
and unemployment,” says Banco Sol’s Chairman, Coutinho Nobre
Miguel. “President dos Santos has put this fight at the heart of his
vision for the country, and as part of that vision he personally oversaw
the establishment of Banco Sol. “
The bank was founded in October 2001, just as Angola’s long civil
war was drawing to a close and the country’s policymakers began
to focus on the challenges of development, in particular on how to
improve access to finance for Angola’s long-suffering citizens.
“For us at Banco Sol, micro-credit is an essential part of our
corporate mission,” Mr Miguel says. “It’s not just a business for us –
it’s the foundation of our vision of corporate social responsibility and
our mission to support national reconstruction and sustainable human
development.”
Working in partnership with government ministries and large
multinational corporations, Banco Sol provides financial support to a
“Micro-credit is (…) combating
poverty, fighting hunger and
generating employment and
prosperity. Banco Sol is playing
a unique and critical part in
implementing this strategy.”
Coutinho Nobre
Banco Sol Chief Executive Officer
range of specific segments of Angolan society, such as women who
want to set up businesses in their community.
“Women play a very important part in community and family life in
Angola,” Mr Nobre says. “Our micro-credit programmes recognise this
and we are focusing very closely on supporting women entrepreneurs.”
Internationally, Banco Sol is discussing with foreign financial
institutions how to improve its own access to wholesale financing and
international capital markets. Currently, most of the bank’s financing
for its micro-credit initiatives comes from deposits from its retail and
business customers, which have grown rapidly as Banco Sol expands
its branch network. In 2010, Banco Sol opened 21 new branches, mostly
in rural areas where it was not previously
present, extending access to banking to
new segments of the Angolan population.
“Micro-credit is one of the best ways of
combating poverty, fighting hunger and
generating employment and prosperity,”
Mr Miguel concludes. “Banco Sol is playing
a unique and critical part in implementing
www.bancosol.ao
this strategy.”
Angola BANKS & finance 39
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BPC Financing
National Development
The Banco de Poupança e Crédito
is improving access to banking,
financing entrepreneurs and
companies across Angola, and
introducing the latest innovations in financial services
All over the world, state-owned
financial institutions are assuming
an ever greater role in national
development, especially in the light
of the global economic crisis.
In Angola, it is the Banco de Poupança e Crédito (BPC) that is leading
the way in transforming Angolan savings into loans and investments
that are fighting poverty and creating employment across the country.
Ranking second among the eight banks in Angola (and the only
public bank in this list) in “African Banker’s” ranking of the top African
banks, as well as being number eighteen in the overall African list, in
2012 BPC has reinforced its position at the centre of Angola’s savings
and loans system. It currently owns around 14% of the assets of the
financial system, and enjoys market share of 21.2% of loans and 15.4% of
deposits, both of which are steadily increasing.
“BPC plays a major part in
improving access to finance
for citizens and companies,
financing national economic
and social development and
raising the quality of life for
the people of Angola”
Paixão Júnior
BPC Chief Executive Officer
The largest public sector bank in the country, 75% of BPC is owned by
the Ministry of Finance, 15% by the National Institute of Social Security
and 10% by the Armed Forces’ Pension Fund.
Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Paixão Júnior, BPC
has successfully adapted to the rapid growth and restructuring of the
country’s financial system. It has invested strategically in expanding its
branch network, upgrading its headquarters and even modernising its
logo to ensure that the bank is well positioned for these changes.
With a network comprised of 275 points of service and the highest
number of ATMs in the country, BPC plays a major part in improving
access to finance for citizens and companies, financing national
economic and social development, and raising the quality of life for the
people of Angola. In 2011 alone the bank’s customer loans grew by 33%
to $5 billion; many of these loans were micro-loans to Angola’s growing
numbers of entrepreneurs and small companies.
BPC is also at the forefront of introducing the latest innovations
in financial services into the Angolan market, for both businesses and
residential customers. As part of the state’s commitment to increase
the role of the private sector in the economy, BPC has launched a new
range of services for businesses and large corporate accounts, aiming to
provide more sophisticated and complex products for these increasingly
demanding segments. Businesses now represent 47% of the bank’s
deposits, up from 26% in 2008.
At the same time, BPC is rolling out online banking and mobile
banking to its retail customers at the most accessible price in the market.
The institution’s Internet Banking and SMS Banking services have been
enthusiastically received by the market, and the bank is also currently
developing a mobile platform for banking services.
Meanwhile, in more conventional banking, BPC is encouraging
growing numbers of Angolans to open their first bank accounts,
especially outside of Luanda, and it has expanded its range of services
for high-net-worth individuals. Combined with investments in new and
existing branches, these measures are helping to diversify the bank as the
Angolan government liberalises the financial system and allows other
banks apart from the BPC to manage public sector payrolls. Migrations
by civil servants to other banks have been much less than anticipated,
partly because of BPC’s investments in services and infrastructure to
respond to this new competition.
And the performance of BPC’s balance sheet and income statement
reflects the bank’s liquidity and increased profitability in recent years.
With a Tier 1 ratio of over 14%, the assets of BPC grew on average
15.4% in the last three years, to $7.9 billion in 2011. The credit portfolio
increased by 22.6% to $4.2 billion in the same period, while the bank
improved its efficiency ratio to 33% and posted net profit of $140.7
million in 2011, with return on equity of 18%.
BPC relies on customer deposits for a conservative 71% of its funding,
and these deposits increased by 95.1% from 2009 to 2011, providing
a strong capital base for the expansion of the bank’s loan book and
branch network.
With these levels of profitability and capital strength, it is no surprise
that BPC has become the partner of choice for foreign financial
institutions looking to work in Angola and throughout southern Africa.
In particular, in June this year, as part of its long standing partnership
with Deutsche Bank, BPC launched a credit line of $50 million for
investment projects in key areas of the Angolan economy, including
infrastructure, agriculture and health. Since 2004, the two banks have
financed $3.5 billion of projects within Angola, especially in the civil
construction and infrastructure segments.
Angola BANKS & finance
Q&A
40
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CAPTURING ANGOLA’S
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, Founder and Board Member of Banco Kwanza Invest, and
Marcel Kruse, CEO, talk about the bank’s strategy and the future of the financial industry
Q: Banco Kwanza Invest was established during
a period of national reconstruction, development and growth. How did it start and how did
you manage to get ahead?
Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais: Banco Kwanza
Invest (BKI) has been active since 2009. It is an
independent Angolan private bank offering investment banking and commercial banking services. Investment banking is our core business.
In fact, BKI is the first investment bank in the
country and we are proud to be the first movers
in this market. We both come from the private
equity sector and we have solid experience in
corporate finance and investment banking. In
addition, we have a whole team of experts, covering everything from private equity, structured
finance to merger and acquisitions (M&A).
JCBM and Marcel Kruse: We could use the
example of the construction industry to explain
what we do. If you compare the construction
companies to common retail banks, then the
investment banks such as BKI are the engineers
behind the operations.
Q: Last year Banco Kwanza launched a new
corporate identity, changing its name and logo.
What was the reason behind this decision?
JCBM: Our aim is to be closer and more accessible to the Angolan market, so we went to the
roots of the country in order to find the new
name. Kwanza is the largest river in Angola and
also the name of the national currency. The logo
refers to the image of a growing plant, a powerful symbol of growth and profitability, and also to
the letter ‘K’, of Kwanza.
Q: What makes Banco Kwanza Invest so successful?
JCBM: We are a customer-centric bank. We are
permanently creating new solutions for our
clients. And we are able to do so because we
know how to approach the complexities of the
international financial market and the needs of
Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais Founder & Board Member of Banco Kwanza Invest
Angola BANKS & finance 41
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the Angolan market. We fully understand these
different cultures and we are able to fulfill their
respective demands.
Q: Can you give us examples of investment banking projects that you have been involved in?
JCBM: We manage projects in the infrastructure sector. We lead M&A transactions of medium
and large-sized companies. We structure private
equity deals. In some cases, we mastermind the
whole project, selecting the people, choosing the
international players, looking at the project feasibility, preparing studies and conducting due
diligence to assure that the international banks
are satisfied.
Q: Where do you see the best opportunities
in Angola?
JCBM: If you are an investor or businessman and
are long-term oriented, then agriculture is a good
place to be. If you are focused more on the short
and medium term, you should look at infrastructure opportunities. Again, in the short term, activities related to capital markets can be attractive.
Q: How do you assess the financial industry
in Angola?
MK: We are close observers of this market. In the
last 7 years, inflation went down to almost 11%.
It has never been so low. GDP and GDP per ca-
pita are in constant growth. Commercial banking
lending rates as well as government bond rates
have decreased significantly too. I remember times when interest rates were 20-25%. Now we
see interest rates of 11-12%. Besides that, we are
also seeing several changes in the infrastructure
sector. As everyone knows, all of this has a very
strong effect on business.
Q: In which way can Banco Kwanza Invest support companies which are interested in entering
the Angolan market?
JCBM: When you set up a new project, a new
venture or a new operation, there will always
be the need for financing, know-how and a
tactical approach. We structure the project in the
right way and make sure the right people are on
board. This is our role. We are the ‘engineers’ and
work with partners, who are the experts in their
respective fields.
Q: What is the focus of BKI for the next years?
JCBM: We want to keep making a difference, anticipating needs, providing guidance and assistance to our clients. Thanks to our local knowledge
and international relationships, we are more than
prepared to identify business opportunities with
our clients in the fast growing Angolan market
and create a sustainable and successful story.
Marcel Kruse CEO of Banco Kwanza Invest
42
Angola Sustainability
advertising feature
Training for
the Future
Angola is successfully following the roadmap of
sustainable development, training local talent for new
opportunities in its private sector
Sustainability, according to the United Nations definition, calls for a
decent standard of living for everyone today without compromising
the needs of future generations. It is inextricably linked to questions
of fairness, social justice and greater access to a better quality of life.
As member states at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development
in Rio de Janeiro in June this year agreed, “eradicating poverty is the
greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable
requirement for sustainable development.”
In the last ten years, few countries have achieved as much as Angola
in lifting its people out of poverty and towards a better standard of life.
As Vice-President Fernando Piedade Dias dos Santos told delegates in
Rio, “Angola is recording macro-economic stability and positive growth
rates. In the non-oil sector, it continues to diversify production, namely
in agriculture, construction, energy and industry, which has lessened the
pressure on non-renewable natural resources and enabled us to reduce
unemployment and improve the population’s living conditions.”
In 2001, one year before the end of the civil war, 68% of Angolans live
in poverty. That proportion has now almost halved, to 37%.
Government investments in education have been crucial
to making sure that ordinary Angolans are able to seize the
opportunities of economic growth and development. In the area of
Ucall is Angola’s leading contact
centre company, employing
thousands of young Angolans in
this high technology industry
Angola Calling
The first contact centre company in Angola, Ucall has quickly established
the largest portfolio of clients in the local call centre market, and its
workforce has grown to around two thousand people, mainly drawn
from the country’s young, technologically aware population.
That makes Ucall the largest employer of young people in Angola,
many of whom work for Ucall part-time while also studying at
universities. Indirectly, the company is helping to finance their higher
education and hence is playing an important role in developing
Angola’s human capital.
As it is many employees’ first experience of working, Ucall invests
significantly in training in technology and motivating its young team
and it has established a very meritocratic culture that rewards talent.
Proof of this is Ucall’s extremely low turnover of employees for a
company that operates in this sector.
This culture has also helped Ucall win some blue-chip clients,
including Zap, TAAG and Coca-Cola. The company not only provides its
clients with call centre services but helps many of them set up systems
for managing and processing customer information. It also trains front
office customer service operatives, especially for banks.
And after just three years of operations, Ucall is now planning to
expand internationally, providing services both in other Portuguesespeaking markets as well as diversifying into new languages.
education, the enrollment rate in primary school rose from 56% in
2005 to 76.3% in 2009. In 2012, the government is increasing its
education expenditure by 10%.
This rise in public spending is being accompanied by concerted
efforts by the private sector to invest in training Angolans for high value
jobs. As oil only provides 1% of employment, it is private companies in
high growth sectors – such as the agriculture, construction, energy and
industry sectors mentioned by Vice President dos Santos – that are now
harnessing the creativity and talents of the local population.
By transferring know-how and investing in new skills and
technological training, the private sector is addressing existing skills
shortages and gaps in the labour market and transforming the Angolan
workforce into a internationally competitive asset for the country.
These companies, whether they are large or small, domestic or foreignowned, are all helping to drive the process of sustainable development
in Angola. In accordance with the core concepts of sustainability, it
is above all their efforts that are ensuring equal social and economic
opportunities for today’s young and for generations to come.
advertising
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feature
Angola Sustainability 43
Construction company M2 builds
affordable homes for Angola’s middle
classes, and is diversifying into new
activities that serve the requirements
of this fast growing segment
Building
a better life
for new consumers
“We started out as a general construction company,” explains Carlos
provide products that respond to the rising purchasing power of
Miguel de Conceiçao, the Executive Director of Grupo M2 Angola.
different socioeconomic classes in the country. These sectors include
“M2 means square meters, so that was what the company, which was
fashion, restaurants and entertainment. Grupo M2 has agreements in
involved in real estate, was called.”
these sectors with an ever growing number of leading international
Among other projects, the group was behind the construction of
brands, such as Swarovski, Vida e Caffè, Billabong, Truworths and
a sports complex in Sambizanga and still sponsors the local football
Primetime Amusements.
team, Clube de Futebol Progresso Sambizanga. At the same time,
As these brands suggest, Grupo M2 is leading the way in meeting
over the last couple of years, Grupo M2 has explored other avenues
the demands of Angolan consumers for a western lifestyle, while
of opportunity and, after studying Angola’s booming real-estate
living thousands of kilometres from the geographical West.
market, initially got involved in
Thanks to Grupo M2, Angola’s
Thanks to Grupo M2, Angola’s rapidly growing
building homes for middle- and
rapidly growing middle class
lower-income families.
can make the most of their
middle class can make the most of their
“Basically, we always have our
purchasing power to acquire
purchasing power to acquire luxury items,
antenna up at M2,” De Conceiçao
luxury items, access a new
access a new variety of leisure opportunities
says. “The middle class already
variety of leisure opportunities
and consume the products they desire
has money and the working class
and consume the products they
is earning more, so there are always people moving up. Hence, we
desire. The company clearly occupies a central position in these
opted to enter the niche in the market for affordable homes.”
economic forces that are reshaping Angolan society.
De Conceiçao says the government’s creation of a fund which
And that’s not all. Grupo M2 is opening a ceramics factory in
provides financing for home-buyers has made his job easier. To date,
Lubango; a graphics company, called Grafangol, in Luanda and
the group has attracted investments of over $20 million and employs
Viana; and is developing an industrial estate with 35 warehouses,
over 1,000 people.
located close to the highway in Viana, one of which will become the
And Grupo M2’s ambitions to accompany Angolans on their
group’s new ice-cream factory.
journey to middle-class dreams go way beyond putting a roof over
Grupo M2 says that it wants to diversify into the industrial area in
people’s heads. As part of its drive to expand in the national market,
order to benefit from the high potential for growth of this sector – the
Grupo M2 has reached agreements with major international brands
greatest risk in Angola is the risk of not investing, De Conceição says!.
that are well respected in Angola and beyond, so that it can meet the
A pretty diversified portfolio, then, but, perhaps, not one in which
demands of Angolan consumers for innovative, high quality products
it’s easy to see a defining strategy. But De Conceiçao explains the
from around the world.
thinking behind Grupo M2’s plan is remarkably simple: “The idea of
The company commissioned an analysis of the market to help
what we do is to always be in the forefront of projects in Angola,”
it identify how best it can respond to the needs of a society that is
he says. “We might not earn that much now, but businesses today
emerging and in permanent evolution.
have to think long-term and you have to think socially, in terms
Following this market research, Grupo M2 selected a range of
of providing jobs and opportunities for other people to develop
high potential sectors and then opened stores and retail spaces that
their businesses, too.”
44
Angola Sustainability
advertising feature
Retail growth is child’s play
Retailer Misand has enjoyed rapid expansion
thanks to the growth of Angola’s population
and Angola’s taste for high quality,
competitively priced products
Misand is one of the most recognizable names
and most respected brands on the high streets
and shopping centres of Angola’s cities. Over the
course of recent years, the company has emerged
as the country’s largest retailer of products for
infants and young children.
The company has been operating for 13 years, and was established
when the civil war was still ongoing. Misand started as just one small
shop, but thanks to a strategy based on high quality products sourced
from Europe, in particular from Portugal, it quickly grew into the leading
player in the sector, with stores in most of Angola’s urban centres.
“We began with very competitive prices and very high quality, and
that differentiated us from the competition,” Chief Executive Officer
Miguel Carvalho says. “At the time we opened our first shop, the
Angolan market was suffering from very high prices. We saw a space
in the market for higher quality products at more accessible prices, and
that has been the key to our success.”
By the end of 2012, Misand expects to have fourteen shops, including
nine in its main market, Luanda. It is also planning to open its largest
store, a 1,000 square metre space in the Zango area of the capital, near
the airport; construction of the project will begin at the end of the year.
And the company is not only increasing the number of stores it owns
and operates. It also plans to diversify into new business segments and
to represent international brands in Angola, distributing these products
in the local market.
“Angola is a very attractive market for our sector, because the
population is growing very rapidly, and of course that means an
increasing number of children,” Mr Carvalho says. “Angolans also
appreciate quality products, and as the market opens up, people are
looking for products of higher and higher quality. The market segment
that we serve is now experiencing very solid growth, which isn’t true for
many countries in the world right now.”
Because of its fast growing consumer market and its extensive raw
materials, Angola itself also has the potential to become a major player
in textile production, says Mr Carvalho, who looks forward to the day
when he can source high quality products from within the country.
“The country needs to develop its industries that transform
raw material into finished products,” he says. “Angola has enormous
untapped potential in these sectors, such as petrochemicals
and textiles.”
The investors behind Misand have interests in other sectors apart
from retail, owning construction and real estate companies that are
engaged in major projects in Angola, reflecting their confidence in the
future of the country’s economy.
“A lot of people are interested in investing
in Angola and the country is now developing
a serious and credible business sector,”
Mr Carvalho says. “In the retail market and
other areas, there is still very high potential
for growth. Angola’s political and economic
stability are leading to business opportunities
www.misand.net
in almost every sector of the economy.”
Misand awarded in Switzerland
In recognition of the
quality of its leadership and
innovation, Misand received
in December 2007, a prize at
the 4th Quality Convention
in Geneva, Switzerland, from
the international committee of
Business Initiative Directions.
Miguel Carvalho says the award
serves as a seal of credibility for
the company, and will support it as it
looks to strike distribution partnerships
with companies from around the
world. “It’s a clear indication that in
the infant products sector in Angola
we are not only the biggest company –
we are also the best,” he says. “It also
shows that Angola has high quality
companies who are ready to work with
international partners.”
Angola Sustainability
advertising feature
Investing in Angola’s Future
Mr Victor Hugo, CEO of Grupo Morvic, is one of a new breed of private sector
leaders who are helping to transform the Angolan economy
It was six years after returning to Angola, following
post-graduate studies and employment in the UK,
that Mr Victor Hugo decided he could make more
of a difference to the country as a businessman
rather than as a professor of economics and
business administration.
“I started out here as an academic and business consultant, and managed to help turn around
many Angolan companies that were in a difficult
position,” Mr Hugo remembers. “It was quite easy
to identify the weaknesses in Angolan companies
at the time. That is when I became interested in
setting up and running my own businesses. It was
an ideal opportunity to invest in an expanding
economy, applying best practices in management
and administration.”
Mr Hugo is now the Chief Executive Officer of
Grupo Morvic, one of Angola’s fastest growing conglomerates, with interests in sectors ranging from
food and hotels to agriculture and transport.
Morvic’s current focus is on increasing its
presence in the Angolan tourism market, where
Hugo says there is a significant level of untapped
demand. Morvic is at an advanced stage of plan-
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ning for construction in the province of Malanje of
a US$4 million luxury resort which will include a
60-suite hotel and a golf course. Malanje is home
to the spectacular Calandula waterfalls and in recent years it has emerged as the centre of Angola’s
nascent tourism business.
Morvic is currently negotiating financing for
this project with Angolan banks; Morvic will invest
some of its own equity in the resort, but most of the
financing will come from bank debt.
These multi-million dollar negotiations are a far
cry from Mr Hugo’s first business in Angola – a taxi
and minicab service in Luanda named Morvitax.
“I came to Angola because I was looking for a
challenge in my life,” Mr Hugo remembers. “I knew
that this was unexplored territory that needed reconstruction after a civil war, with many possibilities for growing a business.”
According to Mr Hugo, the main challenges facing new companies in Angola today are financial;
interest rates and taxes can be high, and there is not
as much financial support from the public sector for
start-ups as he would like to see. As a result, many
of Angola’s companies are undercapitalised. “What
Angola needs more than anything is a root-andbranch administrative reform,’ he adds. “We need
to decentralise the system of government and cut
red tape. Only then can we have effective tax reform.
I’ve been here for six years now and in that time
Angolan society has advanced a lot. There is much
more space for the private sector now. The public
administration will have to change to reflect that. It
will have to become more transparent. I think there
will be some radical changes in the future.”
From his vantage point as CEO of Grupo Morvic,
Mr Hugo believes that Angola is on the right track,
but needs to deepen its institutional reforms and
improve stability if it is to grow to its full potential.
“The government of Angola needs to create
laws and regulations to improve the security of investments and help the economy grow at a faster
rate,” he says. “Angola is rich in natural resources
and agriculture, and at Morvic we are planning to
diversify into the food production sector.
If the government establishes a better legislative environment, we will be able to enjoy much
faster economic growth, which will result in more
opportunities, not only for Morvic, but for the entire
private sector in the country. I am convinced that the
country is on the brink of major reform that is going
to benefit every business in Angola.”
45
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Angola Sustainability
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Editorial Director
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(+244) 931564428
Alejandro AndrÉs
(+244) 931826882
CY
CMY
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“Our Angolan partners’ ideas and needs have been the
inspiration and driving force for our 3 reports which have
showcased a wonderful land full of opportunity”
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September 20, 2012
The dream
becomes reality.
The date is set for the opening of Myriad,
Lisbon’s most iconic hotel with its unique
riverside location on the Tagus River.
Welcome to Myriad,
the hotel of your dreams.
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