universo27

SON

AN

GO

LU

NIV

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OISSU

E 27 – SEPTEMBER

2010

Universo

INSIDE:oil and gas news

SEPTEMBER 2010

Hello world!Angola at Expo2010 Shanghai

Loan arrangersThe success ofmicrocredit

Take the tubeThe Angolan company making pipes for Africa

SU27-cover:Layout 1 18/8/10 18:26 Page 1

SEPTEMBER 2010 3

CONTENTS

Sonangol News

2 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Universo is the international magazine of Sonangol

Board MembersManuel Vicente (President),

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

Baptista Sumbe, Sebastião Gaspar Martins

Sonangol Department for Communication & Image

DirectorJoão Rosa Santos

Corporate Communications Assistants

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

Beatriz Silva, Paula Almeida, Sandra Teixeira, Marta Sousa

Publisher Sheila O’Callaghan

EditorAlex Bellos

Art DirectorDavid Gould

Sub EditorRon Gribble

Advertising DesignBernd Wojtczack

Circulation ManagerMatthew Alexander

Project ConsultantsNathalie MacCarthyMauro Perillo

Group PresidentJohn Charles Gasser

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

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

Circulation: 17,000

6 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AYTel + 44 20 7002 7778Fax +44 20 7002 [email protected]

Cover: Carlos Moco

4 Angola news briefingAngola has been given its first credit rating by Standard & Poor’s; Portuguese President AníbalCavaco Silva visits Luanda; a flightlinks Nairobi and Luanda for thefirst time; Angola improves healthand education for children, saysUnicef; the United States and Angola sign memorandum of understanding; President dos Santos visits Ghana and Brazil; Luanda hosts the summit of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries

5 Figured outA snapshot of Angola in numbers

6 Our houseAngola’s pavilion at the Expo 2010in Shanghai has been very popularwith Chinese visitors, with queueslasting several hours as people waitto see images, objects and filmsabout the country

18 Loan starsMicrocredit schemes are having remarkable success in helping poorAngolans get a step up on thebusiness ladder. We look at oneAngolan importing shoes andhandbags to her market stall andanother running a profitable can-tina. We also profile KixiCrédito, thefirst microcredit scheme in Angola

26 Splash out on a cabAngolan company Fast Sea Trans-port is hoping that businesspeoplewill make their daily commute fromLuanda Sul to the city centre byboat. We also look at plans recentlyannounced by President dos Santosfor Luanda’s first metro rail network

5018

6

40

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

30

Kam

ene

M T

raça

Car

los

Mo

co

Inside this issue

This issue has a very interna-tional flavour. We kick off withthe World Expo in Shanghai,

where about 25,000 people a day arevisiting the Angolan pavilion. Welook inside the pavilion and meetthe man running it.

Back in Angola, we have a story onthe first company in Angola that ismanufacturing equipment for the oilindustry in another country.Angoflex is making pipes and ship-ping them to Ghana for that coun-try’s first deepwater project. Themessage is that Angola is assertingits place in Africa and the world.

We also focus on the growth inbusiness potential in Angola, lookingat the clothing industry. Microfi-nance has allowed market stallhold-ers to expand their goods andimport clothes from abroad, whilenew Angolan designers are produc-ing their own fashion items that mixAfrican and international styles. Angolans famously like to look good,and their growing economy is help-ing them do so in style.

38 Sonangolnews briefing

40 Pipeline to prosperityAngoflex is making tubes forGhana

46 Treasure in the salt cellarExploration excitement aboutwhat lies in the pre-salt layers

50 Inside AngolaThe Black Rocks at Pungo Andongo

30 Dressed to impressAngolan designers are winningplaudits for their fusion of Africanand international style. LucréciaMoreira is one of them, and herdresses are worn by the First LadyAna Paula dos Santos

35 Jean geniusGinga Neto’s brand MahindaPrestige has put out Angola’s firstcollection of denim, with nationalsymbols on the pockets

36 Passion for fashionDesigner Me Sente was the hit ofthe Moda Luanda fashion showwith his collection Gold of the Future

26

Jon

ath

an B

row

nin

g

SU27.contents.pp2-3:SU25 18/8/10 18:31 Page 2

SEPTEMBER 2010 3

CONTENTS

Sonangol News

2 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Universo is the international magazine of Sonangol

Board MembersManuel Vicente (President),

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

Baptista Sumbe, Sebastião Gaspar Martins

Sonangol Department for Communication & Image

DirectorJoão Rosa Santos

Corporate Communications Assistants

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

Beatriz Silva, Paula Almeida, Sandra Teixeira, Marta Sousa

Publisher Sheila O’Callaghan

EditorAlex Bellos

Art DirectorDavid Gould

Sub EditorRon Gribble

Advertising DesignBernd Wojtczack

Circulation ManagerMatthew Alexander

Project ConsultantsNathalie MacCarthyMauro Perillo

Group PresidentJohn Charles Gasser

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

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

Circulation: 17,000

6 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AYTel + 44 20 7002 7778Fax +44 20 7002 [email protected]

Cover: Carlos Moco

4 Angola news briefingAngola has been given its first credit rating by Standard & Poor’s; Portuguese President AníbalCavaco Silva visits Luanda; a flightlinks Nairobi and Luanda for thefirst time; Angola improves healthand education for children, saysUnicef; the United States and Angola sign memorandum of understanding; President dos Santos visits Ghana and Brazil; Luanda hosts the summit of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries

5 Figured outA snapshot of Angola in numbers

6 Our houseAngola’s pavilion at the Expo 2010in Shanghai has been very popularwith Chinese visitors, with queueslasting several hours as people waitto see images, objects and filmsabout the country

18 Loan starsMicrocredit schemes are having remarkable success in helping poorAngolans get a step up on thebusiness ladder. We look at oneAngolan importing shoes andhandbags to her market stall andanother running a profitable can-tina. We also profile KixiCrédito, thefirst microcredit scheme in Angola

26 Splash out on a cabAngolan company Fast Sea Trans-port is hoping that businesspeoplewill make their daily commute fromLuanda Sul to the city centre byboat. We also look at plans recentlyannounced by President dos Santosfor Luanda’s first metro rail network

5018

6

40

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

30

Kam

ene

M T

raça

Car

los

Mo

co

Inside this issue

This issue has a very interna-tional flavour. We kick off withthe World Expo in Shanghai,

where about 25,000 people a day arevisiting the Angolan pavilion. Welook inside the pavilion and meetthe man running it.

Back in Angola, we have a story onthe first company in Angola that ismanufacturing equipment for the oilindustry in another country.Angoflex is making pipes and ship-ping them to Ghana for that coun-try’s first deepwater project. Themessage is that Angola is assertingits place in Africa and the world.

We also focus on the growth inbusiness potential in Angola, lookingat the clothing industry. Microfi-nance has allowed market stallhold-ers to expand their goods andimport clothes from abroad, whilenew Angolan designers are produc-ing their own fashion items that mixAfrican and international styles. Angolans famously like to look good,and their growing economy is help-ing them do so in style.

38 Sonangolnews briefing

40 Pipeline to prosperityAngoflex is making tubes forGhana

46 Treasure in the salt cellarExploration excitement aboutwhat lies in the pre-salt layers

50 Inside AngolaThe Black Rocks at Pungo Andongo

30 Dressed to impressAngolan designers are winningplaudits for their fusion of Africanand international style. LucréciaMoreira is one of them, and herdresses are worn by the First LadyAna Paula dos Santos

35 Jean geniusGinga Neto’s brand MahindaPrestige has put out Angola’s firstcollection of denim, with nationalsymbols on the pockets

36 Passion for fashionDesigner Me Sente was the hit ofthe Moda Luanda fashion showwith his collection Gold of the Future

26

Jon

ath

an B

row

nin

g

SU27.contents.pp2-3:SU25 18/8/10 18:31 Page 2

Common languageLuanda hosted the 2010 Summit of the

Community of Portuguese Language

Countries in July. The event, staged at the

Talatona Convention Centre, is held every

two years to discuss political, cultural and

social issues across the Portuguese-speak-

ing world. The week-long summit, attended

by heads of state, is the culmination of vari-

ous subcommittee and regional meetings

staged across the member countries. The

Community was created in July 1996 by

Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique,

Portugal, and São Tomé and Príncipe. In

2002, East Timor also joined.

New flightsKenya Airways was due to launch

a direct flight between Angola

and Nairobi in August, the first be-

tween the two countries. The new

service will be the Kenyan company’s

50th destination and run twice a week

under a code share with Angola’s

national airline TAAG. Meanwhile, the

‘Houston Express’ flight between

Luanda and Houston is now being

operated by Atlas Air on behalf of the

United States-Africa Energy Associa-

tion (USAEA) and SonAir, Sonangol’s

airline. The Boeing 747-400 aircraft has

ten seats in first class, 143 in business

class and 36 in economy. The 14-15

hour direct flight is available only to

USAEA members.

SEPTEMBER 2010 5

20€2.2 billion

4 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Angola news briefingFirm friends

Figuredout

Angola and the United States have agreeda memorandum of understanding (MOU) tocreate a bilateral commission between thetwo countries. Angola’s Foreign MinisterAssunção dos Anjos signed the deal inWashington alongside US Secretary ofState Hillary Clinton, who visited Angola inAugust 2009. Mrs Clinton said the MOUrepresented “a new chapter in the relation-ship between Angola and the UnitedStates and reflects the many ties that al-ready connect our nations”. In April,Angola and the United States signed an airservices agreement to allow direct com-mercial flights between the two countries.

US ties

Number of commercial banks operat-ing in Angola

Trade between Angola and Portugal in2009

55%

Money that mobile phone operatorUNITEL plans to invest in 2010/11

$800 million

Angola has been given its first credit rating.Standard & Poor’s has awarded Angola ratingsof B+ for long-term and B for short-term foreign and local currency debt, saying the decision was supported by the outlook for oil production, strong economic growthprospects and low levels of government debt. Fitch also gave a B+ rating with a positive outlook, while Moody’s ranked it as B1/N-P. The rating – the same awarded toBrazil and Russia when they were first rated –means Angola is now in a position to issue international bonds on the markets, a processit has been considering for some time.

Angola’s economy is expected to grow by8.5 per cent in 2010.

Good credit

Exhibitors at this year’s FILDAtrade fair in Luanda

Foreign tourPresident José Eduardo dos Santos

visited Ghana and Brazil on a two-leg

foreign tour beginning in Accra in June,

where he met President John Atta Mills of

Ghana and President Luiz Inácio Lula da

Silva of Brazil. The visit to Ghana was

aimed at strengthening relations between

the two African countries and saw the

signing of an Economic Co-operation Gen-

eral Accord in science, technique and cul-

ture. In Brazil, dos Santos and his

delegation of ministers signed 12 separate

accords in various areas including health,

defence and education to support training

and knowledge exchange.

75415 years

Length of tax break offered for privateinvestment in certain parts of Angola

Value of Angola’s oil sector in termsof GDP

Getting betterAngola has made strides in improving edu-cation and health care since the end of itscivil war in 2002, according to the UnitedNations children’s fund, Unicef. “More An-golan children are enrolled in primary schoolthan ever before,” said Unicef Angola repre-sentative Koen Vanormelingen. “There hasbeen notable progress in reducing malnutri-tion, improving education, gender balance,child survival, and malaria and HIV control.”The percentage of children in primary schoolincreased from 56 per cent to 76 per cent inthe nine years since the last study, withnearly as many girls enrolled as boys, Unicefsaid, but noted that close to one millionyoungsters are still not attending lessons.

Do

n M

aso

n/C

orb

is

AFP

/Get

ty Im

ages

Mik

e K

emp

AFP

/Get

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ages

Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva visited Angola in July for a week-long trip toboost trade and political relations between thetwo countries. The president was accompaniedby a delegation of more than one hundred busi-nessmen. The visit was timed to coincide withAngola hosting the biannual summit of the Com-munity of Portuguese Language Countries andFILDA, Luanda’s annual trade fair. There aremore than 10,000 Portuguese companies ex-porting to Angola and 2,000 Angolan companieshave Portuguese capital. Trade between the twocountries reached €2.2 billion in 2009. Angola isPortugal’s fourth-biggest commercial partnerand its largest outside Europe.

During his visit, Mr Cavaco Silva met AngolanPresident José Eduardo dos Santos, addressedthe country’s National Assembly and opened anew brick factory called Uniceramica, operatedby Portugual’s Mota Engil and Cerâmicas de An-gola. The unit, just north of Luanda, will producean estimated two million bricks a month and hascreated around 100 jobs.

Giving Mr Cavaco Silva a warm welcome,President Dos Santos said Angola and Portugalwere in a “privileged position to establish an ex-change to bring about beneficial results for bothparties.”

SU27.Angola News.pp4-5:SU25 18/8/10 18:28 Page 4

Common languageLuanda hosted the 2010 Summit of the

Community of Portuguese Language

Countries in July. The event, staged at the

Talatona Convention Centre, is held every

two years to discuss political, cultural and

social issues across the Portuguese-speak-

ing world. The week-long summit, attended

by heads of state, is the culmination of vari-

ous subcommittee and regional meetings

staged across the member countries. The

Community was created in July 1996 by

Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique,

Portugal, and São Tomé and Príncipe. In

2002, East Timor also joined.

New flightsKenya Airways was due to launch

a direct flight between Angola

and Nairobi in August, the first be-

tween the two countries. The new

service will be the Kenyan company’s

50th destination and run twice a week

under a code share with Angola’s

national airline TAAG. Meanwhile, the

‘Houston Express’ flight between

Luanda and Houston is now being

operated by Atlas Air on behalf of the

United States-Africa Energy Associa-

tion (USAEA) and SonAir, Sonangol’s

airline. The Boeing 747-400 aircraft has

ten seats in first class, 143 in business

class and 36 in economy. The 14-15

hour direct flight is available only to

USAEA members.

SEPTEMBER 2010 5

20€2.2 billion

4 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Angola news briefingFirm friends

Figuredout

Angola and the United States have agreeda memorandum of understanding (MOU) tocreate a bilateral commission between thetwo countries. Angola’s Foreign MinisterAssunção dos Anjos signed the deal inWashington alongside US Secretary ofState Hillary Clinton, who visited Angola inAugust 2009. Mrs Clinton said the MOUrepresented “a new chapter in the relation-ship between Angola and the UnitedStates and reflects the many ties that al-ready connect our nations”. In April,Angola and the United States signed an airservices agreement to allow direct com-mercial flights between the two countries.

US ties

Number of commercial banks operat-ing in Angola

Trade between Angola and Portugal in2009

55%

Money that mobile phone operatorUNITEL plans to invest in 2010/11

$800 million

Angola has been given its first credit rating.Standard & Poor’s has awarded Angola ratingsof B+ for long-term and B for short-term foreign and local currency debt, saying the decision was supported by the outlook for oil production, strong economic growthprospects and low levels of government debt. Fitch also gave a B+ rating with a positive outlook, while Moody’s ranked it as B1/N-P. The rating – the same awarded toBrazil and Russia when they were first rated –means Angola is now in a position to issue international bonds on the markets, a processit has been considering for some time.

Angola’s economy is expected to grow by8.5 per cent in 2010.

Good credit

Exhibitors at this year’s FILDAtrade fair in Luanda

Foreign tourPresident José Eduardo dos Santos

visited Ghana and Brazil on a two-leg

foreign tour beginning in Accra in June,

where he met President John Atta Mills of

Ghana and President Luiz Inácio Lula da

Silva of Brazil. The visit to Ghana was

aimed at strengthening relations between

the two African countries and saw the

signing of an Economic Co-operation Gen-

eral Accord in science, technique and cul-

ture. In Brazil, dos Santos and his

delegation of ministers signed 12 separate

accords in various areas including health,

defence and education to support training

and knowledge exchange.

75415 years

Length of tax break offered for privateinvestment in certain parts of Angola

Value of Angola’s oil sector in termsof GDP

Getting betterAngola has made strides in improving edu-cation and health care since the end of itscivil war in 2002, according to the UnitedNations children’s fund, Unicef. “More An-golan children are enrolled in primary schoolthan ever before,” said Unicef Angola repre-sentative Koen Vanormelingen. “There hasbeen notable progress in reducing malnutri-tion, improving education, gender balance,child survival, and malaria and HIV control.”The percentage of children in primary schoolincreased from 56 per cent to 76 per cent inthe nine years since the last study, withnearly as many girls enrolled as boys, Unicefsaid, but noted that close to one millionyoungsters are still not attending lessons.

Do

n M

aso

n/C

orb

is

AFP

/Get

ty Im

ages

Mik

e K

emp

AFP

/Get

ty Im

ages

Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva visited Angola in July for a week-long trip toboost trade and political relations between thetwo countries. The president was accompaniedby a delegation of more than one hundred busi-nessmen. The visit was timed to coincide withAngola hosting the biannual summit of the Com-munity of Portuguese Language Countries andFILDA, Luanda’s annual trade fair. There aremore than 10,000 Portuguese companies ex-porting to Angola and 2,000 Angolan companieshave Portuguese capital. Trade between the twocountries reached €2.2 billion in 2009. Angola isPortugal’s fourth-biggest commercial partnerand its largest outside Europe.

During his visit, Mr Cavaco Silva met AngolanPresident José Eduardo dos Santos, addressedthe country’s National Assembly and opened anew brick factory called Uniceramica, operatedby Portugual’s Mota Engil and Cerâmicas de An-gola. The unit, just north of Luanda, will producean estimated two million bricks a month and hascreated around 100 jobs.

Giving Mr Cavaco Silva a warm welcome,President Dos Santos said Angola and Portugalwere in a “privileged position to establish an ex-change to bring about beneficial results for bothparties.”

SU27.Angola News.pp4-5:SU25 18/8/10 18:28 Page 4

SEPTEMBER 2010 7

EXPO 2010

6 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

The Angolanpavilion lights upthe night OUR HOUSE

Angola’s pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai is proving to be a big draw ➔

Pict

ure

s:Jo

nat

han

Bro

wn

ing

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 6

SEPTEMBER 2010 7

EXPO 2010

6 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

The Angolanpavilion lights upthe night OUR HOUSE

Angola’s pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai is proving to be a big draw ➔

Pict

ure

s:Jo

nat

han

Bro

wn

ing

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 6

EXPO 2010

8 SONANGOL UNIVERSO SEPTEMBER 2010 9

On one side stands Rainha Ginga, onthe other the King of Congo. Thetwo figures from Angolan history

watch over the entrance to the country’spavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

Shaped like a Welwitschia mirabilis,the resilient plant from the Namibe Desertin the south of Angola, the pavilion offers acollection of images, stories and tastes fromthe country to the Chinese visitors.

Inside there are replicas of famous Angolan buildings, traditional Angolanfood is served and there are performancesby artists from across Africa. Under the slogan New Angola, Better Life, the pavilionunderlines the country’s diversity, from thecountryside to the cities.

Special thingsChinese interest in the Angolan pavilionhas surpassed all the organisers’ expecta-tions, attracting around 25,000 visitors eachday. About half a million people have already passed through since the eventbegan. “We have brought the best of Angola, its history and slices of contempo-rary life,” said Élio Gamboa, the pavilion’sdirector.

“I’ve seen such special things that Ihad never seen before, such as typical An-golan fruits and the history of its currency,”said Liu Xiaowen, one visitor who works inthe telecoms industry, as she stood in �

Chinese inter-est in the Angolanpavilion hassurpassed all theorganisers’expectations,attracting around25,000 visitorseach day

“

”The giant sable antelope

is the nationalsymbol of Angola

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 8

EXPO 2010

8 SONANGOL UNIVERSO SEPTEMBER 2010 9

On one side stands Rainha Ginga, onthe other the King of Congo. Thetwo figures from Angolan history

watch over the entrance to the country’spavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

Shaped like a Welwitschia mirabilis,the resilient plant from the Namibe Desertin the south of Angola, the pavilion offers acollection of images, stories and tastes fromthe country to the Chinese visitors.

Inside there are replicas of famous Angolan buildings, traditional Angolanfood is served and there are performancesby artists from across Africa. Under the slogan New Angola, Better Life, the pavilionunderlines the country’s diversity, from thecountryside to the cities.

Special thingsChinese interest in the Angolan pavilionhas surpassed all the organisers’ expecta-tions, attracting around 25,000 visitors eachday. About half a million people have already passed through since the eventbegan. “We have brought the best of Angola, its history and slices of contempo-rary life,” said Élio Gamboa, the pavilion’sdirector.

“I’ve seen such special things that Ihad never seen before, such as typical An-golan fruits and the history of its currency,”said Liu Xiaowen, one visitor who works inthe telecoms industry, as she stood in �

Chinese inter-est in the Angolanpavilion hassurpassed all theorganisers’expectations,attracting around25,000 visitorseach day

“

”The giant sable antelope

is the nationalsymbol of Angola

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 8

SEPTEMBER 2010 11

EXPO 2010

10 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

line to have her Expo passport stampedwith a ‘visa’ from the host country of eachpavilion.

The Shanghai Expo is based on theidea of sustainable cities (its slogan is BetterCity – Better Life) and the Chinese govern-ment expects as many as 70 million visitorsby the time it closes on October 31.

The city has been working overtime toget ready for the event, opening six newunderground railway lines over the pasttwo years, training 1.7 million volunteers,adding 4,000 taxis to the city’s fleet and investing $4.2 billion in the exhibition itself.

The event is spread across the twobanks of the Huangpu River and covers anarea twice the size of Monaco or 20 timesthe size of the previous expo in Zaragoza,Spain, in 2008. The fair is a golden oppor-tunity for the 190 countries and 50 interna-tional organisations taking part to boosttheir image in China by gaining access tothousands of visitors each day.

Rock paintingsThe journey through the Angolan pavilionbegins with reproductions of images ofancestral signs portrayed in rock paintings

from the Stone Age, found in the south ofAngola. Further on there is a replica of theentrance gate of the Kulumbimbi Cathe-dral. Built in 1491 in Mbanza Kongo, todaythe capital of the province of Zaire, thecathedral’s ruins are currently being con-sidered by Unesco for listing as a world heritage site.

The reproduction of a pavement covered in a Portuguese-style mosaic leadsthe visitor to the pavilion’s first space, infront of a reproduction of the façade of Angola’s National Bank. “The idea is toshow Angolan architecture as well as the �

Angolan beat: images from inside the pavilion

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 10

SEPTEMBER 2010 11

EXPO 2010


line to have her Expo passport stampedwith a ‘visa’ from the host country of eachpavilion.

The Shanghai Expo is based on theidea of sustainable cities (its slogan is BetterCity – Better Life) and the Chinese govern-ment expects as many as 70 million visitorsby the time it closes on October 31.

The city has been working overtime toget ready for the event, opening six newunderground railway lines over the pasttwo years, training 1.7 million volunteers,adding 4,000 taxis to the city’s fleet and investing $4.2 billion in the exhibition itself.

The event is spread across the twobanks of the Huangpu River and covers anarea twice the size of Monaco or 20 timesthe size of the previous expo in Zaragoza,Spain, in 2008. The fair is a golden oppor-tunity for the 190 countries and 50 interna-tional organisations taking part to boosttheir image in China by gaining access tothousands of visitors each day.

Rock paintingsThe journey through the Angolan pavilionbegins with reproductions of images ofancestral signs portrayed in rock paintings

from the Stone Age, found in the south ofAngola. Further on there is a replica of theentrance gate of the Kulumbimbi Cathe-dral. Built in 1491 in Mbanza Kongo, todaythe capital of the province of Zaire, thecathedral’s ruins are currently being con-sidered by Unesco for listing as a world heritage site.

The reproduction of a pavement covered in a Portuguese-style mosaic leadsthe visitor to the pavilion’s first space, infront of a reproduction of the façade of Angola’s National Bank. “The idea is toshow Angolan architecture as well as the �

Angolan beat: images from inside the pavilion

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 10


EXPO 2010

SEPTEMBER 2010 13

Hold on tight! during the 3D filmthe chairs shake and water droplets

brush the audience’s faces

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 12


EXPO 2010

SEPTEMBER 2010 13

Hold on tight! during the 3D filmthe chairs shake and water droplets

brush the audience’s faces

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 12

SEPTEMBER 2010 1514 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

EXPO 2010

importance of the economy in terms of thecountry’s reconstruction,” said Élio Gamboa as he stood in the shade of areplica redwood tree.

A few metres further on, at the heart ofthe pavilion, is the Sonangol stand, a repro-duction of the company’s headquarters inLuanda. Sonangol has played a key role inthe exchanges between China and Angola,through the export of crude oil.

China has been a major force behindthe expansion of Angola’s economy as theresult of its vast demand for resources.Trade between the two countries has beengrowing rapidly; throughout the 1990sbilateral trade hovered between $150 million and $700 million annually. At thestart of this century the figure rose to $1.8billion, quadrupling by the end of 2005when trade levels reached $6.9 billion. Thefollowing year Angola became China’sbiggest trade partner in Africa, a relation-ship currently worth around $12 billion.

Sonangol has been at the centre of thisrelationship, with crude exports to Chinamaking up around 95 per cent of Angola’stotal exports and representing China’sbiggest import from the country. BesideSonangol’s stand there are further signs ofwhat the Angolan economy has to offer.Alongside replicas of typical fruits is thestand of Endiama, the national diamond

company of Angola, where the main attrac-tion is a virtual diamond. Diamond mininghas also caught the attention of Chinesecompanies and is an industry likely tospawn further exchanges between the twocountries.

With one eye on possible business op-portunities that may arise, organisers havebuilt a business centre where visitors canreceive details about investment opportu-nities in Angola, translated into both Eng-lish and Chinese. This part of the pavilionwas created in partnership with the AngolaNational Private Investment Agency andthe Angola Industrial Association.

According to Élio Gamboa, theAngolan commission hopes their presencecan present Angola as a country filled withbusiness opportunities as well as an attrac-tive tourist destination.

To strengthen the country’s image as agood holiday option, the pavilion’s organis-ers have tried to emphasise the high pointsof a trip to Angola. On one of the pavilion’swalls hangs a giant photograph of the Kalandula Falls; on another there are im-

ages of the Mussulo beach. Angola’s varied landscapes are also on

show in a projection room as part of Angola4D which is shown 60 times per day. The“4D” experience is a term used by the organisers of the pavilion to describe theshowing of a 3D movie, seen through 3Dglasses provided at the entrance of the projection room, where the chairs shake alittle and the viewer is sprayed with water,in an attempt to create a more “realistic experience”. The movie takes the viewerthrough some of the country’s best-knowncity and countryside images, such as theKalandula Falls. The film has become a firmfavourite among visitors, with dozens ofpeople queuing for the next screening.

“It’s really interesting and totally differ-ent to what we expected,” said Hu Chang-hong and Hu Yangbiao, businessmen fromWenzhou in the neighbouring province ofZhejiang.

These days, travel between Angola andChina is much more convenient than in thepast. Since 2008, flights to Angola’scapital have become increasingly �

Élio Gamboa,director of the

Angolan pavilion

It’s really interesting and totallydifferent to what we expected“ ”Hu Changhong and Hu Yangbiao, businessmen

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 14


EXPO 2010

importance of the economy in terms of thecountry’s reconstruction,” said Élio Gamboa as he stood in the shade of areplica redwood tree.

A few metres further on, at the heart ofthe pavilion, is the Sonangol stand, a repro-duction of the company’s headquarters inLuanda. Sonangol has played a key role inthe exchanges between China and Angola,through the export of crude oil.

China has been a major force behindthe expansion of Angola’s economy as theresult of its vast demand for resources.Trade between the two countries has beengrowing rapidly; throughout the 1990sbilateral trade hovered between $150 million and $700 million annually. At thestart of this century the figure rose to $1.8billion, quadrupling by the end of 2005when trade levels reached $6.9 billion. Thefollowing year Angola became China’sbiggest trade partner in Africa, a relation-ship currently worth around $12 billion.

Sonangol has been at the centre of thisrelationship, with crude exports to Chinamaking up around 95 per cent of Angola’stotal exports and representing China’sbiggest import from the country. BesideSonangol’s stand there are further signs ofwhat the Angolan economy has to offer.Alongside replicas of typical fruits is thestand of Endiama, the national diamond

company of Angola, where the main attrac-tion is a virtual diamond. Diamond mininghas also caught the attention of Chinesecompanies and is an industry likely tospawn further exchanges between the twocountries.

With one eye on possible business op-portunities that may arise, organisers havebuilt a business centre where visitors canreceive details about investment opportu-nities in Angola, translated into both Eng-lish and Chinese. This part of the pavilionwas created in partnership with the AngolaNational Private Investment Agency andthe Angola Industrial Association.

According to Élio Gamboa, theAngolan commission hopes their presencecan present Angola as a country filled withbusiness opportunities as well as an attrac-tive tourist destination.

To strengthen the country’s image as agood holiday option, the pavilion’s organis-ers have tried to emphasise the high pointsof a trip to Angola. On one of the pavilion’swalls hangs a giant photograph of the Kalandula Falls; on another there are im-

ages of the Mussulo beach. Angola’s varied landscapes are also on

show in a projection room as part of Angola4D which is shown 60 times per day. The“4D” experience is a term used by the organisers of the pavilion to describe theshowing of a 3D movie, seen through 3Dglasses provided at the entrance of the projection room, where the chairs shake alittle and the viewer is sprayed with water,in an attempt to create a more “realistic experience”. The movie takes the viewerthrough some of the country’s best-knowncity and countryside images, such as theKalandula Falls. The film has become a firmfavourite among visitors, with dozens ofpeople queuing for the next screening.

“It’s really interesting and totally differ-ent to what we expected,” said Hu Chang-hong and Hu Yangbiao, businessmen fromWenzhou in the neighbouring province ofZhejiang.

These days, travel between Angola andChina is much more convenient than in thepast. Since 2008, flights to Angola’scapital have become increasingly �

Élio Gamboa,director of the

Angolan pavilion

It’s really interesting and totallydifferent to what we expected“ ”Hu Changhong and Hu Yangbiao, businessmen

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 14

SEPTEMBER 2010 17

EXPO 2010

Get

ty Im

ages


frequent – there are currently three weeklyflights, via Dubai, between Beijing andLuanda.

Angolan culture also has a prominentrole in the exhibition. Several groups ofartists from Angola and other parts of Africaperform in the pavilion, showing off the variety of local rhythms on a stage erectednext to the restaurant and the Mussulo bar.

Hanging gardens“The people are so warm,” said Xu Xiaop-ing, a teacher from Shanghai, of her visit tothe Angolan pavilion. Among the artists onshow are Paulo Flores, Manecas Costa, TitoParis, Nanutu and Pérola. Angolan artistswere also on show at the Shanghai FilmFestival which took place in June. Thedance group Kina Ku Moxi and the singerand guitarist Kanda performed for the festival’s guests.

The brain behind the Angolan expo isAlbina Assis, the national head of ExpoShanghai 2010. Under her command, the

construction of the pavilion was conductedby Spice Idea, while the décor was providedby Lunatus, a Barcelona-based design com-pany that became known through eventssuch as the Zaragoza trade fair.

The budget for the Angolan exhibitwas around $10 million – a sum describedas modest by pavilion communications director Gamboa when compared to the extravagant figures which other countriessplashed out. Saudi Arabia, for example,boasts one of the most popular pavilionsand spent around $146 million, accordingto the news network Al Jazeera. The Saudipavilion was built in a futuristic style, filledwith hanging gardens and real palm trees.Visitor interest in the pavilion has beensuch that people have queued for up toeight hours in the hot Shanghai summer, toget in.

Just some 70 meters ahead of theAngolan pavilion, stands the African pavil-ion. The building has a pinkish façade cov-ered with the outlines of a massive baobab

tree and a line of wild animals, as if it werea scene at sunset in the wild. The buildingcovers 26,000 square meters of exhibits oneach of the 42 member countries, plus arepresentation for the African Union.

The British pavilion – themed Buildingon the Past, Shaping our Future – is alsodrawing large crowds. Visitors can enter a“seed cathedral” to marvel at how tinyseeds can produce wonders of nature andlife. It hopes to raise awareness for the Millennium Seed Bank Project, an interna-tional conservation campaign launched bythe Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

France, meanwhile, set off for Shang-hai with a collection of masterpieces byartists such as Manet, Cézanne and Rodin.Close by, Holland created an elevated streetin its pavilion, covered with bright orangeumbrellas and called Happy Street. In spiteof the strong competition, the Angolanpavilion has proved very popular and islikely to translate into a wide-ranging mar-keting strategy for the future. �

Royal family: Rainha Ginga (top)and the King of Congo (below)

Seminal: the British seed cathedral

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 16

SEPTEMBER 2010 17

EXPO 2010

Get

ty Im

ages


frequent – there are currently three weeklyflights, via Dubai, between Beijing andLuanda.

Angolan culture also has a prominentrole in the exhibition. Several groups ofartists from Angola and other parts of Africaperform in the pavilion, showing off the variety of local rhythms on a stage erectednext to the restaurant and the Mussulo bar.

Hanging gardens“The people are so warm,” said Xu Xiaop-ing, a teacher from Shanghai, of her visit tothe Angolan pavilion. Among the artists onshow are Paulo Flores, Manecas Costa, TitoParis, Nanutu and Pérola. Angolan artistswere also on show at the Shanghai FilmFestival which took place in June. Thedance group Kina Ku Moxi and the singerand guitarist Kanda performed for the festival’s guests.

The brain behind the Angolan expo isAlbina Assis, the national head of ExpoShanghai 2010. Under her command, the

construction of the pavilion was conductedby Spice Idea, while the décor was providedby Lunatus, a Barcelona-based design com-pany that became known through eventssuch as the Zaragoza trade fair.

The budget for the Angolan exhibitwas around $10 million – a sum describedas modest by pavilion communications director Gamboa when compared to the extravagant figures which other countriessplashed out. Saudi Arabia, for example,boasts one of the most popular pavilionsand spent around $146 million, accordingto the news network Al Jazeera. The Saudipavilion was built in a futuristic style, filledwith hanging gardens and real palm trees.Visitor interest in the pavilion has beensuch that people have queued for up toeight hours in the hot Shanghai summer, toget in.

Just some 70 meters ahead of theAngolan pavilion, stands the African pavil-ion. The building has a pinkish façade cov-ered with the outlines of a massive baobab

tree and a line of wild animals, as if it werea scene at sunset in the wild. The buildingcovers 26,000 square meters of exhibits oneach of the 42 member countries, plus arepresentation for the African Union.

The British pavilion – themed Buildingon the Past, Shaping our Future – is alsodrawing large crowds. Visitors can enter a“seed cathedral” to marvel at how tinyseeds can produce wonders of nature andlife. It hopes to raise awareness for the Millennium Seed Bank Project, an interna-tional conservation campaign launched bythe Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

France, meanwhile, set off for Shang-hai with a collection of masterpieces byartists such as Manet, Cézanne and Rodin.Close by, Holland created an elevated streetin its pavilion, covered with bright orangeumbrellas and called Happy Street. In spiteof the strong competition, the Angolanpavilion has proved very popular and islikely to translate into a wide-ranging mar-keting strategy for the future. �

Royal family: Rainha Ginga (top)and the King of Congo (below)

Seminal: the British seed cathedral

SU27.Expo.pp6-17:SU27 18/8/10 18:32 Page 16


MICROCREDIT

SEPTEMBER 2010 19

LoanstarsMicrocredit schemes are having remarkable success in lifting Angolansout of poverty and discovering real entrepreneurs ➔

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

BusinesswomanMaria José at her

stall in Luanda’sSão Paulo market

SU27.Microcredit.pp18-25:SU27 18/8/10 18:34 Page 18


MICROCREDIT

SEPTEMBER 2010 19

LoanstarsMicrocredit schemes are having remarkable success in lifting Angolansout of poverty and discovering real entrepreneurs ➔

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

BusinesswomanMaria José at her

stall in Luanda’sSão Paulo market



MICROCREDIT

SEPTEMBER 2010 21

Afew years ago, Maria José had a small stall in Luanda’scrowded open air Roque Santeiro market and she struggledto make ends meet. Today, she has a flourishing import

business with a permanent spot indoors at São Paulo market whereshe sells shoes, handbags, belts and other accessories that sheships to Angola by the container-load.

Maria, aged 40, is among a new wave of Angolan entrepre-neurs using microfinance to turn small-scale informal selling intoa formal profit-making business. A mother of six, she uses themoney she borrows at low interest rates to pay for flights to placessuch as Brazil, China and the United States, from where she bringsback cheap items to sell to an Angolan audience hungry for the lat-est trends from overseas.

A pair of silver sandals bought for$5 in Beijing, sell for $70 in Luanda, sothe profit margins are great, once shehas paid off her travel expenses andtaxes. “Although you make a lot ofmoney on each item, the initial outlayis big, flights are thousands of dollarsand you have to pay customs duty onthe goods you bring in,” she explained.

Port taxes“If I buy from the United States orBrazil, I carry things on the plane andpay for excess baggage, but if I buyfrom China, I order a container whichmeans I can bring more. But as well aspaying $6,000 for the shipping, there’s$5,000 of port taxes and a further $500to pay to transport the goods by lorry.”

Maria said she had tried to get aloan at her normal bank but wasturned down. “They said I was toomuch of a risk and I couldn’t afford theinterest rates anyway. Then a friendtold me there were banks whichoffered lower-cost loans, so I made anappointment and qualified. It’s beengreat, not just to get the money but also the help with planning mybusiness.”

Maria has had four loans from Banco BAI Microfinanças(BMF), which is majority owned by Angola’s largest bank BAI (ofwhich Chevron holds a 7 per cent share). It is the country’s onlydedicated microfinance bank and offers loans from $100 to$50,000, depending on the client’s needs and income-generationability. The interest rate is 0.46 to 4 per cent a month, well belowcommercial bank rates which can be over 20 per cent.

Maria’s first loan was for $8,000, the second $14,000, the third$20,000 and the most recent $30,000. “My business is going verywell and I would like to apply for more credit in the future becauseI have big plans,” she said. “I want to move out of the market andopen a warehouse shop.”

Ângelo Costa, head of BMF’s credit department, said that thesize of the loan was worked out on an individual basis to match theclient’s repayment abilities and in conjunction with an investmentplan. “The bank has to be responsible. It’s important that clientsdon’t feel suffocated by the amount of money they have to payback,” he said. “Maria is a real success story. She made greatprogress in her business, starting off from a low level and progress-ing to where she is now.”

BMF offers credit through a range of structured finance pack-ages which are created for certain types of businesses; for example,setting up a bakery, selling soft drinks or running a motorbike-de-livery service.

BMF board member Ari Carvalho said: “People give theimpression of being very good at busi-ness, especially here in Luanda, butoften they are buying and selling with-out really knowing how much theyneed to make to break even or make aprofit. There is no point just selling andhoping you can make money from it;you need some structure.

“We have business analysts whosit down with clients and work out howmuch they will need and make aspreadsheet setting out a businessplan, factoring in expenses, calculatingprofit, etc. Once we’re satisfied with theplan, then we will offer the credit.

“Sometimes people don’t haverealistic business plans – they have noidea about costs or other aspects ofrunning a business. The analyst canmake sure they won’t get into trouble –they are almost like a social counsellor,helping them borrow responsibly.”

Road showsAs well as seeking out new clientsthrough community road shows, BMFis also working with young people con-

nected to schemes with the Ministry of Public Administration, Em-ployment and Social Security (MAPESS). The Micro-crédito Amigopackage is designed especially for those coming through MAPESStraining schemes in areas such as bricklaying, carpentry andplumbing.

However, Carvalho admitted that loan repayment was not 100per cent: “Around 20 per cent goes over the 60 to 90 day period, butwe are operating in an informal environment,” he said. “This is ourbiggest challenge, because people are moving from one address toanother and changing their phone numbers. This is something weare working on to strengthen our repayment criteria.”

Aside from the small number of defaulters, he said there hadbeen some real success stories. “We’ve seen people coming to us toget cash to buy cutlery and plates, and a year later they are �

My business isgoing very welland I would like toapply for more

credit in the futurebecause I have big

plans. I want tomove out of the

market and open awarehouse

shop

“

”Maria José

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

Happy customer:Maria José sells ahandbag



MICROCREDIT

SEPTEMBER 2010 21

Afew years ago, Maria José had a small stall in Luanda’scrowded open air Roque Santeiro market and she struggledto make ends meet. Today, she has a flourishing import

business with a permanent spot indoors at São Paulo market whereshe sells shoes, handbags, belts and other accessories that sheships to Angola by the container-load.

Maria, aged 40, is among a new wave of Angolan entrepre-neurs using microfinance to turn small-scale informal selling intoa formal profit-making business. A mother of six, she uses themoney she borrows at low interest rates to pay for flights to placessuch as Brazil, China and the United States, from where she bringsback cheap items to sell to an Angolan audience hungry for the lat-est trends from overseas.

A pair of silver sandals bought for$5 in Beijing, sell for $70 in Luanda, sothe profit margins are great, once shehas paid off her travel expenses andtaxes. “Although you make a lot ofmoney on each item, the initial outlayis big, flights are thousands of dollarsand you have to pay customs duty onthe goods you bring in,” she explained.

Port taxes“If I buy from the United States orBrazil, I carry things on the plane andpay for excess baggage, but if I buyfrom China, I order a container whichmeans I can bring more. But as well aspaying $6,000 for the shipping, there’s$5,000 of port taxes and a further $500to pay to transport the goods by lorry.”

Maria said she had tried to get aloan at her normal bank but wasturned down. “They said I was toomuch of a risk and I couldn’t afford theinterest rates anyway. Then a friendtold me there were banks whichoffered lower-cost loans, so I made anappointment and qualified. It’s beengreat, not just to get the money but also the help with planning mybusiness.”

Maria has had four loans from Banco BAI Microfinanças(BMF), which is majority owned by Angola’s largest bank BAI (ofwhich Chevron holds a 7 per cent share). It is the country’s onlydedicated microfinance bank and offers loans from $100 to$50,000, depending on the client’s needs and income-generationability. The interest rate is 0.46 to 4 per cent a month, well belowcommercial bank rates which can be over 20 per cent.

Maria’s first loan was for $8,000, the second $14,000, the third$20,000 and the most recent $30,000. “My business is going verywell and I would like to apply for more credit in the future becauseI have big plans,” she said. “I want to move out of the market andopen a warehouse shop.”

Ângelo Costa, head of BMF’s credit department, said that thesize of the loan was worked out on an individual basis to match theclient’s repayment abilities and in conjunction with an investmentplan. “The bank has to be responsible. It’s important that clientsdon’t feel suffocated by the amount of money they have to payback,” he said. “Maria is a real success story. She made greatprogress in her business, starting off from a low level and progress-ing to where she is now.”

BMF offers credit through a range of structured finance pack-ages which are created for certain types of businesses; for example,setting up a bakery, selling soft drinks or running a motorbike-de-livery service.

BMF board member Ari Carvalho said: “People give theimpression of being very good at busi-ness, especially here in Luanda, butoften they are buying and selling with-out really knowing how much theyneed to make to break even or make aprofit. There is no point just selling andhoping you can make money from it;you need some structure.

“We have business analysts whosit down with clients and work out howmuch they will need and make aspreadsheet setting out a businessplan, factoring in expenses, calculatingprofit, etc. Once we’re satisfied with theplan, then we will offer the credit.

“Sometimes people don’t haverealistic business plans – they have noidea about costs or other aspects ofrunning a business. The analyst canmake sure they won’t get into trouble –they are almost like a social counsellor,helping them borrow responsibly.”

Road showsAs well as seeking out new clientsthrough community road shows, BMFis also working with young people con-

nected to schemes with the Ministry of Public Administration, Em-ployment and Social Security (MAPESS). The Micro-crédito Amigopackage is designed especially for those coming through MAPESStraining schemes in areas such as bricklaying, carpentry andplumbing.

However, Carvalho admitted that loan repayment was not 100per cent: “Around 20 per cent goes over the 60 to 90 day period, butwe are operating in an informal environment,” he said. “This is ourbiggest challenge, because people are moving from one address toanother and changing their phone numbers. This is something weare working on to strengthen our repayment criteria.”

Aside from the small number of defaulters, he said there hadbeen some real success stories. “We’ve seen people coming to us toget cash to buy cutlery and plates, and a year later they are �

My business isgoing very welland I would like toapply for more

credit in the futurebecause I have big

plans. I want tomove out of the

market and open awarehouse

shop

“

”Maria José

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

Happy customer:Maria José sells ahandbag


MICROCREDIT

SEPTEMBER 2010 23

MICROCREDIT


running their own restaurants and getting more credit to rent landto open a second restaurant.”

John Yale, national director of the NGO World Vision Angola,said giving people access to credit was an important step in assist-ing them to help themselves out of poverty. In 2005, World Visionstarted a credit scheme for farmers in the central highlands of An-gola, working with state-owned bank BPC which provided a loanfund of $1.2 million.

World Vision helped the farmers get hold of quality seeds andfertilisers and crucially created commercial links with vendors. ByJanuary 2009, there were 42 associations made up of 4,320 farmersin Huambo benefiting from the scheme.

PotentialYale said the key to the project’s success was combining credit withtechnical assistance. “Credit is only one part of the story,” he said.“You need technical and business skills and, crucially, access tomarkets because there is no point increasing yield if you havenowhere to sell that produce. But I believe there is huge potentialfor changing a lot of lives with these schemes.”

He gave an example of a single mother with three children whohad been surviving by growing a few vegetables, eating some andselling the rest, making no more than $100 a year. She joins a co-op-

erative and is able to borrow $375 with which she can buy fertiliserand seeds. Within a few months she has a 2.5 tonne crop of pota-toes. At the side of the road, she could sell the crop for $175 a tonne,but by using the networks of the co-operative, she gets transportand takes the potatoes to Benguela where they sell for $500 a tonne.

“In just a short space of time, she has made $1,250, with whichshe can pay back her credit and buy things for herself and her chil-dren, and her life has improved significantly.”

Yale added that in 2008 World Vision, supported in Angola bythe Luanda Rotary Club, noted a six-fold increase in crop yields dueto the use of fertilisers bought with credit, and the financial gainsfor the individual families were significant. Building on the successof schemes funded by NGOs like World Vision, the Angolan govern-ment is stepping up its microcredit investment.

There are a number of state-funded programmes, some foryoung people and others for teachers and women in rural areas,but the largest by far is a $350 million scheme where the govern-ment will fund a microcredit system with banks such as BPC, BCI,Banco Sol and BMF in conjunction with UNACA (Angolan farmersand peasants association).

“The fundamental idea of this programme is to give small andmedium producers access to bank credit so they can buy seeds, fer-tilisers and farming tools which will help them increase the volumeof their production,” said Economy Minister Manuel Nunes Júnior,when he announced details of the scheme earlier this year.

“It is an important step in the government’s programme to di-versify the economy, combat hunger and poverty and reduce theregional asymmetries in our country.”

PromiseArlete de Sousa, head of statistics at the Ministry of Finance and amember of the National Micro Finance Commission, added: “Thegovernment has made a promise to reduce poverty by 2015 and wesee microcredit as a tool for helping us achieve this aim.”

BMF’s Carvalho said: “It’s the old saying that if you give a mana fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you willfeed him for a lifetime.”

Yale of World Vision concluded: “We need to focus on eco-nomic development and income generation, not just giving assis-tance. People need to be able to take control of their own lives andnot be dependent on external aid, whether that’s from govern-ments or from overseas. Microcredit schemes which are supportedwith technical assistance can achieve that.” �

KixiCrédito was the first microcredit scheme to offer smalllow-cost loans to people in Angola and has since grownfrom a charity to a self-funding microfinance businessoperating in six provinces.

In Kimbundu, one of two Bantu languages, kixi means“giving”. In the old tradition of kixiquila, people would lendeach other money or labour, knowing the favour would berepaid to them.

This principle still runs at the heart of KixiCrédito, withtwo-thirds of loans given out through solidarity groups ofup to 15 people from a local area. “Lending to groupsworks well because there is trust and honour in communi-ties,” said Joaquim Catinda, executive director of Kixi-Crédito, which has a default rate of only 6 per cent,much lower than the banks.

“If one person can’t make their repay-ment, the others have to step in.Each week every member pays afee of, say, 200 kwanzas [about $2]on top of their repayment and thismoney is kept and used in case some-one defaults. We have rules that peoplefrom the same family can’t be in thesame loan group because if there is adeath or difficulty in that family, it meanstwo people might default and that im-pacts heavily on the group.”

KixiCrédito borrows moneyfrom commercial banks andthen offers its clientsloans ranging from $100to $10,000, with typical

The fundamental idea of this programme is to givesmall and medium producers access to bank credit sothey can buy seeds, fertilisers and farming tools whichwill help them increase the volume of their production“

”Manuel Nunes Júnior, Economy Minister

Give and growmonthly interest at around 3 per cent. Theaverage loan is $900, and most people usethis money to fund retail or service busi-nesses such as clothes repairers or smallrestaurants.

“We see many people who used to sellthings in their homes getting credit andbeing able to open small shops and restau-rants,” said Catinda. “There is a real entre-preneurial spirit in Angola because peoplehave needed to make their own way andearn a living.”

As with many other microfinanceschemes, business plans are at the heart ofthe loan to make sure people are not over-stretching themselves or without a clear planfor the money. Catinda explained: “We haveto be careful about how the money is used.For instance, selling pirate CDs or electricalitems on the street is illegal, so we don’t giveloans for people to do that. Also, people al-ways ask for more money than they can af-

ford, so we go through their accounts each time and workout what is a suitable amount.”

KixiCrédito credit is currently withdrawn over the bankcounter using a letter from the loan agent, but Catinda saidthe plan was to make direct transfers into clients’ bank ac-counts. “We need people to learn to use banks in order tomanage their money. Because people aren’t used to banks,they go there and withdraw all the credit at once. The samehappens with their salaries each month, but we are tryingto change this attitude.”

Catinda is passionate about his work and told Universo:“Microcredit has helped many people

change their lives for thebetter. It’s not aid; it’sabout giving people access

to services so they canmake their own way.”

KixiCrédito’s slogan Par-ceiro nos Negócios or “busi-

ness partner” underlines that point.Microfinance was first pioneered in An-

gola in 1996 by NGO Development Work-shop through funding from theDepartment for International Development(Dfid) – the UK government’s overseas aidfund) among others.

In 1999, the scheme took on the namethe Sustainable Livelihoods Project (SLP). In 2005, it was renamed KixiCrédito andturned into a commercial microfinancebusiness, which is now self-sustainable

with a loan portfolio of $9 million.

KixiCrédito training session

A solidarity meetingfor women who haveborrowed money


MICROCREDIT

SEPTEMBER 2010 23

MICROCREDIT


running their own restaurants and getting more credit to rent landto open a second restaurant.”

John Yale, national director of the NGO World Vision Angola,said giving people access to credit was an important step in assist-ing them to help themselves out of poverty. In 2005, World Visionstarted a credit scheme for farmers in the central highlands of An-gola, working with state-owned bank BPC which provided a loanfund of $1.2 million.

World Vision helped the farmers get hold of quality seeds andfertilisers and crucially created commercial links with vendors. ByJanuary 2009, there were 42 associations made up of 4,320 farmersin Huambo benefiting from the scheme.

PotentialYale said the key to the project’s success was combining credit withtechnical assistance. “Credit is only one part of the story,” he said.“You need technical and business skills and, crucially, access tomarkets because there is no point increasing yield if you havenowhere to sell that produce. But I believe there is huge potentialfor changing a lot of lives with these schemes.”

He gave an example of a single mother with three children whohad been surviving by growing a few vegetables, eating some andselling the rest, making no more than $100 a year. She joins a co-op-

erative and is able to borrow $375 with which she can buy fertiliserand seeds. Within a few months she has a 2.5 tonne crop of pota-toes. At the side of the road, she could sell the crop for $175 a tonne,but by using the networks of the co-operative, she gets transportand takes the potatoes to Benguela where they sell for $500 a tonne.

“In just a short space of time, she has made $1,250, with whichshe can pay back her credit and buy things for herself and her chil-dren, and her life has improved significantly.”

Yale added that in 2008 World Vision, supported in Angola bythe Luanda Rotary Club, noted a six-fold increase in crop yields dueto the use of fertilisers bought with credit, and the financial gainsfor the individual families were significant. Building on the successof schemes funded by NGOs like World Vision, the Angolan govern-ment is stepping up its microcredit investment.

There are a number of state-funded programmes, some foryoung people and others for teachers and women in rural areas,but the largest by far is a $350 million scheme where the govern-ment will fund a microcredit system with banks such as BPC, BCI,Banco Sol and BMF in conjunction with UNACA (Angolan farmersand peasants association).

“The fundamental idea of this programme is to give small andmedium producers access to bank credit so they can buy seeds, fer-tilisers and farming tools which will help them increase the volumeof their production,” said Economy Minister Manuel Nunes Júnior,when he announced details of the scheme earlier this year.

“It is an important step in the government’s programme to di-versify the economy, combat hunger and poverty and reduce theregional asymmetries in our country.”

PromiseArlete de Sousa, head of statistics at the Ministry of Finance and amember of the National Micro Finance Commission, added: “Thegovernment has made a promise to reduce poverty by 2015 and wesee microcredit as a tool for helping us achieve this aim.”

BMF’s Carvalho said: “It’s the old saying that if you give a mana fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you willfeed him for a lifetime.”

Yale of World Vision concluded: “We need to focus on eco-nomic development and income generation, not just giving assis-tance. People need to be able to take control of their own lives andnot be dependent on external aid, whether that’s from govern-ments or from overseas. Microcredit schemes which are supportedwith technical assistance can achieve that.” �

KixiCrédito was the first microcredit scheme to offer smalllow-cost loans to people in Angola and has since grownfrom a charity to a self-funding microfinance businessoperating in six provinces.

In Kimbundu, one of two Bantu languages, kixi means“giving”. In the old tradition of kixiquila, people would lendeach other money or labour, knowing the favour would berepaid to them.

This principle still runs at the heart of KixiCrédito, withtwo-thirds of loans given out through solidarity groups ofup to 15 people from a local area. “Lending to groupsworks well because there is trust and honour in communi-ties,” said Joaquim Catinda, executive director of Kixi-Crédito, which has a default rate of only 6 per cent,much lower than the banks.

“If one person can’t make their repay-ment, the others have to step in.Each week every member pays afee of, say, 200 kwanzas [about $2]on top of their repayment and thismoney is kept and used in case some-one defaults. We have rules that peoplefrom the same family can’t be in thesame loan group because if there is adeath or difficulty in that family, it meanstwo people might default and that im-pacts heavily on the group.”

KixiCrédito borrows moneyfrom commercial banks andthen offers its clientsloans ranging from $100to $10,000, with typical

The fundamental idea of this programme is to givesmall and medium producers access to bank credit sothey can buy seeds, fertilisers and farming tools whichwill help them increase the volume of their production“

”Manuel Nunes Júnior, Economy Minister

Give and growmonthly interest at around 3 per cent. Theaverage loan is $900, and most people usethis money to fund retail or service busi-nesses such as clothes repairers or smallrestaurants.

“We see many people who used to sellthings in their homes getting credit andbeing able to open small shops and restau-rants,” said Catinda. “There is a real entre-preneurial spirit in Angola because peoplehave needed to make their own way andearn a living.”

As with many other microfinanceschemes, business plans are at the heart ofthe loan to make sure people are not over-stretching themselves or without a clear planfor the money. Catinda explained: “We haveto be careful about how the money is used.For instance, selling pirate CDs or electricalitems on the street is illegal, so we don’t giveloans for people to do that. Also, people al-ways ask for more money than they can af-

ford, so we go through their accounts each time and workout what is a suitable amount.”

KixiCrédito credit is currently withdrawn over the bankcounter using a letter from the loan agent, but Catinda saidthe plan was to make direct transfers into clients’ bank ac-counts. “We need people to learn to use banks in order tomanage their money. Because people aren’t used to banks,they go there and withdraw all the credit at once. The samehappens with their salaries each month, but we are tryingto change this attitude.”

Catinda is passionate about his work and told Universo:“Microcredit has helped many people

change their lives for thebetter. It’s not aid; it’sabout giving people access

to services so they canmake their own way.”

KixiCrédito’s slogan Par-ceiro nos Negócios or “busi-

ness partner” underlines that point.Microfinance was first pioneered in An-

gola in 1996 by NGO Development Work-shop through funding from theDepartment for International Development(Dfid) – the UK government’s overseas aidfund) among others.

In 1999, the scheme took on the namethe Sustainable Livelihoods Project (SLP). In 2005, it was renamed KixiCrédito andturned into a commercial microfinancebusiness, which is now self-sustainable

with a loan portfolio of $9 million.

KixiCrédito training session

A solidarity meetingfor women who haveborrowed money



MICROCREDIT

SEPTEMBER 2010 25

António da Silva’s cantina is small and compact, the woodenshelves of the shop neatly stacked with colourful tins,bottles and packets. There are jarsof sweets on the counter,

and two tall fridges full of ice-cold drinks hum along with the airconditioning, drowning out the sound of the crackly televisionperched in the corner.

António, 39, beams with pride as he recalls how his businessbegan with a $250 loan six years ago and explains that he wants toopen a second shop and, in the longer term, a pharmacy. “It’s beenhard work,” he says, “but worth it. I used to sell things like biscuitsand sugar from my house but now I have this business and bigplans for more.”

António, who lives in Cassequel, beside Luanda’s airport andaround the corner from his shop, got his loan through KixiCrédito,Angola’s original microfinance scheme which began in 1996. “I didhave a bank account at the time,” he says, “but I never even thoughtabout asking them for a loan. I knew they would turn me down.”

António spent his first loan on two months’ rent for his shopand some stock. A few months afterwards, he was given a secondloan of $500 and a few years later a third for $900. In that time hehad made enough profit on the items he sold to have bought theshop outright, at a cost of $4,000, install the air-conditioning system and purchase two refrigerator units and a chest freezer.

The shop – which he has called Sapchot after the local area –is open from 7.30 in the morning until 10 at night. António’s wife,with whom he has a four-year-old daughter, does the morning shiftand he takes over in the afternoon and evening. “I go to buy thingsonce a week,” he says, “usually from Roque Santeiro or from another big market. Sometimes you can make a lot from thingswhen you buy in bulk, sometimes not, it just depends.”

Giving an example, he says that he can buy a pack of 24 tins ofmushrooms for 2,150 kwanzas (about $23) and sell the individualtins for 150 kwanzas each, making a total profit of 1,450 kwanza(almost $16) on the original purchase. “Of course, I have to pay formy transport to bring the stock back here,” he says, “and other costslike running my generator for the electricity which is about 15,000kwanzas (about $163) a month. But I think I am a good managerand that is why my business is a success.

“Every night I cash up to see exactly what I have taken and calculate at the end of the week X and Y to see what my profits are.I make sure I take an amount each day from the till to put aside torepay my loan; that is very important.”

He is now applying for a fourth loan of $10,000 to fund his extension plans. As the sign says on his shop door, thanks to KixiCrédito, he is very much aberto (“open”) for business. �

OPEN FORBUSINESS

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

António da Silva: “I am a good manager”



MICROCREDIT

SEPTEMBER 2010 25

António da Silva’s cantina is small and compact, the woodenshelves of the shop neatly stacked with colourful tins,bottles and packets. There are jarsof sweets on the counter,

and two tall fridges full of ice-cold drinks hum along with the airconditioning, drowning out the sound of the crackly televisionperched in the corner.

António, 39, beams with pride as he recalls how his businessbegan with a $250 loan six years ago and explains that he wants toopen a second shop and, in the longer term, a pharmacy. “It’s beenhard work,” he says, “but worth it. I used to sell things like biscuitsand sugar from my house but now I have this business and bigplans for more.”

António, who lives in Cassequel, beside Luanda’s airport andaround the corner from his shop, got his loan through KixiCrédito,Angola’s original microfinance scheme which began in 1996. “I didhave a bank account at the time,” he says, “but I never even thoughtabout asking them for a loan. I knew they would turn me down.”

António spent his first loan on two months’ rent for his shopand some stock. A few months afterwards, he was given a secondloan of $500 and a few years later a third for $900. In that time hehad made enough profit on the items he sold to have bought theshop outright, at a cost of $4,000, install the air-conditioning system and purchase two refrigerator units and a chest freezer.

The shop – which he has called Sapchot after the local area –is open from 7.30 in the morning until 10 at night. António’s wife,with whom he has a four-year-old daughter, does the morning shiftand he takes over in the afternoon and evening. “I go to buy thingsonce a week,” he says, “usually from Roque Santeiro or from another big market. Sometimes you can make a lot from thingswhen you buy in bulk, sometimes not, it just depends.”

Giving an example, he says that he can buy a pack of 24 tins ofmushrooms for 2,150 kwanzas (about $23) and sell the individualtins for 150 kwanzas each, making a total profit of 1,450 kwanza(almost $16) on the original purchase. “Of course, I have to pay formy transport to bring the stock back here,” he says, “and other costslike running my generator for the electricity which is about 15,000kwanzas (about $163) a month. But I think I am a good managerand that is why my business is a success.

“Every night I cash up to see exactly what I have taken and calculate at the end of the week X and Y to see what my profits are.I make sure I take an amount each day from the till to put aside torepay my loan; that is very important.”

He is now applying for a fourth loan of $10,000 to fund his extension plans. As the sign says on his shop door, thanks to KixiCrédito, he is very much aberto (“open”) for business. �

OPEN FORBUSINESS

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

António da Silva: “I am a good manager”



TRANSPORT

SEPTEMBER 2010 27

SPLASH OUT

Sparkling blue water stretching formiles, and in the distance the palmtrees of Mussulo Island swaying in the

gentle sea breeze. That’s the view most peo-ple see from their car windows as they sitfor up to three hours a day in traffic queueson the Samba Road, crawling their way intoLuanda city from the south.

Many workers are forced to leave forwork at 5am just to beat the congestion. Butnow frustrated commuters have a chanceto get closer to that view and see more oftheir families, thanks to a new water-taxiservice which is offering a 35-minute trip byboat from Luanda Sul into the city.

Angolan-owned Fast Sea Transportplans to operate 30-nautical-mile returntrips from its base at Futungo to Luanda’sport, at the Ilha de Luanda, with its popularbars and restaurants, and Sonils, wheremost of the oil companies are based.

Stressful“People are suffering psychologicallybecause of this traffic,” said Ernesto Arenas,Fast Sea Transport’s general manager.“They are getting up very early and not ableto see their families properly except atweekends. This is very stressful and meansthey have no quality of life. We want to give

people their life back and less hassle.”The company has six blue-and-white

water taxis which were specially designedin South Africa. They have two 250-horse-power Suzuki engines and can carry 26people, 24 passengers plus the pilot and hisdeputy. Inside, there are rows of forward-facing roomy white benches and the optionof air conditioning or open sunroofs andwindows.

“It’s like a bus but on the sea,” saidRicardo Bocanegra Garcia, the company’scommercial director. “When the windowsare closed, it’s very quiet inside and you cantalk on your phone or even use your �

Manuel da Costa, headof operations at Fast

Sea Transport

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ON A CABWater taxis will make commuting to work in Luanda faster and prettier ➔

SU27.water-taxi.pp26-29:SU27 18/8/10 18:37 Page 26


TRANSPORT

SEPTEMBER 2010 27

SPLASH OUT

Sparkling blue water stretching formiles, and in the distance the palmtrees of Mussulo Island swaying in the

gentle sea breeze. That’s the view most peo-ple see from their car windows as they sitfor up to three hours a day in traffic queueson the Samba Road, crawling their way intoLuanda city from the south.

Many workers are forced to leave forwork at 5am just to beat the congestion. Butnow frustrated commuters have a chanceto get closer to that view and see more oftheir families, thanks to a new water-taxiservice which is offering a 35-minute trip byboat from Luanda Sul into the city.

Angolan-owned Fast Sea Transportplans to operate 30-nautical-mile returntrips from its base at Futungo to Luanda’sport, at the Ilha de Luanda, with its popularbars and restaurants, and Sonils, wheremost of the oil companies are based.

Stressful“People are suffering psychologicallybecause of this traffic,” said Ernesto Arenas,Fast Sea Transport’s general manager.“They are getting up very early and not ableto see their families properly except atweekends. This is very stressful and meansthey have no quality of life. We want to give

people their life back and less hassle.”The company has six blue-and-white

water taxis which were specially designedin South Africa. They have two 250-horse-power Suzuki engines and can carry 26people, 24 passengers plus the pilot and hisdeputy. Inside, there are rows of forward-facing roomy white benches and the optionof air conditioning or open sunroofs andwindows.

“It’s like a bus but on the sea,” saidRicardo Bocanegra Garcia, the company’scommercial director. “When the windowsare closed, it’s very quiet inside and you cantalk on your phone or even use your �

Manuel da Costa, headof operations at Fast

Sea Transport

Kam

ene

M T

raça

ON A CABWater taxis will make commuting to work in Luanda faster and prettier ➔



TRANSPORT TRANSPORT

SEPTEMBER 2010 29

And you have a wonderfulpanoramic view of the coastline. It’s avery nice trip and, best of all, we arecompletely out of the normal hecticcity life

“”

laptop. And you have a wonderfulpanoramic view of the coastline. It’s a verynice trip and, best of all, we are completelyout of the normal hectic city life.”

ZippedUniverso was treated to a test ride. As wezipped along watching the coastal land-marks fly by, Ricardo said: “Look, after justa short time we can already see the Mau-soleum and in the distance behind it there’sthe Ilha. If we’d been going by car, we’d noteven be at Samba yet.”

He was right; the boat was significantlyquicker than our trip to Futungo from thecity and the sea surprisingly calm. “Thewater is very flat,” he said. “There’s no

jumping. It’s very smooth, more like a lakethan sea. These are perfect conditions forthis type of service.”

The boat’s radio crackles and beeps.“That’s the port picking up our signal,” said

Colombian-born Ricardo. “We have radiolinks with the port and with our base atFutungo, and all the most modern equip-ment such as GPS and deep sensors.”

Pointing out the rows of life jackets and

safety rings, Ernesto, a Cuban who has beenin Angola for 14 years, added: “Safety is ourfirst policy. The sea is very calm here but wemake sure we take all the appropriate safetymeasures.”

DockingBack on dry land, docking at the company’sneat wooden jetty, we are given a tour of theair-conditioned waiting area which Ernestoand Ricardo hope will soon be full of officeworkers using the water taxis.

“We are aiming at companies to usethis service because many people, espe-cially from oil industry, are living in LuandaSul. More people are moving to the southbecause the conditions are better. There are

new houses and shopping centres, but theyhave the problem with traffic to get intotown. We are trying to give people a betterquality of life,” said Ricardo.

The water-taxi service, however, comesat a price. Off-peak return tickets start at$20 a day, rising to $35 for a peak-time re-turn from Futungo to Sonils. But Ricardosaid corporate discounts were available andthere were packages for people whobooked for a month or longer.

“Our costs are very high. Running theboats and paying the maritime charges isvery expensive,” he said, “so that is why ourfares are quite high. But in the longer termwe want to make this service available to asmany as possible – something for everyonein the city to use and enjoy.”

Bruno Rodrigues, logistics manager ofSevenSeas Angola, a subsidary of SubSea 7,said it was a price worth paying and notthat much more than hiring cars, which canwork out at $10,000 per person per monthplus the cost of fuel and a driver.

Excellent“Eighty per cent of our guys are living inLuanda Sul, so something like this could beexcellent for us,” he told Universo. “We havepeople leaving our company because of allthe travelling. It is so stressful. Some spendthree hours a day in traffic and complainabout their quality of life.”

Bruno, who makes the daily commutefrom the south into the city, gets up mostdays at 4am to beat the traffic jams and saidhe would welcome the chance to sleeplonger and not arrive at work exhausted.

Angolan Manuel da Costa is head ofoperations at Fast Sea Transport, oversee-ing the crew of pilots and sailors. “I reallythink a lot of people are going to use thisservice because it’s so much better than sit-ting in traffic or getting up at 4am to avoidit,” he said.

Water taxis have been operating incities like London, New York, Sydney andDubai for years, so why not Luanda? “It’sabout time,” said Ricardo. “It’s a simpleidea; I don’t know why someone didn’tthink of it before.” �

...or take the train

iSto

ckp

ho

to

President José Eduardo dos Santos hasannounced plans to build the firstmetro rail system in the capital tomeet the demand for efficient publictransport.

Currently, Luanda has only a singlerail line that runs from Musseques sta-tion, just outside central Luanda, to themunicipality of Viana, 20km to the east.

Agostinho Neto University has sub-mitted a feasibility study to the coun-try’s authorities calling for three morerail lines to be integrated into the exist-ing Viana-Luanda line. The proposalhas lines running north-south, west-east and to major city locations, saiduniversity engineer Henrique Capeca.

The object is to cater for Luanda’sgrowing population for the next tenyears. The new metro will interconnectmajor destinations such as the univer-sity campus, two airports, the seaportand the town centre, through a pro-posed central station. Several smallerstations will be combined with taxisranks, bus stops and maritime docksthat service other town and countryregions.

The project aims to dissuade peo-ple from driving to work and cut trafficnoise and air pollution. Part one couldbe implemented in four years, but morestudies are to be done to estimatecosts and see whether the authoritiesprefer an underground or a surface railsystem. “The time is right to go aheadwith the project,” said Capeca.

Claro Sokandi

Ricardo Garcia, Fast Sea Transport



TRANSPORT TRANSPORT

SEPTEMBER 2010 29

And you have a wonderfulpanoramic view of the coastline. It’s avery nice trip and, best of all, we arecompletely out of the normal hecticcity life

“”

laptop. And you have a wonderfulpanoramic view of the coastline. It’s a verynice trip and, best of all, we are completelyout of the normal hectic city life.”

ZippedUniverso was treated to a test ride. As wezipped along watching the coastal land-marks fly by, Ricardo said: “Look, after justa short time we can already see the Mau-soleum and in the distance behind it there’sthe Ilha. If we’d been going by car, we’d noteven be at Samba yet.”

He was right; the boat was significantlyquicker than our trip to Futungo from thecity and the sea surprisingly calm. “Thewater is very flat,” he said. “There’s no

jumping. It’s very smooth, more like a lakethan sea. These are perfect conditions forthis type of service.”

The boat’s radio crackles and beeps.“That’s the port picking up our signal,” said

Colombian-born Ricardo. “We have radiolinks with the port and with our base atFutungo, and all the most modern equip-ment such as GPS and deep sensors.”

Pointing out the rows of life jackets and

safety rings, Ernesto, a Cuban who has beenin Angola for 14 years, added: “Safety is ourfirst policy. The sea is very calm here but wemake sure we take all the appropriate safetymeasures.”

DockingBack on dry land, docking at the company’sneat wooden jetty, we are given a tour of theair-conditioned waiting area which Ernestoand Ricardo hope will soon be full of officeworkers using the water taxis.

“We are aiming at companies to usethis service because many people, espe-cially from oil industry, are living in LuandaSul. More people are moving to the southbecause the conditions are better. There are

new houses and shopping centres, but theyhave the problem with traffic to get intotown. We are trying to give people a betterquality of life,” said Ricardo.

The water-taxi service, however, comesat a price. Off-peak return tickets start at$20 a day, rising to $35 for a peak-time re-turn from Futungo to Sonils. But Ricardosaid corporate discounts were available andthere were packages for people whobooked for a month or longer.

“Our costs are very high. Running theboats and paying the maritime charges isvery expensive,” he said, “so that is why ourfares are quite high. But in the longer termwe want to make this service available to asmany as possible – something for everyonein the city to use and enjoy.”

Bruno Rodrigues, logistics manager ofSevenSeas Angola, a subsidary of SubSea 7,said it was a price worth paying and notthat much more than hiring cars, which canwork out at $10,000 per person per monthplus the cost of fuel and a driver.

Excellent“Eighty per cent of our guys are living inLuanda Sul, so something like this could beexcellent for us,” he told Universo. “We havepeople leaving our company because of allthe travelling. It is so stressful. Some spendthree hours a day in traffic and complainabout their quality of life.”

Bruno, who makes the daily commutefrom the south into the city, gets up mostdays at 4am to beat the traffic jams and saidhe would welcome the chance to sleeplonger and not arrive at work exhausted.

Angolan Manuel da Costa is head ofoperations at Fast Sea Transport, oversee-ing the crew of pilots and sailors. “I reallythink a lot of people are going to use thisservice because it’s so much better than sit-ting in traffic or getting up at 4am to avoidit,” he said.

Water taxis have been operating incities like London, New York, Sydney andDubai for years, so why not Luanda? “It’sabout time,” said Ricardo. “It’s a simpleidea; I don’t know why someone didn’tthink of it before.” �

...or take the train

iSto

ckp

ho

to

President José Eduardo dos Santos hasannounced plans to build the firstmetro rail system in the capital tomeet the demand for efficient publictransport.

Currently, Luanda has only a singlerail line that runs from Musseques sta-tion, just outside central Luanda, to themunicipality of Viana, 20km to the east.

Agostinho Neto University has sub-mitted a feasibility study to the coun-try’s authorities calling for three morerail lines to be integrated into the exist-ing Viana-Luanda line. The proposalhas lines running north-south, west-east and to major city locations, saiduniversity engineer Henrique Capeca.

The object is to cater for Luanda’sgrowing population for the next tenyears. The new metro will interconnectmajor destinations such as the univer-sity campus, two airports, the seaportand the town centre, through a pro-posed central station. Several smallerstations will be combined with taxisranks, bus stops and maritime docksthat service other town and countryregions.

The project aims to dissuade peo-ple from driving to work and cut trafficnoise and air pollution. Part one couldbe implemented in four years, but morestudies are to be done to estimatecosts and see whether the authoritiesprefer an underground or a surface railsystem. “The time is right to go aheadwith the project,” said Capeca.

Claro Sokandi

Ricardo Garcia, Fast Sea Transport



FASHION

SEPTEMBER 2010 31

DRESSED TOIMPRESSAngolan designers are winning plaudits for their fusion of African and internationalstyle, as the country’s fashion industry takes off ➔

A model sashays down theModa Luanda catwalk

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SU27.Clothes trade.pp30-37:SU27 18/8/10 18:30 Page 30


FASHION

SEPTEMBER 2010 31

DRESSED TOIMPRESSAngolan designers are winning plaudits for their fusion of African and internationalstyle, as the country’s fashion industry takes off ➔

A model sashays down theModa Luanda catwalk

Kam

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M T

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SEPTEMBER 2010 33

FASHION


On an unremarkable street inLuanda’s Vila Alice neighbour-hood, behind a dull brown door,

quite remarkable things are happening. Up two flights of narrow tiled stairs a

group of men are huddled over rattlingsewing machines, passing each otherlarge panels of vibrantly-coloured Africancloth. Across the narrow corridor in a tinyoffice, piles of patterned materials arestacked floor to ceiling, and down a flightof stairs, light pours in through a wideshop window where mannequins stand,waiting to be dressed.

Leading lightThis is the nerve centre of Lucrécia Moreira’s design empire – Criações e Confecções – where ideas are formed,fashions made and deals done.

Moreira has been a leading light onAngola’s fashion scene for two decadesand her fusion of African and Europeanstyles has won her national and interna-tional accolades, as well as a celebrityclient base which includes Angola’s FirstLady Ana Paula dos Santos.

Moreira’s success is part of a growingand increasingly confident fashion indus-try in Angola. She recently showed her latest collection alongside other innova-tive designers such as Ginga Neto and MeSente (whom we profile on pages 35 and37) at the annual Moda Luanda show.

This show and the other high-profileevent Angola Fashion Week are biggerthan they have ever been. Moda Luandaorganiser Karina Barbosa said the increased interest was a sign of the growthin the country’s fashion industry. “Whenwe started it was more about enthusiasmfrom a small number of designers, butnow we are seeing very professional collections with a lot of originality andquality,” she said.

“Angolans are very good consumersof fashion. You can see it just by walkingdown any street; they like to dress welland look good. You can see all the newboutiques opening in Luanda – this is abig industry. When the Hugo Boss storeopened a few years back, it made the mostsales on its opening night of any HugoBoss store in the world, which gives you

an indication of the appetite people herehave for fashion in Angola.”

Traditional rootsLucrécia Moreira’s appetite for fashionbegan as a child when she used to makeclothes for friends. After going to Canadaand studying at a fashion school inToronto in the 1990s, she returned toAngola to launch her first collection, mak-ing everything at home on one sewingmachine. Today, her workshop has 25machines and she has plans to open alarger factory outside the city centre to increase production and get her clothesinto stores around Angola, in other partsof Africa and beyond.

“Although I am going to continuewith high-end pieces, I also want tolaunch a prêt-à-porter range which will bemore accessible to more people,” she said.

Moreira’s work is a fusion of influ-ences. She likes to use traditional Africanfabrics, patterns and colours with Euro-pean flourishes to create a modern stylebut one with its roots in tradition.Explaining her style, Moreira said: “Theeducation that we had during the longyears of Portuguese colonisation did notallow us to interpret our own culture, so �

When westarted it was moreabout enthusiasmfrom a small num-ber of designers,but now we areseeing very pro-fessional col-lections with a lotof originality andquality

“

” Karina Barbosa

Jose

Silv

a Pi

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International acclaim:Lucrécia Moreira


SEPTEMBER 2010 33

FASHION


On an unremarkable street inLuanda’s Vila Alice neighbour-hood, behind a dull brown door,

quite remarkable things are happening. Up two flights of narrow tiled stairs a

group of men are huddled over rattlingsewing machines, passing each otherlarge panels of vibrantly-coloured Africancloth. Across the narrow corridor in a tinyoffice, piles of patterned materials arestacked floor to ceiling, and down a flightof stairs, light pours in through a wideshop window where mannequins stand,waiting to be dressed.

Leading lightThis is the nerve centre of Lucrécia Moreira’s design empire – Criações e Confecções – where ideas are formed,fashions made and deals done.

Moreira has been a leading light onAngola’s fashion scene for two decadesand her fusion of African and Europeanstyles has won her national and interna-tional accolades, as well as a celebrityclient base which includes Angola’s FirstLady Ana Paula dos Santos.

Moreira’s success is part of a growingand increasingly confident fashion indus-try in Angola. She recently showed her latest collection alongside other innova-tive designers such as Ginga Neto and MeSente (whom we profile on pages 35 and37) at the annual Moda Luanda show.

This show and the other high-profileevent Angola Fashion Week are biggerthan they have ever been. Moda Luandaorganiser Karina Barbosa said the increased interest was a sign of the growthin the country’s fashion industry. “Whenwe started it was more about enthusiasmfrom a small number of designers, butnow we are seeing very professional collections with a lot of originality andquality,” she said.

“Angolans are very good consumersof fashion. You can see it just by walkingdown any street; they like to dress welland look good. You can see all the newboutiques opening in Luanda – this is abig industry. When the Hugo Boss storeopened a few years back, it made the mostsales on its opening night of any HugoBoss store in the world, which gives you

an indication of the appetite people herehave for fashion in Angola.”

Traditional rootsLucrécia Moreira’s appetite for fashionbegan as a child when she used to makeclothes for friends. After going to Canadaand studying at a fashion school inToronto in the 1990s, she returned toAngola to launch her first collection, mak-ing everything at home on one sewingmachine. Today, her workshop has 25machines and she has plans to open alarger factory outside the city centre to increase production and get her clothesinto stores around Angola, in other partsof Africa and beyond.

“Although I am going to continuewith high-end pieces, I also want tolaunch a prêt-à-porter range which will bemore accessible to more people,” she said.

Moreira’s work is a fusion of influ-ences. She likes to use traditional Africanfabrics, patterns and colours with Euro-pean flourishes to create a modern stylebut one with its roots in tradition.Explaining her style, Moreira said: “Theeducation that we had during the longyears of Portuguese colonisation did notallow us to interpret our own culture, so �

When westarted it was moreabout enthusiasmfrom a small num-ber of designers,but now we areseeing very pro-fessional col-lections with a lotof originality andquality

“

” Karina Barbosa

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

International acclaim:Lucrécia Moreira


JEANGENIUS

FASHION


FASHION

SEPTEMBER 2010 35

Angolans were not used to wearing Africanclothes.

“But through travelling around thecontinent I started to see that people inother African countries used African-styleclothes and identified themselves asAfricans through their clothes. It was fromthere that I started to create African fashion.And from just my second show I started tomake a name for myself and people startedto want my clothes.”

Accessing textiles, she admitted, remained a challenge and she hoped thatrecent investment into Angola’s once-flour-ishing cotton industry would one day allowher to buy locally-made fabric. “We are acountry that used to produce cotton butnow we rely on imported material,” she said.

“I want to make a collection designedby me where the textiles are stamped as 100per cent Angolan. But right now that is notpossible, and relying on imports also in-creases the price of the finished garment.”

Fellow Angolan designer Nadir Tatiagreed price was a challenge in selling An-golan-made pieces but said things weremoving in the right direction. “We are com-peting against people who are importingcheap clothes in bulk from overseas andthen selling them on the street at low

prices,” she said. “But slowly things arechanging and we are getting stronger atmarketing.”

Fashion weekThere was certainly no shortage of interestin Tati’s latest collection at Angola FashionWeek which ran over four days in June.There were eight Angolan designers alto-gether, including Tati, Marius, Tina Sou-venir and Shanguiny Vungulipy. Luandanshops such as Casa Paris, Sónia Boutiqueand Ellus also showed off their latest collec-tions.

From overseas came Portugal-basedStorytailors, Louis de Gama from the UKand Alexandre Dutra from Brazil, and therewas a special day dedicated to children’swear. “There are many people coming toAngola right now and we are seeing a big ex-change of experiences and ideas,” said Tati.

For co-organiser Felipe Dylong, eventslike Angola Fashion Week are not just aspectacle but the key to promoting localbusiness and creating jobs. “It’s about morethan the clothes and the glamour that yousee,” he said. “It’s about business too. Wehad more than 70 models taking part andthen all the sponsors and the exhibitors,and this generates a lot of interest.

“Fashion is growing in Angola. Small

factories and labels are getting bigger;there’s a chain effect with more jobs beingcreated here in the country.”

Model Cael Pascoal is 25 and studyinglaw in South Africa, but she came back toLuanda to be part of Angola Fashion Week.“Fashion is really growing in Angola. It wasslow to start but now it’s really taking offand we’re getting a scene like you have else-where,” she said. “We’ve seen people suchas Shunnoz & Tekasala showing their collec-tions in Lisbon and it’s not going to be longbefore we are seeing more Angolans onmore international catwalks.”

Catwalk shows are excellent ways forAngolan models to get noticed. Karina Bar-bosa, who used to model for Elite ModelManagement in Portugal, takes bookingsfor her models from all over the world in-cluding South Africa’s Face Models, Storm(the agency which found Kate Moss), Por-tugal’s Face Models and Central Models.

She said Angolan models were in bigdemand and her girls Joana Bunga,Verónica Barros and Carina Andradewere building increasingly internationalportfolios.

The energy within Angola’s fashion andmodelling scene is certainly growing – ex-pect some Angolan influence soon on ahigh street or in a magazine near you. �

I want to make a collection designed where the tex-tiles are stamped as 100 per cent Angolan“ ” Lucrécia Moreira

She was named after Angola’s famous17th-century Queen Ginga and nowhas a shop on, most fittingly, Rua

Rainha Ginga. But there is more to GingaNeto than her name.

Her boutique Mahinda Prestige is afashion landmark in Luanda. It is one ofthe few shops in the country where youcan buy Angolan designed and producedclothes. The big attraction this season isGinga’s new Jeanswear Collection, thefirst Angolan denim range, which comeswith unique symbols of Chokwe sandpaintings on the pockets.

“My inspiration in creating jeanscame out of the recognition that the eco-nomic crisis has affected many peopleand that we live in an era where we needto reconnect with simple and practicalclothes,” said Ginga. “By creating this lineI wanted to be close to young people, whomake up the majority of the Angolan pop-

ulation, and give them a fashion whichidentifies with our culture and accompa-nies us in our everyday life.”

Ginga was born in Frankfurt in 1962and spent the first seven years of her lifebetween Germany and Austria, beforegoing to Tanzania and Zambia. Shemoved to Angola for the first time as ateenager after the country’s independ-ence in 1975.

Ginga, whose full married name isGinga Isabel Neto e Costa de Almeida,began her love affair with fashion as achild when she watched her mother making clothes. “My mother had studiedfashion design and I used to watch hermake garments for her friends,” she said.“With the leftovers of fabrics I sometimestried to copy her and made dresses for mydolls.” This interest grew and continuedas a sideline to her studies when shemoved to Paris to study languages at the

Sorbonne. In 1990, Ginga married andmoved back to Angola with her husbandFrancisco and three sons aged 17, 16 and15. She began to take part in Moda Luanda seven years ago and what was ahobby became a full-time job.

Like many of her peers, Ginga relieson imported material for her designs andhas travelled to India, Belgium, theUnited States and Brazil and across Africalooking for the right textiles. “The biggestdifficulty is to find good fabrics,” she said.“Not having a proper fashion industry inAngola is also a setback. We still dependvery much on foreign support to bring tothe market products with internationalselling standards. “There is certainly a lotof talent in Angola and I’m always fasci-nated to see what our designers have tooffer. What we need now is a good fashionmagazine to help us promote and sell ourclothes at competitive prices.”

Kam

ene

M T

raça

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto


JEANGENIUS

FASHION


FASHION

SEPTEMBER 2010 35

Angolans were not used to wearing Africanclothes.

“But through travelling around thecontinent I started to see that people inother African countries used African-styleclothes and identified themselves asAfricans through their clothes. It was fromthere that I started to create African fashion.And from just my second show I started tomake a name for myself and people startedto want my clothes.”

Accessing textiles, she admitted, remained a challenge and she hoped thatrecent investment into Angola’s once-flour-ishing cotton industry would one day allowher to buy locally-made fabric. “We are acountry that used to produce cotton butnow we rely on imported material,” she said.

“I want to make a collection designedby me where the textiles are stamped as 100per cent Angolan. But right now that is notpossible, and relying on imports also in-creases the price of the finished garment.”

Fellow Angolan designer Nadir Tatiagreed price was a challenge in selling An-golan-made pieces but said things weremoving in the right direction. “We are com-peting against people who are importingcheap clothes in bulk from overseas andthen selling them on the street at low

prices,” she said. “But slowly things arechanging and we are getting stronger atmarketing.”

Fashion weekThere was certainly no shortage of interestin Tati’s latest collection at Angola FashionWeek which ran over four days in June.There were eight Angolan designers alto-gether, including Tati, Marius, Tina Sou-venir and Shanguiny Vungulipy. Luandanshops such as Casa Paris, Sónia Boutiqueand Ellus also showed off their latest collec-tions.

From overseas came Portugal-basedStorytailors, Louis de Gama from the UKand Alexandre Dutra from Brazil, and therewas a special day dedicated to children’swear. “There are many people coming toAngola right now and we are seeing a big ex-change of experiences and ideas,” said Tati.

For co-organiser Felipe Dylong, eventslike Angola Fashion Week are not just aspectacle but the key to promoting localbusiness and creating jobs. “It’s about morethan the clothes and the glamour that yousee,” he said. “It’s about business too. Wehad more than 70 models taking part andthen all the sponsors and the exhibitors,and this generates a lot of interest.

“Fashion is growing in Angola. Small

factories and labels are getting bigger;there’s a chain effect with more jobs beingcreated here in the country.”

Model Cael Pascoal is 25 and studyinglaw in South Africa, but she came back toLuanda to be part of Angola Fashion Week.“Fashion is really growing in Angola. It wasslow to start but now it’s really taking offand we’re getting a scene like you have else-where,” she said. “We’ve seen people suchas Shunnoz & Tekasala showing their collec-tions in Lisbon and it’s not going to be longbefore we are seeing more Angolans onmore international catwalks.”

Catwalk shows are excellent ways forAngolan models to get noticed. Karina Bar-bosa, who used to model for Elite ModelManagement in Portugal, takes bookingsfor her models from all over the world in-cluding South Africa’s Face Models, Storm(the agency which found Kate Moss), Por-tugal’s Face Models and Central Models.

She said Angolan models were in bigdemand and her girls Joana Bunga,Verónica Barros and Carina Andradewere building increasingly internationalportfolios.

The energy within Angola’s fashion andmodelling scene is certainly growing – ex-pect some Angolan influence soon on ahigh street or in a magazine near you. �

I want to make a collection designed where the tex-tiles are stamped as 100 per cent Angolan“ ” Lucrécia Moreira

She was named after Angola’s famous17th-century Queen Ginga and nowhas a shop on, most fittingly, Rua

Rainha Ginga. But there is more to GingaNeto than her name.

Her boutique Mahinda Prestige is afashion landmark in Luanda. It is one ofthe few shops in the country where youcan buy Angolan designed and producedclothes. The big attraction this season isGinga’s new Jeanswear Collection, thefirst Angolan denim range, which comeswith unique symbols of Chokwe sandpaintings on the pockets.

“My inspiration in creating jeanscame out of the recognition that the eco-nomic crisis has affected many peopleand that we live in an era where we needto reconnect with simple and practicalclothes,” said Ginga. “By creating this lineI wanted to be close to young people, whomake up the majority of the Angolan pop-

ulation, and give them a fashion whichidentifies with our culture and accompa-nies us in our everyday life.”

Ginga was born in Frankfurt in 1962and spent the first seven years of her lifebetween Germany and Austria, beforegoing to Tanzania and Zambia. Shemoved to Angola for the first time as ateenager after the country’s independ-ence in 1975.

Ginga, whose full married name isGinga Isabel Neto e Costa de Almeida,began her love affair with fashion as achild when she watched her mother making clothes. “My mother had studiedfashion design and I used to watch hermake garments for her friends,” she said.“With the leftovers of fabrics I sometimestried to copy her and made dresses for mydolls.” This interest grew and continuedas a sideline to her studies when shemoved to Paris to study languages at the

Sorbonne. In 1990, Ginga married andmoved back to Angola with her husbandFrancisco and three sons aged 17, 16 and15. She began to take part in Moda Luanda seven years ago and what was ahobby became a full-time job.

Like many of her peers, Ginga relieson imported material for her designs andhas travelled to India, Belgium, theUnited States and Brazil and across Africalooking for the right textiles. “The biggestdifficulty is to find good fabrics,” she said.“Not having a proper fashion industry inAngola is also a setback. We still dependvery much on foreign support to bring tothe market products with internationalselling standards. “There is certainly a lotof talent in Angola and I’m always fasci-nated to see what our designers have tooffer. What we need now is a good fashionmagazine to help us promote and sell ourclothes at competitive prices.”

Kam

ene

M T

raça

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto


PASSION FOR FASHIONAvelino Nascimento – who calls him-

self Me Sente (“Feel me”) – brought adazzle of glamour to this year’s Moda

Luanda fashion show with his Gold of the Fu-ture collection.

My inspiration was gold and the night,so I went for gold and black,” said the 23-year-old, wearing oversized sunglasses withwhite plastic frames. “I love glamour and de-signers like Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana andLouis Vuitton and to see a well-dressedwoman is a wonderful spectacle.”

Still high from the rave reviews of hisModa Luanda appearance and a spread inthe weekly glossy magazine Caras, Me Sente,who hails from the modest Nelito Soaresneighbourhood in Luanda, is dreaming ofEurope. Waving his arms in a flourish, hesaid: “It’s my dream to go to Milan and Lon-don and Paris, first to study a course in fash-ion and then to take my clothes to thecatwalks. I want to show off my clothes butalso show Angola to the rest of the world.”

Despite his success, Me Sente has hadno formal fashion training and learnt histrade from his mother who used to be aseamstress in Angola before independence in1975. With clients queuing up for a piece ofMe Sente, the roles have reversed and hismother now works for him, helping him tokeep up with the demand for orders.

“I had to learn from my mother,” he said.“There are no dedicated fashion schools hereand that is something we really need. But atthe same time there is a real energy here.

“Fashion in Angola is in a stage ofgrowth, and it is developing a lot. I see it as afashion which is inventing itself from within.The country is developing and growing, sofashion is growing with it.”

But as passionate as Me Sente is abouthis job, he also acknowledges it is not all plainsailing. “Working in fashion means you needto make many sacrifices,” he said. “I have towork very hard. I don’t have any sponsorshipor help from anyone, so I have to work on myown. I have to invest a lot in materials tomake my clothes, and I have to promote mybrand. But I am always saying that tomorrowwill be better and I will succeed.

“Fashion in Angola is not easy. There isno formal training, so everything I’ve doneI’ve had to do myself. But I think my work willgo far because I believe I have foresight, andI hope that I’ll be able to keep expanding andone day everyone will be wearing my brand.

“One day Angola could be a fashionleader in Africa. But we need textile factoriesand courses to train people. You look atsomewhere like South Africa and the supportthat is there; we need that support here inAngola.

“At the moment, people here don’t seefashion as an academic subject worth teach-ing. This is something we need to fight for.There’s a long way to go, but we will getthere.” �

SEPTEMBER 2010 37

FASHIONFASHION


Pict

ure

s: K

amen

e M

Tra

ça


PASSION FOR FASHIONAvelino Nascimento – who calls him-

self Me Sente (“Feel me”) – brought adazzle of glamour to this year’s Moda

Luanda fashion show with his Gold of the Fu-ture collection.

My inspiration was gold and the night,so I went for gold and black,” said the 23-year-old, wearing oversized sunglasses withwhite plastic frames. “I love glamour and de-signers like Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana andLouis Vuitton and to see a well-dressedwoman is a wonderful spectacle.”

Still high from the rave reviews of hisModa Luanda appearance and a spread inthe weekly glossy magazine Caras, Me Sente,who hails from the modest Nelito Soaresneighbourhood in Luanda, is dreaming ofEurope. Waving his arms in a flourish, hesaid: “It’s my dream to go to Milan and Lon-don and Paris, first to study a course in fash-ion and then to take my clothes to thecatwalks. I want to show off my clothes butalso show Angola to the rest of the world.”

Despite his success, Me Sente has hadno formal fashion training and learnt histrade from his mother who used to be aseamstress in Angola before independence in1975. With clients queuing up for a piece ofMe Sente, the roles have reversed and hismother now works for him, helping him tokeep up with the demand for orders.

“I had to learn from my mother,” he said.“There are no dedicated fashion schools hereand that is something we really need. But atthe same time there is a real energy here.

“Fashion in Angola is in a stage ofgrowth, and it is developing a lot. I see it as afashion which is inventing itself from within.The country is developing and growing, sofashion is growing with it.”

But as passionate as Me Sente is abouthis job, he also acknowledges it is not all plainsailing. “Working in fashion means you needto make many sacrifices,” he said. “I have towork very hard. I don’t have any sponsorshipor help from anyone, so I have to work on myown. I have to invest a lot in materials tomake my clothes, and I have to promote mybrand. But I am always saying that tomorrowwill be better and I will succeed.

“Fashion in Angola is not easy. There isno formal training, so everything I’ve doneI’ve had to do myself. But I think my work willgo far because I believe I have foresight, andI hope that I’ll be able to keep expanding andone day everyone will be wearing my brand.

“One day Angola could be a fashionleader in Africa. But we need textile factoriesand courses to train people. You look atsomewhere like South Africa and the supportthat is there; we need that support here inAngola.

“At the moment, people here don’t seefashion as an academic subject worth teach-ing. This is something we need to fight for.There’s a long way to go, but we will getthere.” �

SEPTEMBER 2010 37

FASHIONFASHION


Pict

ure

s: K

amen

e M

Tra

ça


SEPTEMBER 2009 39

Sailor schoolSonangol is investing $60 million

in building the country’s first nau-

tical school to train sailors and sea-

navigation support staff. The first phase

of construction was due to begin this

year and work on the school itself

scheduled for June 2012. Over the next

five years Sonangol expects to train

about 400 Angolan staff at the site in

Sumbe, Kwanza Sul.

No more queuesQueuing for petrol will soon be a

thing of the past, thanks to a cam-

paign by Sonangol to build new filling sta-

tions. During 2010, 24 new posts are

expected to be opened across the coun-

try, of which 14 are already up and running

in the capital Luanda. Sonangol is also

working to reduce the unsafe practice of

people buying petrol in jerry cans to sell

by the side of the road.

NEWSSonangol news briefingA ngola is currently

producing 1.79 millionbarrels of oil per day, but

could increase that to 2 million inthe next two years. That’s ac-cording to Oil Minister José MariaBotelho de Vasconcelos who was the guest of honour at thepetroleum day of Angola’s annualtrade fair FILDA in July.

Botelho de Vasconcelos saidthe Angolan government andother members of Opec (Organi-zation of the Petroleum ExportingCountries) were happy with theprice of oil at between $70 and$80 a barrel, a level which satis-fied producers and consumers.Angola currently has nearly adozen oil blocks in operation andmany more waiting to be explored, but the long-awaitednext auction is not expected until2011.

In the following pages we sur-vey the present and the future ofthe oil industry in Angola. First,we look at Angoflex, the first An-golan company to produce mate-rial for an oil industry project inanother country, in this caseGhana. The project is hopefullythe first of many, and will cementAngola’s importance in the conti-nent. And secondly we investi-gate the excitement surroundingthe possibility of pre-salt riches –undiscovered treasure under Angolan waters.

➔38 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Oil exhibit

Ch

ico

San

chez

/ep

a/C

orb

is

The past, present and predicted future of An-gola’s oil industry could become the subject ofa new museum. The idea is being developedwith the help of experts from Norway, whichhas had an oil museum for 13 years.

Estevão Pedro, director of international ex-change at the Petroleum Ministry, welcomedthe idea and told Jornal de Angola: “A museumof the dimension that Angola intends to build– of the highest scientific, educational and cul-tural level – will be beneficial for study visitsand comparing the past and present of the oilindustry in Angola. We are in the phase ofidentifying partners and establishing theterms of reference for the project.”

Caribbean fieldsSonangol has signed a memorandum of understanding with Venezuelan state oilcompany Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and Cuban state oil company Cupet to develop oil fields in Venezuela, above. The Migas and Melones Oeste fields are in thestate of Anzoátegui, 23km from the city of El Tigre. It is estimated that the wells willproduce 20,000 barrels per day in the initial phase with a cumulative output over fiveyears of 95 million barrels. PDVSA has a 60 per cent share and Sonangol and Cupeteach have 20 per cent.

A new oil dictionary in Portuguese hasbeen published to help Angolan stu-dents entering the petroleum industry tounderstand the technical terms of thebusiness.

The 635-page reference book wascreated through a partnership betweenSonangol, Portuguese oil services com-pany Partex, Brazilian state oil companyPetrobras and the Brazilian Institute ofOil and Biofuel. It was launched at So-nangol’s headquarters in a ceremonypresided over by Maria Cândida Teixeira,Minister of Higher Education, Scienceand Technology.

Oil Minister José Maria Botelho deVasconcelos, Petrobras Angola manager

Manoel Murilo Silva, and Alfredo Santosand António Pinho of Partex.

Speaking after the launch, Sonangolboard member Fernando Roberto toldUniverso: “This is a partnership of Angola, Portugal and Brazil and the idea was to translate technical language,which is often in English, into Portuguese. It is very difficult to find direct translations for technical termsand this dictionary will make this possible.”

The dictionary, co-authored by EloiFernández y Fernández, Oswaldo A. Pedrosa Júnior and António Correia dePinho, is published by Lexikon and alsoavailable in Portugal and Brazil.

iSto

ckp

ho

to.c

om

Refinery jobsAngola’s new oil refinery will come

into force in 2014 and create more

than 1,000 jobs, according to Oil Minis-

ter José Maria Botelho de Vasconcelos.

The facility in Lobito, currently under

construction, will have a capacity to

process 115,000 barrels of oil per day

(bpd) and greatly reduce Angola’s re-

liance on refined crude. The minister

said it was hoped that the refinery

would eventually produce 200,000 bpd.

Bank lessonsSonangol is supporting a new finan-

cial services academy which was

launched in Angola in July. Academia Mil-

lennium Atlântico is aimed at teaching

people working in the local banking sector

about the Angolan financial system.

Other organisations involved are BPA

(Banco Privado Atlântico) and Banco Mil-

lennium Angola. A number of new laws

have been passed to increase regulation

and improve the operation of Angola’s

banking sector.

Book prize

Pho

tolib

rary

The deadline for Sonangol’sGrand Literature Prize haspassed and 45 entries havebeen submitted from acrossPortuguese-speaking Africa.Fifteen works are from Angola,seven from Mozambique, ninefrom Guinea-Bissau, nine fromCape Verde and five from SãoTomé and Príncipe. The com-petition, which began in 1987,is being run in conjunctionwith the Angolan Writers’Union (UEA) and has a topprize of $50,000. The judgingpanel is made up of Angolanwriters Manuel Muanza andCornélio Caley, CarlosParadona from Mozambique,Francisco Conduto de Pina ofGuinea-Bissau, Cape VerdeanCorsino Fortes and FredericoGustavo dos Anjos from SãoTomé and Príncipe. The winnerwill be announced on February25 next year, Sonangol’s 35thAnniversary.

All clear

SU27.Sonangol News.pp38-39:SU24 7/9/10 19:01 Page 38

SEPTEMBER 2009 39

Sailor schoolSonangol is investing $60 million

in building the country’s first nau-

tical school to train sailors and sea-

navigation support staff. The first phase

of construction was due to begin this

year and work on the school itself

scheduled for June 2012. Over the next

five years Sonangol expects to train

about 400 Angolan staff at the site in

Sumbe, Kwanza Sul.

No more queuesQueuing for petrol will soon be a

thing of the past, thanks to a cam-

paign by Sonangol to build new filling sta-

tions. During 2010, 24 new posts are

expected to be opened across the coun-

try, of which 14 are already up and running

in the capital Luanda. Sonangol is also

working to reduce the unsafe practice of

people buying petrol in jerry cans to sell

by the side of the road.

NEWSSonangol news briefingA ngola is currently

producing 1.79 millionbarrels of oil per day, but

could increase that to 2 million inthe next two years. That’s ac-cording to Oil Minister José MariaBotelho de Vasconcelos who was the guest of honour at thepetroleum day of Angola’s annualtrade fair FILDA in July.

Botelho de Vasconcelos saidthe Angolan government andother members of Opec (Organi-zation of the Petroleum ExportingCountries) were happy with theprice of oil at between $70 and$80 a barrel, a level which satis-fied producers and consumers.Angola currently has nearly adozen oil blocks in operation andmany more waiting to be explored, but the long-awaitednext auction is not expected until2011.

In the following pages we sur-vey the present and the future ofthe oil industry in Angola. First,we look at Angoflex, the first An-golan company to produce mate-rial for an oil industry project inanother country, in this caseGhana. The project is hopefullythe first of many, and will cementAngola’s importance in the conti-nent. And secondly we investi-gate the excitement surroundingthe possibility of pre-salt riches –undiscovered treasure under Angolan waters.

➔38 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

Oil exhibit

Ch

ico

San

chez

/ep

a/C

orb

is

The past, present and predicted future of An-gola’s oil industry could become the subject ofa new museum. The idea is being developedwith the help of experts from Norway, whichhas had an oil museum for 13 years.

Estevão Pedro, director of international ex-change at the Petroleum Ministry, welcomedthe idea and told Jornal de Angola: “A museumof the dimension that Angola intends to build– of the highest scientific, educational and cul-tural level – will be beneficial for study visitsand comparing the past and present of the oilindustry in Angola. We are in the phase ofidentifying partners and establishing theterms of reference for the project.”

Caribbean fieldsSonangol has signed a memorandum of understanding with Venezuelan state oilcompany Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and Cuban state oil company Cupet to develop oil fields in Venezuela, above. The Migas and Melones Oeste fields are in thestate of Anzoátegui, 23km from the city of El Tigre. It is estimated that the wells willproduce 20,000 barrels per day in the initial phase with a cumulative output over fiveyears of 95 million barrels. PDVSA has a 60 per cent share and Sonangol and Cupeteach have 20 per cent.

A new oil dictionary in Portuguese hasbeen published to help Angolan stu-dents entering the petroleum industry tounderstand the technical terms of thebusiness.

The 635-page reference book wascreated through a partnership betweenSonangol, Portuguese oil services com-pany Partex, Brazilian state oil companyPetrobras and the Brazilian Institute ofOil and Biofuel. It was launched at So-nangol’s headquarters in a ceremonypresided over by Maria Cândida Teixeira,Minister of Higher Education, Scienceand Technology.

Oil Minister José Maria Botelho deVasconcelos, Petrobras Angola manager

Manoel Murilo Silva, and Alfredo Santosand António Pinho of Partex.

Speaking after the launch, Sonangolboard member Fernando Roberto toldUniverso: “This is a partnership of Angola, Portugal and Brazil and the idea was to translate technical language,which is often in English, into Portuguese. It is very difficult to find direct translations for technical termsand this dictionary will make this possible.”

The dictionary, co-authored by EloiFernández y Fernández, Oswaldo A. Pedrosa Júnior and António Correia dePinho, is published by Lexikon and alsoavailable in Portugal and Brazil.

iSto

ckp

ho

to.c

om

Refinery jobsAngola’s new oil refinery will come

into force in 2014 and create more

than 1,000 jobs, according to Oil Minis-

ter José Maria Botelho de Vasconcelos.

The facility in Lobito, currently under

construction, will have a capacity to

process 115,000 barrels of oil per day

(bpd) and greatly reduce Angola’s re-

liance on refined crude. The minister

said it was hoped that the refinery

would eventually produce 200,000 bpd.

Bank lessonsSonangol is supporting a new finan-

cial services academy which was

launched in Angola in July. Academia Mil-

lennium Atlântico is aimed at teaching

people working in the local banking sector

about the Angolan financial system.

Other organisations involved are BPA

(Banco Privado Atlântico) and Banco Mil-

lennium Angola. A number of new laws

have been passed to increase regulation

and improve the operation of Angola’s

banking sector.

Book prize

Pho

tolib

rary

The deadline for Sonangol’sGrand Literature Prize haspassed and 45 entries havebeen submitted from acrossPortuguese-speaking Africa.Fifteen works are from Angola,seven from Mozambique, ninefrom Guinea-Bissau, nine fromCape Verde and five from SãoTomé and Príncipe. The com-petition, which began in 1987,is being run in conjunctionwith the Angolan Writers’Union (UEA) and has a topprize of $50,000. The judgingpanel is made up of Angolanwriters Manuel Muanza andCornélio Caley, CarlosParadona from Mozambique,Francisco Conduto de Pina ofGuinea-Bissau, Cape VerdeanCorsino Fortes and FredericoGustavo dos Anjos from SãoTomé and Príncipe. The winnerwill be announced on February25 next year, Sonangol’s 35thAnniversary.

All clear

SU27.Sonangol News.pp38-39:SU24 7/9/10 19:01 Page 38


PIPELINE TOAngola is now manufacturing oil industry equipment for other African countries ➔

PROSPERITY

Car

los

Mo

co

NEWS

SU27.Angoflex.pp40-45:SU27 18/8/10 18:27 Page 40


PIPELINE TOAngola is now manufacturing oil industry equipment for other African countries ➔

PROSPERITY

Car

los

Mo

co

NEWS


NEWS


ASonangol joint venture has becomethe first Angolan company to supplymaterial for an oil industry project

in another country. Twenty kilometres of flowlines manu-

factured by Angoflex at its spoolbase nearLuanda have been shipped to Ghana wherethey have been used in the Jubilee project,the country’s first deepwater oil develop-ment.

The order, which came in late last yearand was completed on schedule and onbudget, marks an important step forwardin Angola’s manufacturing and exportingcapacity.

Stephane Denoun, Angoflex generalmanager, said: “We are very proud of thisachievement – to manufacture somethingfor the first time for use outside of Angola.It would be fantastic to be able to performmore work for other countries in WestAfrica; there is definitely a market there.”

Track record“In the case of the Jubilee project, the flowlines were initially to come from theUnited States. However Technip, the foreignpartner in Angoflex, decided to entrusttheir fabrication to the Angolan spoolbase,a bold move but justified by the previouspositive track record with Technip.”

Denoun said there was a strong “wish”to win more contracts and that Gabon,Congo and Equatorial Guinea could be potential areas for business.

Angoflex was created in 2002 as a jointventure between Sonangol EP (30 per cent)and French engineering firm Technip (70per cent) with a view to building and oper-ating a factory to produce deepwater steel-tube umbilicals (bundles of tubes, electriccables and optic fibres used to remotelycontrol and operate subsea hardware).

Three years later, the spoolbase atBarra do Dande, 40km north of Luanda,was opened to manufacture pipelines forreel-lay installation (rigid pipes which areliterally bent and wound on a reel beforetheir offshore installation from a ship) fordeepwater oil and gas production systems.

Spanning close to 80 hectares, thespoolbase is the most advanced of its kindin Africa and it was here that the pipes weremade for Ghana’s Jubilee project.

The site’s first contract was for the TotalDália field in Block 17 and involved the pro-duction of 41km of gas and water-injectionpipes and 21km of production flowlines. Onthe back of the success of the Total work,which netted only a 0.7 per cent weld repairrate, came a contract for 53km of plastic-lined injection pipes for BP’s Greater Pluto-nio development in Block 18.

Then came Jubilee, and now Angoflex,having completed Pazflor flowlines for TotalBlock 17, is working on injection lines forBP’s Block 31 which Denoun says should becompleted in the first quarter of 2011.

Base steel tubes measuring either 12 or24 metres are imported from Mexico andBrazil. They arrive at the Dande spoolbaseby ship, are offloaded onto its jetty andtaken on site.

After various operations, includingbevelling, welding and joint coating, thepipe stalks can measure up to 3km inlength. When completed, they are moved toa storage area at the centre of the base, nextto a roller feeding line which will eventuallytake them down to the jetty and back out tosea.

Several times during operations, Tech-nip’s Deep Blue ship moors at Dande readyto take on the pipe stalks so that they canbe transported to the oil and gas develop-ment blocks. The Deep Blue is one of theworld’s largest purpose-built ultra-deepwa-ter pipelay and subsea construction vessels.

Sea viewsOn board are two giant reels onto which thesteel pipes are spooled, a convenient way tocarry great lengths in a small space. Whenthe vessel reaches its destination, it thenunwinds, straightens and lays the rigidflowlines onto the seabed.

As well as the various pipelines, theflowline end terminations (FLET) are alsomanufactured at Dande and there arelonger-term plans to extend the capacity ofthe site.

There are typically more than 400 people working at the spoolbase each day,and a large majority of them live and sleepin the accommodation area.

The base has a large restaurant, a med-ical clinic, a recreation area and, as can beexpected, excellent sea views. Seventy �

We arevery proud ofthis achieve-ment – tomanufacturesomething forthe first timefor use outsideof Angola

“”Stephane Denoun, Angoflex

general manager

Car

los

Mo

co

Car

los

Mo

co

Reel time: theDeep Blue takes

pipes on board


NEWS


ASonangol joint venture has becomethe first Angolan company to supplymaterial for an oil industry project

in another country. Twenty kilometres of flowlines manu-

factured by Angoflex at its spoolbase nearLuanda have been shipped to Ghana wherethey have been used in the Jubilee project,the country’s first deepwater oil develop-ment.

The order, which came in late last yearand was completed on schedule and onbudget, marks an important step forwardin Angola’s manufacturing and exportingcapacity.

Stephane Denoun, Angoflex generalmanager, said: “We are very proud of thisachievement – to manufacture somethingfor the first time for use outside of Angola.It would be fantastic to be able to performmore work for other countries in WestAfrica; there is definitely a market there.”

Track record“In the case of the Jubilee project, the flowlines were initially to come from theUnited States. However Technip, the foreignpartner in Angoflex, decided to entrusttheir fabrication to the Angolan spoolbase,a bold move but justified by the previouspositive track record with Technip.”

Denoun said there was a strong “wish”to win more contracts and that Gabon,Congo and Equatorial Guinea could be potential areas for business.

Angoflex was created in 2002 as a jointventure between Sonangol EP (30 per cent)and French engineering firm Technip (70per cent) with a view to building and oper-ating a factory to produce deepwater steel-tube umbilicals (bundles of tubes, electriccables and optic fibres used to remotelycontrol and operate subsea hardware).

Three years later, the spoolbase atBarra do Dande, 40km north of Luanda,was opened to manufacture pipelines forreel-lay installation (rigid pipes which areliterally bent and wound on a reel beforetheir offshore installation from a ship) fordeepwater oil and gas production systems.

Spanning close to 80 hectares, thespoolbase is the most advanced of its kindin Africa and it was here that the pipes weremade for Ghana’s Jubilee project.

The site’s first contract was for the TotalDália field in Block 17 and involved the pro-duction of 41km of gas and water-injectionpipes and 21km of production flowlines. Onthe back of the success of the Total work,which netted only a 0.7 per cent weld repairrate, came a contract for 53km of plastic-lined injection pipes for BP’s Greater Pluto-nio development in Block 18.

Then came Jubilee, and now Angoflex,having completed Pazflor flowlines for TotalBlock 17, is working on injection lines forBP’s Block 31 which Denoun says should becompleted in the first quarter of 2011.

Base steel tubes measuring either 12 or24 metres are imported from Mexico andBrazil. They arrive at the Dande spoolbaseby ship, are offloaded onto its jetty andtaken on site.

After various operations, includingbevelling, welding and joint coating, thepipe stalks can measure up to 3km inlength. When completed, they are moved toa storage area at the centre of the base, nextto a roller feeding line which will eventuallytake them down to the jetty and back out tosea.

Several times during operations, Tech-nip’s Deep Blue ship moors at Dande readyto take on the pipe stalks so that they canbe transported to the oil and gas develop-ment blocks. The Deep Blue is one of theworld’s largest purpose-built ultra-deepwa-ter pipelay and subsea construction vessels.

Sea viewsOn board are two giant reels onto which thesteel pipes are spooled, a convenient way tocarry great lengths in a small space. Whenthe vessel reaches its destination, it thenunwinds, straightens and lays the rigidflowlines onto the seabed.

As well as the various pipelines, theflowline end terminations (FLET) are alsomanufactured at Dande and there arelonger-term plans to extend the capacity ofthe site.

There are typically more than 400 people working at the spoolbase each day,and a large majority of them live and sleepin the accommodation area.

The base has a large restaurant, a med-ical clinic, a recreation area and, as can beexpected, excellent sea views. Seventy �

We arevery proud ofthis achieve-ment – tomanufacturesomething forthe first timefor use outsideof Angola

“”Stephane Denoun, Angoflex

general manager

Car

los

Mo

co

Car

los

Mo

co

Reel time: theDeep Blue takes

pipes on board


SEPTEMBER 2010 45

NEWS


NEWS

per cent of the Dande workforce popula-tion is Angolan, the rest being made up of anumber of different nationalities, includingFrench, Norwegian, Filipino, Polish, British,American and Indian.

Site manager Philippe Monti said thecontinual aim was to reduce the expatriateheadcount with Angolan staff. “It’s very important to transfer the knowledge and totrain our Angolan workforce,” he said.“Gradually we are filling the positions withAngolan staff. I’m especially pleased to seeso many Angolans working on the weldingstations; nearly the whole team is Angolan.João Felipe Neto Kipoco has

been working at Angoflex’sDande spoolbase since

November.Responsible for cleaning the

pipelines before they are passedthrough the welding station,Kipoco, 27, has undergone varioustraining courses to equip him forthe job.

He is from Luanda and used tohave an office position. Now heworks shifts of 28 days on and 28days off. “It’s a good experience towork here and I like being part ofthis team. We’re doing quality work.Eventually I would like to learn to bea solderer in the welding section”

Honario Eduardo, 25, joinedAngoflex straight from schoolfive years ago and after three

years in logistics is now leading thespoolbase human resources team.

His job involves responsibility foremployment contracts for nationalstaff, checking salary payments anddealing with any other issues. As anAngolan member of staff, he is in thefront line of making sure that the largenumbers of local workers are happy intheir positions. “I really enjoy my workand I would like to continue in humanresources,” he said. Eduardo, is study-ing management and administrationthrough a long-distance course.

A s logistics co-ordinator at theDande spoolbase, it is NorbertoLima’s job to make sure everything

runs smoothly across the 78 hectare site.“I’m overseeing the whole base,” he

said. “That’s everything from the main en-trance gate all the way to the jetty, includ-ing all the transport and accommodation.It’s about making sure everyone is happyand that their needs are being met, but Iwould say safety is the most important el-ement of my work.”

Lima, 39, who studied business admin-istration at the University of the Witwater-srand (Wits) in South Africa, has been at

the company for nearly two years, follow-ing previous administrative roles at Brazil-ian construction giant Odebrecht andCoca-Cola.

He lives on-site for stretches of 15days, returning home to his wife and fourchildren who live in Luanda in between as-signments. “I joined Angoflex because Iwanted to keep moving forward in my ca-reer,” said Lima, who was born in Malanje.

“It’s not always an easy job as we haveup to 600 people a day here to look after,but I feel very proud to be part of this proj-ect and I really enjoy my work.”

Norberto Lima

Honario Eduardo João Felipe NetoJustino Daniel Tube station

“Creating local jobs is also a questionof respect. You cannot just come, do the joband leave; you need to come with the approach to transfer knowledge to peopleso that they can carry on the job afterwardsby themselves and keep this site living foryears. So it’s important that we develop a core of experienced and well trained people.”

With so many people on the base,safety is the top priority. All visitors musttake part in an interactive video presenta-tion and test before being allowed onto thesite and safety gloves, overalls, glasses andhats must be worn at all times in the pro-duction areas.

Earlier in the year, the Angoflex Dandespoolbase underwent a full quality management system audit where the departments were assessed on their man-agement performance, operation perform-ance and all other quality managementrelated areas. The process resulted in thesite being awarded the ISO 9001.

Monti added: “We take quality very seriously on site and we are very proud ofthis achievement.” �

Pict

ure

s: C

arlo

s M

oco

Cargo handler Justino Daniel,45, says he is proud to workfor such a successful Angolan

company. “I used to work in a plas-tics factory in Viana,” he said, “butthis job is better.”

He has been at Angoflex for overa year, having got the job through atraining scheme run by MAPESS(Ministry of Public Administration,Employment and Social Security).

Daniel said he was encouragedthat specialised work was now beingdone inside Angola by local staff.“It’s good for our country that thework which used to be done outsideis now being done here. Now wehave access to knowledge that wedidn’t have before and we’re seeingmore young Angolans working here.”

It is a long and bumpy ride from Luanda to Angoflex’s spoolbase at Barra doDande.

When we arrive, it looks more like an aircraft landing strip than a fabrica-tion yard – a narrow dusty patch of white in the middle of an endless stretch ofbushy mandioca plants.

The first thing you see, once your eyes have adjusted to the brightness ofthe white dust in the sunshine, are the pipes – lots of very long pipes, some upto 3km long, which stretch the length of the access road down to the siteheadquarters.

On one side you have a block of offices and support services and beyondthat the living accommodation and recreational area. At the end, at the bottomof a steep slope, is a long jetty which stretches down to the sea, waiting for itsnext cargo to arrive or depart.

The pipes arrive by ship, then are unloaded and stored in a large storagearea ready for assembling. They are carried by forklift truck to an entry baywhere they are rolled onto a conveyor system. One by one, the pipes are liftedup for their ends to be bevelled and warmed-up ahead of welding. Then theyare inserted into the firing line which takes them to the welding stations – along narrow shed full of sophisticated equipment.

This technology maximises local-labour content compared to other pipelaytechnologies as all welds are done onshore.

From a computer console, an operator propels the pipes along the produc-tion line to a centralising mechanism that joins the pipes’ ends together. Themachine then stops to allow teams of welders to work on the joints.

There are four welding stations along the production line. After welding, thejoints are X-rayed to ensure that the welds are of good quality. Next, the pipesare blasted and heated. Depending on the type of pipe, a layer of paint may besprayed on and plastic tape or some special joint coating applied.

Finally, the finished pipe stalk emerges from the shed and passes through awater jet to cool the joints. It is then moved into a storage area before beingmoved down the jetty to a waiting vessel, which will take it to its offshore des-tination.

Philippe Monti, site manager


SEPTEMBER 2010 45

NEWS


NEWS

per cent of the Dande workforce popula-tion is Angolan, the rest being made up of anumber of different nationalities, includingFrench, Norwegian, Filipino, Polish, British,American and Indian.

Site manager Philippe Monti said thecontinual aim was to reduce the expatriateheadcount with Angolan staff. “It’s very important to transfer the knowledge and totrain our Angolan workforce,” he said.“Gradually we are filling the positions withAngolan staff. I’m especially pleased to seeso many Angolans working on the weldingstations; nearly the whole team is Angolan.João Felipe Neto Kipoco has

been working at Angoflex’sDande spoolbase since

November.Responsible for cleaning the

pipelines before they are passedthrough the welding station,Kipoco, 27, has undergone varioustraining courses to equip him forthe job.

He is from Luanda and used tohave an office position. Now heworks shifts of 28 days on and 28days off. “It’s a good experience towork here and I like being part ofthis team. We’re doing quality work.Eventually I would like to learn to bea solderer in the welding section”

Honario Eduardo, 25, joinedAngoflex straight from schoolfive years ago and after three

years in logistics is now leading thespoolbase human resources team.

His job involves responsibility foremployment contracts for nationalstaff, checking salary payments anddealing with any other issues. As anAngolan member of staff, he is in thefront line of making sure that the largenumbers of local workers are happy intheir positions. “I really enjoy my workand I would like to continue in humanresources,” he said. Eduardo, is study-ing management and administrationthrough a long-distance course.

A s logistics co-ordinator at theDande spoolbase, it is NorbertoLima’s job to make sure everything

runs smoothly across the 78 hectare site.“I’m overseeing the whole base,” he

said. “That’s everything from the main en-trance gate all the way to the jetty, includ-ing all the transport and accommodation.It’s about making sure everyone is happyand that their needs are being met, but Iwould say safety is the most important el-ement of my work.”

Lima, 39, who studied business admin-istration at the University of the Witwater-srand (Wits) in South Africa, has been at

the company for nearly two years, follow-ing previous administrative roles at Brazil-ian construction giant Odebrecht andCoca-Cola.

He lives on-site for stretches of 15days, returning home to his wife and fourchildren who live in Luanda in between as-signments. “I joined Angoflex because Iwanted to keep moving forward in my ca-reer,” said Lima, who was born in Malanje.

“It’s not always an easy job as we haveup to 600 people a day here to look after,but I feel very proud to be part of this proj-ect and I really enjoy my work.”

Norberto Lima

Honario Eduardo João Felipe NetoJustino Daniel Tube station

“Creating local jobs is also a questionof respect. You cannot just come, do the joband leave; you need to come with the approach to transfer knowledge to peopleso that they can carry on the job afterwardsby themselves and keep this site living foryears. So it’s important that we develop a core of experienced and well trained people.”

With so many people on the base,safety is the top priority. All visitors musttake part in an interactive video presenta-tion and test before being allowed onto thesite and safety gloves, overalls, glasses andhats must be worn at all times in the pro-duction areas.

Earlier in the year, the Angoflex Dandespoolbase underwent a full quality management system audit where the departments were assessed on their man-agement performance, operation perform-ance and all other quality managementrelated areas. The process resulted in thesite being awarded the ISO 9001.

Monti added: “We take quality very seriously on site and we are very proud ofthis achievement.” �

Pict

ure

s: C

arlo

s M

oco

Cargo handler Justino Daniel,45, says he is proud to workfor such a successful Angolan

company. “I used to work in a plas-tics factory in Viana,” he said, “butthis job is better.”

He has been at Angoflex for overa year, having got the job through atraining scheme run by MAPESS(Ministry of Public Administration,Employment and Social Security).

Daniel said he was encouragedthat specialised work was now beingdone inside Angola by local staff.“It’s good for our country that thework which used to be done outsideis now being done here. Now wehave access to knowledge that wedidn’t have before and we’re seeingmore young Angolans working here.”

It is a long and bumpy ride from Luanda to Angoflex’s spoolbase at Barra doDande.

When we arrive, it looks more like an aircraft landing strip than a fabrica-tion yard – a narrow dusty patch of white in the middle of an endless stretch ofbushy mandioca plants.

The first thing you see, once your eyes have adjusted to the brightness ofthe white dust in the sunshine, are the pipes – lots of very long pipes, some upto 3km long, which stretch the length of the access road down to the siteheadquarters.

On one side you have a block of offices and support services and beyondthat the living accommodation and recreational area. At the end, at the bottomof a steep slope, is a long jetty which stretches down to the sea, waiting for itsnext cargo to arrive or depart.

The pipes arrive by ship, then are unloaded and stored in a large storagearea ready for assembling. They are carried by forklift truck to an entry baywhere they are rolled onto a conveyor system. One by one, the pipes are liftedup for their ends to be bevelled and warmed-up ahead of welding. Then theyare inserted into the firing line which takes them to the welding stations – along narrow shed full of sophisticated equipment.

This technology maximises local-labour content compared to other pipelaytechnologies as all welds are done onshore.

From a computer console, an operator propels the pipes along the produc-tion line to a centralising mechanism that joins the pipes’ ends together. Themachine then stops to allow teams of welders to work on the joints.

There are four welding stations along the production line. After welding, thejoints are X-rayed to ensure that the welds are of good quality. Next, the pipesare blasted and heated. Depending on the type of pipe, a layer of paint may besprayed on and plastic tape or some special joint coating applied.

Finally, the finished pipe stalk emerges from the shed and passes through awater jet to cool the joints. It is then moved into a storage area before beingmoved down the jetty to a waiting vessel, which will take it to its offshore des-tination.

Philippe Monti, site manager



NEWS

TREASURE

A large amount of undiscovered oil may lie under Angola’s deep-sea salt layer, and exploration companies are getting excited ➔

CELLAR

Terr

y V

ine

IN THE SALT

SU27.Pre-Salt.pp46-49:SU27 18/8/10 18:35 Page 46


NEWS

TREASURE

A large amount of undiscovered oil may lie under Angola’s deep-sea salt layer, and exploration companies are getting excited ➔

CELLARTe

rry

Vin

e

IN THE SALT


In a recent interview, Bjorn Albert Rasmussen, head of Statoil-Hydro in Angola, also acknowledged the huge pre-salt potential inAngola but cautioned: “It carries a very high risk and we have to beaware of that. Just like in Brazil, it will be very costly to drill thesewells.”

The financial risk to which Rasmussen refers is a result of thephysical and engineering challenges. Esso’s Ruffer says that the saltlayers play havoc with seismic instruments used to explore a reser-voir for hydrocarbon oil and gas before drilling. “Because it has thisplastic consistency, it has an irregular surface and tends to deflectthe seismic signals in many directions, making it difficult to imagebeneath the salt layer,” he explains.

Not knowing what is there before you drill when there is ahigher than normal chance that the reservoir could be empty is anexpensive and risky strategy. “When you’re investing $100 millionor more to drill an exploration well, you want to minimise the risksand the unknowns,” says Ruffer.

It is thanks to improved seismic technology creating better im-ages, and more advanced computer systems able to do finer calcu-

lations to improve data quality, that the industry has felt able totake the pre-salt risk.

Only in recent years has technology been available to drill indeep and ultra-deep waters at depths of 2,000 to 3,000 metres,where pre-salt reservoirs are typically found. “Twenty years ago, wewould not have even thought about trying to explore pre-salt, butas technology has evolved it is becoming possible,” says Ruffer.

Angola-based geologist Tako Koning believes Angola’s pre-saltreserves will ensure its future as a leading global oil producer. In apaper he presented last year to the Luanda chapter of the Society ofPetrophysicists and Well Log Analysts, Koning said: “The recentgiant oil discoveries in Brazil in the pre-salt reservoirs, such as Tupiand Jubarte, have major geological and economic implications forthe pre-salt of Angola which in the deepwater has been minimallyevaluated by drilling.

“Accordingly, the favourable geological conditions present inAngola will likely ensure that the country will continue to experi-ence many more discoveries and remain as one of Africa’s major oilproducers for decades to come.” �

How did the salt layer form to create pre- and post-salt oil?

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2010 49

NEWS


Angola and Brazil share a Portuguese colonial heritage and alove of music and dancing. The two countries also have avery similar geological make-up, having once been joined

before the continental drift millions of years ago formed theAtlantic Ocean and the separate continents of South America andAfrica.

In Brazil, it is estimated that there may be between five andeight billion barrels of recoverable oil from below the salt layer –known as pre-salt – in its waters. So attention is naturally turning toAngola, to see if it also has serious undiscovered treasure.

Norway’s StatoilHydro and Brazil’s Petrobras are among thecompanies that have publicly admitted interest in pre-salt explo-ration in Angola, although many more are said to be keen, andSonangol chairman Manuel Vicente has confirmed the companyis preparing a pre-salt strategy.

Discoveries“There is a potential for pre-salt in large areas of Angola and a lotof interest from within the industry,” says Tom Ruffer, geoscience

manager for Esso Angola. “The interest is driven by recent discov-eries made offshore Brazil. We know Brazil and Angola were oncejoined, so the hydrocarbons should be very similar and that hascreated a lot of excitement.”

So what is pre-salt oil? It is oil formed in the same way as nor-mal hydrocarbons by the compression of organic matter at highpressure and temperatures, which is then sealed into a permeablerock creating a reservoir.

During the continental drift between Africa and South Amer-ica, a layer of salt formed and it is the area of hydrocarbons beneaththis which is known as pre-salt or subsalt. Part of the reason for theinterest surrounding pre-salt is the anticipation of significant re-serves which have been totally unexplored in Angola.

Manoel Murilo Silva, general director of Brazilian state-ownedPetrobras in Angola, says his company has long-term plans to ex-plore pre-salt layers in Angola. “Angola has the same geologicalmodel as Brazil. We hope that we have the same successes with pre-salt that we’ve seen in Brazil, and we hope we can bring our expe-riences and technology to Angola.”

There is a potential for pre-salt in large areas ofAngola and a lot of interest from within the industry“ ”Tom Ruffer, Geoscience Manager, Esso Angola

Lou

is B

encz

e

Millions of years ago, the continents of Africa and South America were one land mass, as the illustration on

the left shows. As they split apart to form the two continents, illustrated right, depressions were formed

which created river systems. Over time, water from the open ocean began to flood into these shallow chan-

nels and the liquid evaporated in the sun, leaving a thick layer of salt. This salt layer acted like a seal over

reservoirs of plankton, which at high temperatures and pressure formed oil and gas, and is known as the

pre-salt layer. As the continental drift continued, the process of compressing and burying organic matter

continued, but this time on top of the salt layer, creating what is known as the post-salt layer.

Brazil

Angola


In a recent interview, Bjorn Albert Rasmussen, head of Statoil-Hydro in Angola, also acknowledged the huge pre-salt potential inAngola but cautioned: “It carries a very high risk and we have to beaware of that. Just like in Brazil, it will be very costly to drill thesewells.”

The financial risk to which Rasmussen refers is a result of thephysical and engineering challenges. Esso’s Ruffer says that the saltlayers play havoc with seismic instruments used to explore a reser-voir for hydrocarbon oil and gas before drilling. “Because it has thisplastic consistency, it has an irregular surface and tends to deflectthe seismic signals in many directions, making it difficult to imagebeneath the salt layer,” he explains.

Not knowing what is there before you drill when there is ahigher than normal chance that the reservoir could be empty is anexpensive and risky strategy. “When you’re investing $100 millionor more to drill an exploration well, you want to minimise the risksand the unknowns,” says Ruffer.

It is thanks to improved seismic technology creating better im-ages, and more advanced computer systems able to do finer calcu-

lations to improve data quality, that the industry has felt able totake the pre-salt risk.

Only in recent years has technology been available to drill indeep and ultra-deep waters at depths of 2,000 to 3,000 metres,where pre-salt reservoirs are typically found. “Twenty years ago, wewould not have even thought about trying to explore pre-salt, butas technology has evolved it is becoming possible,” says Ruffer.

Angola-based geologist Tako Koning believes Angola’s pre-saltreserves will ensure its future as a leading global oil producer. In apaper he presented last year to the Luanda chapter of the Society ofPetrophysicists and Well Log Analysts, Koning said: “The recentgiant oil discoveries in Brazil in the pre-salt reservoirs, such as Tupiand Jubarte, have major geological and economic implications forthe pre-salt of Angola which in the deepwater has been minimallyevaluated by drilling.

“Accordingly, the favourable geological conditions present inAngola will likely ensure that the country will continue to experi-ence many more discoveries and remain as one of Africa’s major oilproducers for decades to come.” �

How did the salt layer form to create pre- and post-salt oil?

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2010 49

NEWS


Angola and Brazil share a Portuguese colonial heritage and alove of music and dancing. The two countries also have avery similar geological make-up, having once been joined

before the continental drift millions of years ago formed theAtlantic Ocean and the separate continents of South America andAfrica.

In Brazil, it is estimated that there may be between five andeight billion barrels of recoverable oil from below the salt layer –known as pre-salt – in its waters. So attention is naturally turning toAngola, to see if it also has serious undiscovered treasure.

Norway’s StatoilHydro and Brazil’s Petrobras are among thecompanies that have publicly admitted interest in pre-salt explo-ration in Angola, although many more are said to be keen, andSonangol chairman Manuel Vicente has confirmed the companyis preparing a pre-salt strategy.

Discoveries“There is a potential for pre-salt in large areas of Angola and a lotof interest from within the industry,” says Tom Ruffer, geoscience

manager for Esso Angola. “The interest is driven by recent discov-eries made offshore Brazil. We know Brazil and Angola were oncejoined, so the hydrocarbons should be very similar and that hascreated a lot of excitement.”

So what is pre-salt oil? It is oil formed in the same way as nor-mal hydrocarbons by the compression of organic matter at highpressure and temperatures, which is then sealed into a permeablerock creating a reservoir.

During the continental drift between Africa and South Amer-ica, a layer of salt formed and it is the area of hydrocarbons beneaththis which is known as pre-salt or subsalt. Part of the reason for theinterest surrounding pre-salt is the anticipation of significant re-serves which have been totally unexplored in Angola.

Manoel Murilo Silva, general director of Brazilian state-ownedPetrobras in Angola, says his company has long-term plans to ex-plore pre-salt layers in Angola. “Angola has the same geologicalmodel as Brazil. We hope that we have the same successes with pre-salt that we’ve seen in Brazil, and we hope we can bring our expe-riences and technology to Angola.”

There is a potential for pre-salt in large areas ofAngola and a lot of interest from within the industry“ ”Tom Ruffer, Geoscience Manager, Esso Angola

Lou

is B

encz

e

Millions of years ago, the continents of Africa and South America were one land mass, as the illustration on

the left shows. As they split apart to form the two continents, illustrated right, depressions were formed

which created river systems. Over time, water from the open ocean began to flood into these shallow chan-

nels and the liquid evaporated in the sun, leaving a thick layer of salt. This salt layer acted like a seal over

reservoirs of plankton, which at high temperatures and pressure formed oil and gas, and is known as the

pre-salt layer. As the continental drift continued, the process of compressing and burying organic matter

continued, but this time on top of the salt layer, creating what is known as the post-salt layer.

Brazil

Angola



INSIDE ANGOLAThe Black Rocks of Pungo AndongoRising up majestically from the open plains below, the Black Rocksof Pungo Andongo – known locally as the Pedras Negras de PungoAndongo – are one of the main tourist sites of Malanje province.They are steeped in history and intrigue, since no-one really knowshow the colossal rocks, some up to 200 metres high, came to be hereas their geological formation is out of keeping with the surroundingsavannah.

Legend has it that in the sixteenth century Pungo Andongo wasthe capital of the ancient Kingdom of Ndongo ruled by King NgolaKiluanji and Queen Ginga Mbandi. Rock carvings found there aresaid to represent footprints of the fleeing queen who was disturbedby soldiers as she bathed in a stream at the foot of the stones.

In later years, the Portuguese established a military fort among

the rocks which was notorious in Portugal. Its name was used toscare naughty children, their parents telling them they “would endup in Pungo Andongo” if they misbehaved.

In the 1920s, political prisoners were held at the fort and during Angola’s civil war the rocks were a key battleground betweenopposing forces.

Located around five hours’ drive from Luanda, the PedrasNegras change colour through the seasons as different moss andalgae grow there. Steps up into the rocks lead to astonishing viewsof the surrounding countryside, and watching the sunset over thetop of the stones is breathtaking. The rocks can be reached by 4x4vehicles from the main road, midway between N’dalatando andMalanje, just after the village of Cacuso. �

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

SU27.big picture.pp50-51:SU26 18/8/10 18:29 Page 50


INSIDE ANGOLAThe Black Rocks of Pungo AndongoRising up majestically from the open plains below, the Black Rocksof Pungo Andongo – known locally as the Pedras Negras de PungoAndongo – are one of the main tourist sites of Malanje province.They are steeped in history and intrigue, since no-one really knowshow the colossal rocks, some up to 200 metres high, came to be hereas their geological formation is out of keeping with the surroundingsavannah.

Legend has it that in the sixteenth century Pungo Andongo wasthe capital of the ancient Kingdom of Ndongo ruled by King NgolaKiluanji and Queen Ginga Mbandi. Rock carvings found there aresaid to represent footprints of the fleeing queen who was disturbedby soldiers as she bathed in a stream at the foot of the stones.

In later years, the Portuguese established a military fort among

the rocks which was notorious in Portugal. Its name was used toscare naughty children, their parents telling them they “would endup in Pungo Andongo” if they misbehaved.

In the 1920s, political prisoners were held at the fort and during Angola’s civil war the rocks were a key battleground betweenopposing forces.

Located around five hours’ drive from Luanda, the PedrasNegras change colour through the seasons as different moss andalgae grow there. Steps up into the rocks lead to astonishing viewsof the surrounding countryside, and watching the sunset over thetop of the stones is breathtaking. The rocks can be reached by 4x4vehicles from the main road, midway between N’dalatando andMalanje, just after the village of Cacuso. �

Jose

Silv

a Pi

nto

SU27.big picture.pp50-51:SU26 18/8/10 18:29 Page 50

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E 27 – SEPTEMBER

2010

Universo

INSIDE:oil and gas news

SEPTEMBER 2010

Hello world!Angola at Expo2010 Shanghai

Loan arrangersThe success ofmicrocredit

Take the tubeThe Angolan company making pipes for Africa

SU27-cover:Layout 1 18/8/10 18:26 Page 1

universo27

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