Provinces

Physical, Geographical and Environmental Characterization

Located in the coastal zone, the province has an area of 24,173 Km2, with an altitude ranging between 0-200 meters and about 300 kilometers of coastline. Its relief is hilly and can be divided into three morphological sections: coastal strip, coastal plain and pre-mountainous undulating plateau. From a political-administrative point of view, the province is organized in six counties: Dande, Pango Aluquém, Ambriz, Bula Atumba, Dembos and Nambuangongo. The provincial center is the town of Dande.
The soil, rich in alluvial, is ferralitic and tropical ferralitic, with limestone, black and brown mud. The flora consists of savannahs with shrubs and trees mainly on the coast, with rainforest along the rivers, and dense humid forests in the mountainous areas.

The climate in Bengo falls within a tropical belt with two climatic seasons: a dry and cool period, also called cacimbo, which runs from May through August, and a rainy and hot season in the remaining months. The highest temperatures are registered in the coastal border (with an annual average of 25-6 degrees Celsius).
The province abounds with natural resources which can boost its growth and development. Oil deposits have been found along the sedimentary basin in the regions of Kissama and Ambriz. 25 kilometers from Caxito, there is an extensive zone rich in quartz, asphalt, plaster, dolomite, limestone, and clay.
Several rivers run parallel to the Atlantic: the Sembo, Loge, Onzo, Lifune, Dande and Bengo, most of which are important for the development of specific cultures. The interior contains also numerous ponds with excellent conditions for fish and tourist exploitation. The main irrigable areas are Loge and Dande with more than 10,000 km2, including the last perimeter of Caxite already partly tapped.
The Bengo province has two forest reserves (Kibinda and Kibaxi-Piri) besides the Coutada do Ambriz. These officially protected reserves are important for the preservation of flora and fauna and tourist exploration.

Economic Characterizationn

Agriculture and Fishery

With the exception of the provincial capital, agriculture is, alongside fishing and trade, the main occupation or occupation of labor having more than 1,200,000 hectares of arable land.

The dominant crops are corn, beans, cassava, peanuts, sweet potatoes, vegetables, bananas, coffee, palm trees, citrus fruits and other fruits.

In the past, Bengo was an important producer of coffee, but the current production is insignificant, since the old farms must be renovated.

Sea fishing is practiced mainly in Barra do Dande and Ambriz (in the north), where shellfish such as shrimp and lobsters are important fishing resources. The continental fishery, on the other hand, takes place in the small islands of the rivers Bengo and Ndanji, where the most sought-after African tilapia, locally known as cacusso, lives in the lagoons.

The forest resources with woods worth high commercial values, combined with the enormous tourist potential that can be developed, are other features to emphasize.

Industry, Geology and Mines

The manufacturing sub-sector includes 59 manufacturing units with emphasis on baking, building materials, carpentry and woodworking, electrification, clothing and cleaning.
Bengo’s geological formations contain deposits of mineral resources, from which gypsum, asphalt and phosphates are especially extracted. Salt extraction takes place in the towns of Ambriz and Dande.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

The province has a considerable tourist potential (highlighted by the beach of Pambala in the Libongos), special reserves in Mumbondo, Coutada do Ambriz, Açude, Barra do Dande, and a significant hydrographic network with numerous leisure areas, within walking distance of Luanda. Monuments, sites and festivals make Bengo a touristic attraction center.

The celebrations of Mama Santa Ana, the patron Saint of Caxito, the Lagoons of Ibêndua in Barra do Dande, and the festivals of Caxito, as well as Catholic, Methodist, Kimbanguist and Bom-Deus rituals, are main cultural events celebrated annually in the province. Twelve monuments and historical sites, classified by the Ministry of Culture, carry a great relevance in the counties of Dande and Ambriz.

The hotel network is very weak, despite the tourist potential. In 2012, only the following hotels were licensed: i) two-star hotel ii) two inns. These establishments are mainly concentrated in the province’s headquarters, which has a banking network with 13 branches.
Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport The province of Bengo has airplane landing tracks in the following municipalities: Ambriz, Bula Atumba, Dembos and Nambuangongo. But at the moment, they are not operating.

Energy and Water

The rehabilitation of a medium and low voltage electricity grid in the city of Caxito has been completed. It included connections to 15,000 homes. Work is being done to expand the grid to the outskirts of the city.
The construction of a network for the abstraction, treatment, pipelining and supply of drinking water for Caxito and Porto Quipiri should increase the water production levels from 80 m3/h to 227 m3/h in Caxito, and from 50 to 100 m3/h in Porto-Quipiri. The network should also reach the new residential areas under construction. On one hand, surface-pickup abstraction systems have equipment allowing for everyday water treatment operations. On the other, systems using spring water generally distribute water directly.

Challenges and Opportunities of the Province

Bengo’s proximity to Luanda, the capital of the country and the main focus of the economic dynamism, makes it pivotal. The province functions as a turntable that connects the Provinces of Uíge, Zaire and Luanda, with roads in a reasonable condition.

Furthermore, the province’s population is quite young, with a high percentage old enough to work. A segment of this population has access to education, including higher education in Luanda, and local vocational training.
The proximity to the sea and the exploitation of its resources, the abundance of land for various ends, such as farming, exploitation of pastures, salt and inert industries, sea and continental fishing, are also targets for investors. Livestock production of small animals (ruminants), and production of wood and coal are important activities as well.

Also noteworthy is the marginal path along the coast, which still needs to be rehabilitated, as well as the presence of a maritime port and other military infrastructures of the Navy.

The project to construct a shrimp factory, a mini-hydro dam, and the implantation of a 5000-hectare agro-industrial enterprise in the locality of Loge Grande are also on the map.
The provincial business community already has important players, such as several construction companies (CONDORIL and CAMARGO) and others such as PETROMAR, which has also its own training center and shipyard oil platforms, among other equipment. The executive development programs, which focus on four areas of interest: a mining zone, a livestock farming zone, a factory and a complex, in addition to the structuring projects foreseen by the new National Development Plan 2018-2022, must be noted.
Other investments are planned to promote the economy, thus increasing the consumption market and the outflow towards Luanda. As an example, both IFAD and the United Nations plan to develop a project to promote small-scale fisheries, alongside Government programs for the promotion of industrial fisheries. The executive branch also recommends establishing a back-up base for the LNG Project and the creation of a military base, as well as an Academy of Marines and a Marines Brigade. Also scheduled is the transfer of the naval base of Luanda, the renovation of the Mabubas Dam, the distribution of electricity to other regional municipalities, and the repairing of the road linking Luanda to Soyo.
Tourism, in its cultural, historical, environmental and recreational aspects, for the reasons already described, is another sector worthy of attention. As an example, in Pago Aluquém, there are tourist areas in Bom Jardim, Rio Zenza, Boa Entrada, Ngombe Ya Mukiama and Belo Horizonte.
Some of the main challenges to the development of the province include the fact that its population in relation to its territory remains low; that part of the municipality’s coastal zone is semi-arid and ecologically fragile, with scattered rainfalls; that it needs to reconfigure and modernize existing productive activities for the market, to invest in the factors and production costs and facilitate access to credit and financing, while environmental preservation must be implemented to combat pollution and deforestation.

Demographic Characterization

According to the 2014 Census, the province had 2,231,385 inhabitants - 52 .7% women and 47 .3% men .
The population is very young, with 65 .9% under 25 . The population density (56 inhabitants per km2) is higher than the national average . At the time of the census, the working age population was 49 .4% and the population over 65 was only 2 .6% .

Education and Vocational Training

The high percentage of young people explains the great pressure on the educa- tion sector . Although Benguela has 1,278 schools, the sector is confronted with a lack of infrastructure (schools, libraries, media libraries, sports grounds) and qualified personnel, despite the efforts the Central and Provincial Governments made in recent years .

There are several mid-level establishments, of which the Agrarian Middle Institute is the most outstanding .

The province has a public university (Katyavala Bwila University) and five private universities (Catholic University of Angola, Universidade Lusíada, Jean Piaget Institute, Benguela Higher Polytechnic Institute and Instituto Superior Maravilha), which together offer a wide variety of courses such as business management, economics, law, international relations, psychology, various engineering, phar- macy, among others .

Health

In recent years there have been improvements in health care, mainly through the government rehabilitation programs and the construction of new health units .
The health network includes 933 public and private health units, with three general hospitals, three county reference hospitals, the National Ophthalmological Center and facilities of main private health groups .

Media

The province has fixed, mobile and internet service in all the municipalities and communes, although in many places the service is intermittent or weak . The province is also linked to the national fiber

Optic network that has brought substantial

Improvement in fixed-line, cable television and internet services .

The Public Television of Angola and the National Radio of Angola broadcast over most of the territory, and those with access to cable television also have a varied offer of thematic and international channels .

Economic Characterization

Benguela is one of the most important and dynamic provinces in Angola from the economic point of view . It has the second largest industrial park, after Luanda, and has an important fishing sector, with a long tradition in the province . Agriculture and trade are also important and historical activities . The existence of the Lobito harbor and the Benguela Railway are also factors that boost economic growth and development in the region .

Its natural beauty, history and culture make Benguela one of the provinces of Angola with the greatest potential in the tourism sector .

Agriculture and Fishery

Agriculture has a high potential thanks to the favorable soil, climate diversity and water resources . Nonetheless, farming is characterized by a predominantly traditional and familiar activity with minimal business components . The main crops are corn (63% of cultivated area), beans (8%), cassava (6%), vegetables (6%), bananas (5%), peanuts and others such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, soybeans and other fruits . The sector’s main constraints are the difficulties of access to inputs and their price, mechanization, technical assistance and product disposal, which open up good investment and business opportunities .

In spite of being heavily affected by the civil war period, livestock farming enjoys favorable conditions in the province due to the fact that part of the territory is included in an area known as “sweet and mixed pasture zones,” which offer high quality grazing . The main animals raised in the province are cattle, goats, pigs and poultry . Some breeders have good bovine herds thanks to the acquisition of well-bred animals in Namibia and Brazil and the good management of their enterprises .
Fishing is one of the main economic activities of the province . Coastal waters have large quantities of quality fish, which makes Benguela the second largest province in the production and distribution of fish and fish products . The industrial sector is heavily deployed, especially in Farta Bay, and yet, the sector needs new players and investment to bring modernization and new life . Another business opportunity in the sector is the naval industry and other services complementary to fishing activity .

Industry, Geology and Mines

The province’s industrial production has grown considerably in recent years with various food industries (beer, mineral water, juice, baking), the production of plastic containers and tanks, mattresses, sawmills and oil industry accessory pro- viders . The Industrial Development Center of Catumbela is an infrastructure to boost the development of the industrial park, but it needs to improve basic conditions, which may also be a business opportunity .
Benguela has large reserves of quality ornamental stones such as granite and imestone . It also has an economic potential with copper, silver, uranium and table water, but a study is necessary for the survey, identification and mapping of all the mineral resources of the province .

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

The province has an important history as a tourist destination and great potential, firstly for its beautiful coast and beaches, some of them in a practically virgin state, which makes it a privileged destination for sandy beach and water sports . The province also has a long tradition of sport fishing that opens up another business opportunity in the sector . Also, its beautiful interior landscapes, including the Chimalavela Park, make Benguela a destination for nature lovers . Associated with all this, there is a great historical and architectural heritage .

Benguela has a reasonable hotel and catering infrastructure with some high quality hotels and restaurants . Nevertheless, the development that the sector needs, combined with its potential, makes hospitality and catering a great business opportunity that any investor should consider .
Its privileged geographical location, associated with the existence of the Lobito harbor and the Benguela Railroad, makes the province a commercial place, with the potential to become an important logistics platform for supplying other areas of the country and even a port for exports . The province has a reasonable com- mercial network, but the informal sector still has a great weight .

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

A major investment has been made in recent years in the province’s road infra- structure with the rehabilitation of main and secondary roads . However, they quickly degraded . At present some inter-municipal roads linking Benguela to neighboring provinces and Luanda are in poor condition, and rehabilitation and conservation works are ongoing .

The province has an international airport in Catumbela, with regular flights to and from Luanda . Road transportation is also regularly and acceptably provided by private operators, whether on inter-municipal or interprovincial routes .

The Benguela Railroad, the only railroad link from Southern Africa to the Atlantic, passing through the central and eastern provinces of Angola, also provides an important means of transporting people and goods .

Energy and Water

The Lomaum dam with a power of 50 MW is manifestly insufficient to meet the needs of the province . So the energy supply is essentially made through thermal and diesel plants or groups of generators installed in municipal and commu- nal venues . The installed capacity amounts to 158 MW . Nevertheless, an energy deficit persists and must be reversed through investments in the production and distribution network . The focus on renewable energies might be a good solution to the energy deficit and prove to be a business opportunity .
There are still difficulties in the access to drinking water, however the situation has been improving as a result of investments the government made in the sec- tor . The supply is mainly through home connections (urban areas) and fountains, community systems, etc . in rural areas .

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

A province declared the second urban agglomeration of the country, with an intercontinental (port and airport) and African (railway) internationalization plat- form, a heavy industrial concentration center (shipbuilding, metallurgy, cement, refinery) for markets in the south of the country and neighboring countries, and transport and logistics activities, a recovered and dynamic agro-livestock sector capable of inducing agro-industry growth, a developing fishing sector and strong investment in the tourism sector . Qualified urban development, concentrating on advanced service offering directed to the southern region, with urban expansion areas ordered and integrated through an effective public transport system, ensuring the population’s widespread access to essential services .

Strategic Priorities

• Acceleration of the industrialization process underway in the province, with emphasis on:

- Heavy industry (shipbuilding, metallurgy, cement, refinery, etc .), taking advantage of the articulation of infrastructures and port and rail services and boosting the investments already made .
- Development of the Lobito and Catumbela Industrial hubs and reinforce- ment of logistic activities to support the development of import / export activities and supply of the great urban concentration: development of the Benguela, Cubal and Baía Farta industrial estates (agro-industries, fish derivatives and oil and gas derivatives) .

• Development of logistics and transport activities, including training activities, based on port, airport and railway .

• Exploitation of mining, through the development of downstream and export activities, and the extraction of salt .

• Recovery of the agricultural and livestock sector (coffee, cotton, horticulture, cereals), aiming at increasing agricultural production in a logic of diversification of the economy, the consolidation of agro business and the increase of household income, contributing to job creation and food self-sufficiency .

• Appreciation of fishing activities that represent an important component of the current productive structure, especially in Lobito, Benguela and Baía Farta, with potential for development of an important local fishery cluster .

• Development of a strong tourism sector, making the province a national, regional and international reference destination in the coastal and hunting areas .

• Appreciation of human resources, promoting access to basic education for the whole school-age population, qualification of the working population and the development of scientific research and advanced service activities .

Physical, Geographic and Environmental Characteristics

Bié has the particularity of confining seven provinces: Cuanza Sul (to the north- west), Huambo (to the west), Huíla (to the southwest), Cuando Cubango (to the south), Moxico (to the east), Lunda Sul (to the northeast), and Malange (to the north) .

Its territory covers an area of 70,314 km2, and from an administrative point of view, the province is divided into nine municipalities: Cunhinga, Nharéa, Catabola, Camacupa, Chinguar, Andulo, Cuito, Cuemba and Tchitembo .

The western part of the territory of the province integrates the well-known Central Plateau, with an average altitude superior to 1,000 meters . To the east and south, the altitudes are slightly lower . It presents a tropical climate of altitude or hot temperate, with average annual temperatures of 19º to 20º C . The annual rainfall varies between 1,100 mm (north of Catabola) and 1,400 mm (Andulo and Nharéa), translating into an overall average of 1,200 mm, with a decrease towards the south . The rainy season occurs from October to April, with the dry season from May to September .

A considerable part of the territory is occupied by open forest and savannah . The primitive vegetal canopy of the region is much altered in the zones exposed to culture, predominating the open forest (panda forest) and savannah with bushes .

60% of its area is arable land . There is a diversity of soils, namely: ferralitic (on land at the highest altitude and requiring acidity correction to increase agricul- tural aptitude), paraferralitic (in sloping foothills and higher agricultural aptitude), hydromorphic (in areas of low poorly drained but prone to rice fields since subject to drainage) and psamitic, predominant to the south and east .

Bié has areas for protection of fauna and flora: the Luando reserve, the Umpulo reserve, though the creation of the Malengue reserve has yet to be approved . The first is one of the most important national protected areas, since it shelters the habitat of the giant sable Antelope . The reserve is mainly in the province of Malanje, but in Bié, it covers about 2 000 km2 in the municipality of Camacupa between the rivers Luasso and Luando .

The province is served by an important hydrographic basin constituted by the river Cuanza, the largest of Angola and takes its source in the province . Its tributaries Cutato, Luando, Cunhinga, Cunje, Cuquema and Cuiva, suggest it be used only for small irrigation systems in accordance with soil conditions . The Cuchi river, which feeds the Cubango, also springs from Bié . This considerable number of rivers gives the region enormous hydroelectric potential .

Economic Characterization

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery

The estimated cultivated area in 2016 was over 700,000 hectares, more than 90% linked to family farmers. In 2012 it was only 300,000 hectares.

Corn is by far the main crop, occupying more than 50% of the area cultivated, followed by beans with almost 25%. The other crops include peanuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, potatoes, vegetables, fruit trees (including pineapples, bananas and strawberries, here in descending order of importance for their cultivated area), and soybeans, rice, sorghum and millet. After years of neglect, Arabica coffee is now receiving more attention and represents a high potential for growth.

A World Bank financed project to support the production and marketing of the main crops of around 40,000 family farmers is underway.

Climatic and soil conditions favor the development of livestock. According to data for 2014, the livestock population was around 2.4 million, with special focus on poultry, pigs, goats and cattle.

Climatic conditions and water resources favor inland fisheries and aquaculture, but these activities are still under-developed and represent important business opportunities to be explored.

Industry, Geology and Mines

The potential of the Bié Province in terms of its mineral resources is high, with a wide variety of rocks and minerals, such as limestone, clays, granites, diamonds, iron, magnetite and quartz.

The diamond sector is one of the main focuses of attracting investment. As business exploitation has not yet been implemented, business opportunities must be taken into account.

At present, the industrial park is still in development and requires infrastructures, particularly for energy, water, transportation and logistics. In 2012, the existing industrial sector was made up of 204 small businesses.

The main sectors of industrial activity are agriculture and construction, with emphasis on micro-mills, which represent about 50% of the identified companies. Inert material and rock exploitation industries, especially those dealing with limestone, granite, sandstone, basalt and sand is worth mentioning.

It is important to highlight the high potential of the municipality of Andulo, having created the project of the Calucinga Agro-Industrial Center. In 2017, the center already had 29 companies dedicated to diverse production activities.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

The tourism sector is still at an embryonic stage. The hotel offering is minimal and concentrated in the city of Cuito.

One of the sector’s development strategies is to encourage private investment in the hotel and restaurant sectors. There are ongoing private investment initiatives that will enhance the existing hotel and tourist offer, with special emphasis on the tourist complexes of Chicava and Novo Horizonte.

Forty-two tourist interest centers have been identified on the basis of a diversified ethnological and cultural heritage. Being located in the center of Angola represents, in itself, a reason for the promotion of tourism in the region.

Commercial activity in Bié has a high potential for growth because of a number of factors, such as the rehabilitation of the road and the Benguela Railway (CFB) – linking the region to Lobito harbor and the border with the DRC and Zambia – and the installation of infrastructures for rural markets and logistics component. In 2014, there were 3,148 commercial licenses in the province.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

In recent years major investments have been made in the province’s road infrastructure, and the main roads allow for movement within the province and connection to neighboring provinces and Luanda. However, investments in the rehabilitation of the network of secondary and tertiary roads and support maintenance are required, so that the repaired roads do not degrade again.

The CFB railroad is very important to the regional economy, the backbone of the transportation system of Angola’s central region and its cross-border connection. It is a strategic investment that connects the harbor of Lobito and the mining regions of the Congo and Zambia, via the Benguela-Huambo-Bié-Moxico rail network, with all the economic potential this entails.

The regular interprovincial road connections between Cuito and the other municipalities of Bié require more investments and operators, which is a business to explore.
The province has a redeveloped airport with regular connections to Luanda.

Energy and Water

Efforts have been made to rehabilitate the basic infrastructures of the sector, with emphasis on electricity production, transport and distribution systems. The current energy sources of the province are thermal and provided by the Cuito Power Station and the municipal and communal generator groups.
Strengthening and completing the connections between the Northern and Central Systems, and the transport lines ensuring the connection with the potential water resources for the province, also present interesting investment opportunities.
The coverage rate of water distribution in the Province is estimated at 32%, especially in urban areas. The Government intends to continue investing in this sector, so the construction, management and maintenance of water systems is another investment opportunity.

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

A region in the process of inclusive economic growth, taking advantage of natural resources and integration in the Benguela-Luau axis, with a growing small-scale farming and an entrepreneurial agriculture under development, revitalizing an agro-livestock sector oriented towards the internal market (production of vegetable and animal protein, coffee, wood). The effort to qualify human resources, urban development and infrastructures in progress enables other activities to be expanded, with emphasis on the agro-livestock industries, the reorganization of extractive activities, the logistic activities associated with the CFB and tourist resources and the promotion of related activities, the modernization of economic activities in rural areas (forestry, apiculture, inland fisheries) and the consolidation of the Cuíto-Cunje urban-industrial area.

Strategic Priorities

• Harnessing the high agricultural potential, developing a provincial cluster of agro-industries, promoting increased income from family agriculture and business agriculture.

• Qualification of human and institutional capital to support development, promoting the access of all children to basic education, increasing the educational levels of the population and institutional capacity building.

• Promotion of entrepreneurship and self-employment supported by a coherent vocational training program aimed at business development in key sectors for the province’s economic growth and productive diversification as a way of fighting unemployment, liberated by the modernization of agriculture and promoted by social inclusion.

• Strengthening the urban functions of the provincial capital and promoting the quality of life in urban areas by improving energy, water and sanitation infrastructures, housing conditions, streets and urban spaces, and strengthening social facilities, such as supporting the establishment and attraction of population and activities.

• Development of rural areas through widespread access to essential services (drinking water, energy, health and education), improvement of accessibility and integration of economic activities in a market logic.

• Improvement of accessibility: implementation of road links, namely to Malanje, Moxico, Cuanza-Sul and Huíla, as well as connections between the municipal headquarters and the communes; increased frequency of rail transportation, connection to the Moçamedes Railway (CFM) via Cuando-Cubango and connection to the Luanda Railroad (CFL) in the province of Malanje.

Economic Characterization

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery

Some 64% of the territory is made up of potentially arable land, giving the region a good foundation in the field of agricultural production. This activity has a high development potential.

The province’s main products are, in descending order of cultivated area, manioc (more than 30%), sweet potatoes (18%), peanuts (18%), bananas (12%), beans (10%), and to a lesser extent, corn, tropical fruit trees, vegetables and coffee. This culture, along with cocoa and palm trees now has Government support for their promotion through small family farms.

Overall, agricultural production is rudimentary, with a low productivity, given the lack of functional systems of technical assistance and commercial outlets and storage. Recently, the African Development Bank has approved the financing of a $100 million small-owner project that could bring enormous changes to the province’s productive and economic situation.

With government support, whether in terms of poultry, animal-feed mills, slaughterhouses and refrigeration, or as in technical training, poultry farming should emerge as an important development sector for the province.
Fishing activity is still artisanal and has great development potential in all segments, including aquaculture. The province has a privileged water situation, abundant fishing resources and a satisfactory environmental condition.

Investment in the revitalization of business support facilities such as cold storage complexes, fishing centers and ice plants is an important development factor. The construction of fishing terminals and the modernization of the fleet are also essential.

Industry, Geology and Mines

The provincial industrial park is small. Apart from oil, the largest industries include beer production, water bottling, ceramics and some oil-production support industries. Recently some plants have been built or are under construction (for soap, metal plates, palm oil and mills).

The modernization of small local industries, including the processing of agricultural products for which the region has competitive advantages, is an excellent business opportunity.

The installation of the industrial hub of Fútila, allowing the emergence of medium- sized industrial activities, should be seen through the same angle.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Given the province’s specificities, especially in terms of the floating population, the hotel industry is very relevant. However, it is still underdeveloped in regard to the quality and diversity of the services offered.

In 2013, Cabinda had four hotels, five tourist complexes and a handful of B&Bs and inns. Considering the oil activity in the province and its tourist potential, this sector, along with catering, offers an excellent business opportunity.

In terms of tourism, the cultural dynamism of the province and its population, with the existence of various cultural associations, dance groups, etc., should be mentioned. There are also important historical sites that, with the recently reclassified Provincial Museum, give the province a relevant potential for historical- cultural tourism. The Maiombe Forest offers delights for nature tourists.
The inland forest areas, presided by the Maiombe Forest, with its lagoons, rivers, and diversity of fauna and flora, give the province significant potential in terms of nature tourism. The coast still offers beautiful beaches.

Border trade is of enormous importance, even though it is somewhat informal. Executives’ concern to formalize this activity should view it as another important business opportunity.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

The province’s road network covers around 1,250 km, of which 501 km are paved. All the municipalities and communes, as well as the main villages, have paved access, the majority in good condition. The national roads interconnect the capitals of the municipalities and the border communes. However, the coverage of the road network is still insufficient, with weaknesses at the secondary and tertiary level.

The Cabinda harbor is one of the most important infrastructures, despite some physical and technical limitations. Cabinda depends mainly on the port to carry out the commercial exchanges essential for its development, including with the rest of Angola. A new multimillion dollar port is under construction at Caio. It will allow operations with larger ships and increase capacity.

Cabinda airport was expanded and modernized in 2017. It offers a good infrastructure and support for air navigation and regular connections to Luanda.

Urban public transportation is concentrated in the city of Cabinda, where the collective taxi service basically handles it. There are road links between the capital city and the headquarters of the municipalities and their communes, and direct lines between Cabinda and some communities in other municipalities.

Energy and Water

Energy supply is continuous in the municipalities located along the Cabinda- Lândana road, guaranteed by the 70 MW Malongo Power Plant.
Also underway is the Hyundai Project, which consists of the construction of two 40 MW power plants, and the about-to-be-completed 30 MW Chibodo thermal power station and the groundwork for the installation of a second 10 MW thermal power station in Santa Catarina.

Access to drinking water is a reality only in urban centers. Outside these, the supply is from the rivers and lagoons. National programs are underway to improve access to drinking water. Investments mainly aim to expand the means of capture, treatment and distribution.

Demographic Characterization

According to the 2014 Census, the province had 534,002 inhabitants. It is one of the provinces with a lower population density, with only 2.7 inhabitants per km2. The population is predominantly female (51.2%), the percentage of young people (under 25) is high at 66.1%, and the active population is 50.8%. Only 2.8% of the population is over 65.

Education and Vocational Training

In 2008, there were about 72 primary and secondary schools in the province. Five years later, Cuando Cubango had 164 new schools, including an Agrarian Institute and an Institute of Nursing. Despite this development and improvement of conditions, the province still faces infrastructure difficulties and a shortage of qualified personnel. The extremely low population density also poses major challenges for the sector in the search for solutions to bring education services to the most isolated communities.

The creation of the Polytechnic School integrated in the Mandume Ya Ndemufayo University and later the University of Cuito Cuanavale, which also serves the neighboring province of Cunene, represents an important step towards the creation of human capital, a key condition for development. Higher education offers courses in engineering, technology, health, hospitality and tourism, among others.

Health

There has been a lot of progress in recent years in this sector. The health network is composed of 86 operational health units, including six hospitals, 10 health centers and 70 health posts. These health units are supported by 37 doctors.
The use of new technologies offers new opportunities, as the improvement of telecommunications strengthens telemedicine, which will certainly attract private investors in health care, as is the case in provinces with a higher rate of development.

Media

In this area, the province needs more investment. Telephone communication is available to only about 14% of the population. Radio still predominates over TV and the use of the Internet is extremely limited, mainly to the capital city of the province.
In addition to the expected arrival of the national fiber optic network, better coverage by operators is anticipated because, with tourism, communication traffic will be much higher.

Economic Characterization

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery

These activities are still predominantly family and self-sufficiency oriented and employ the majority of the active population (about 80%). The estimated cultivated area totals more than 127,000 hectares, with great diversity of cultivation, including (in descending order) corn (about 30%), sorghum (17%), peanuts (11%), manioc (6%), beans (4%), bananas (4%) and sweet potatoes (3%), among others. Agricultural activity is more relevant in the northwest due to soil quality and relatively higher population density. Only on the border with neighboring Namibia can one speak more properly of a market-oriented production.

Given the province’s location and a network of roads and transportation that still needs further development, there are no agro-industries or product outlets. The provision of supplies is thus still incipient. Still, it is worth mentioning the existence of about two dozen entrepreneurial exploitations, where there is a certain degree of mechanization and modernity of productive processes.

An important factor that enhances the development of this sector is the fact that the province is rich in water resources. Its geomorphology allows easy mechanization and the implementation of irrigation systems. Forest is widespread throughout the province and is rich in valuable species. This is another area of potential investment.

Rudimentary beekeeping is widely practiced by the population as a complementary activity, resulting in wax and honey, which is widely used in the production of the mead beverage that is marketed. The production of oil from mangongo wild fruit is another activity that results from silviculture. Livestock farming is carried out with special emphasis in the south and is mainly family oriented.

Continental fishing has special relevance in the watershed of the Cubango river, where it has been practiced since ancient times. The main species caught are catfish, cacusso, freshwater sardines, mukunga and mullet.

Industry, Geology and Mines

Despite the abundance of raw materials in the province, commercial and industrial activity is still incipient. In the case of the industry, in 2013 there were around a hundred operational units, mostly small and based in Menongue.

This framework means that there is a high potential for business expansion, as there is space for all kinds of commercial and industrial activities, boosted by the remarkable increase in tourism in the region.

A project to produce iron ore with biomass as fuel is also underway. The potential of Cuando Cubango in terms of mineral resources is also well known. This area might even constitute one of the main factors of development of the province, as there is a high level of national know-how in terms of geology and mines and the Menongue logistic platform is an important support. By 2013, eight inert material prospection companies (copper, gravel and sand) were licensed and operating. PLANAGEO, a study of the country’s mineral potentialities, may reveal the mining potential of the province more accurately.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Cuando Cubango has a very important natural heritage that has survived the war and sanctuaries with diverse and abundant fauna.
The extension of open spaces, exotic landscapes resulting from the combination of river basins, closed forests and desert areas, forest reserves and, above all, fauna, confer a higher potential for nature tourist attraction than any other province.
The inclusion of Cuando Cubango in the international initiative Transboundary Kavango Zambezi Area (ATFC KAZA), commonly known as KAZA, is another very important catalyzing factor for tourism in the region. This area, covering 440,000 square kilometers, focuses on the potential of the Cubango (Cavango or Okavango) and Zambezi rivers, especially in the areas of wildlife and associated tourism. The Okavango Tourist Development Center was created with this focus in mind. Also, with regard to future tourist development, the existence of airports, such as the ones of Menongue and Cuito Cuanavale, is extremely important as they provide a gateway to the international tourism to be attracted by the KAZA initiative. The attractiveness of Cuito Canavale, the scene of the decisive battle between the Angolan and South African apartheid forces, which led to Namibia’s independence and political change in Mandela’s country, should also contribute to tourism.

Trade is incipient and predominantly informal and dedicated to the trade of food and clothing. However, public investments made in recent years have given rise to an important logistics platform in Menongue, which will boost the creation of more business units around the provincial capital.

Furthermore, the geographical proximity to an important export market from neighboring countries, boosted by existing cross-border trade, is another attractive factor for entrepreneurs, who will be able to take more advantage of the benefits offered by the Walvis Bay Corridor.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

The province’s main road network covers around 4,000 kilometers. In 2013, about one-fifth was undergoing repair. In areas bordering Namibia, communication routes are hampered by the Cubango River.
The overland connection with Menongue is preferably by way of the city of Cuito and the Katwitwi border, a result of the development of the neighboring country and the opening of the Walvis Bay corridor.

This activity recently increased with the creation of the logistic platform bases of Menongue. A broad transport market might be created around this platform, of which private initiative should take advantage.

The opening of new roads and the repair and improvement of those existing is not a particularly demanding task, as the geomorphology of the region does not present many difficulties. As far as the railroad is concerned, some 907 km of railroad track have been built, giving freer movement to people and goods along this route.

The province has a recently redeveloped airport that offers regular connections between the provincial capital and Luanda and, of a non-commercial nature, to the historic village of Cuito Canavale.

Physical, Geographic and Environmental Characteristics

The province of Cuanza Norte is located to the north-central region of the country and borders the provinces of Uíge to the north, Bengo to the west and southwest, Cuanza Sul to the south, and Malanje to the east. It occupies an area of about 19,500 km2 and its administration is organized in ten counties: Cazengo, Ambaca, Banga, Bolongongo, Cambambe, Golungo Alto, Lucala, Ngonguembo, Quiculungo and Samba Cajú. The city of Ndalatando, in the municipality of Cazengo, is the province civic center.

The county of Cambambe is the largest, with an area of 5,032 km2. Its communal center, Dondo, stands out for its economic capacity linked to energy and industrial production. The county has a population density of 11.48 inhabitants per km2.

The relief of the province is quite rugged, and several important rivers cross its territory. Among the most outstanding are the Lucala, the Cuanza and the Bengo, which define major hydrographic basins.

The climate is varied: subhumid dry and rainy and subhumid humid. Equally varied are the soils, between “aridic tropical”, “tropical fersialitic”, “paraferralitic” and “ferralitic.” The landscape includes several floristic complexes, corresponding to distinct ecological zones, of which the “forestous bushes and wooded savannah” in the south and southeast along the river Cuanza (county of Cambambe), the “dense rainforest” in most of the territory and the “Plateau de Camabatela” (county of Camabatela) stand out. In Golungo Alto, in the town of Cerca, there is a large forest reserve of approximately 600 km2.

The Cuanza river, the largest in Angola (about 960 kilometers), bathing the city of Dondo and feeding the dams of Cambambe in the province of North Cuanza and those of Lauca and Capanda in Malanje, is navigable from the city of Dondo to the mouth, in the south of Luanda.

In the south and southeast (country of Cambambe) there is a significant number of lagoons with a clear potential for fishing and fish farming.

Demographic Characterization

According to the Census of 2014, the province had 443,386 inhabitants, 217,060 (49%) men and 226,326 (51%) women. Of the overall population, the majority (68%) resided in urban areas.

The province of Cuanza Norte has a population density of 22.7 inhabitants per km2 and an active (old enough to work) population of 48.6%. The population is the youngest in the country, with an average age of less than 20, and a temporal evolution tending towards greater rejuvenation.

Education and Vocational Training

The population’s demand for education is quite high. The sector has been improving in recent years as a result of the implementation of specific development programs, managed at central, provincial and municipal levels, which resulted in investments in infrastructure constructions. These include the constructions of primary schools in all municipalities, secondary institutes in Lucala and Quiculungo, the secondary agrarian Institute in the county of Cazengo, and the Polytechnic School of Cazengo, among other interventions.

According to the latest available data, for the period 2007-2012, the school success rate was around 73%. However, classrooms still have an average number of students higher than the required number.

Health

Since 2002, there has been an increase and improvement in the availability of basic social services in the province, as well as efforts towards the development and health programs in the county.

The province has 128 health facilities, most of which are health offices and centers. It is also equipped with a maternity and a materno-infantil specialized hospital. In total there are ten hospitals in the province, eight of which are municipal. The health network has been gradually improved through the modernization of the provincial hospital and the construction of 22 health centers.

Media

Cuanza Norte is equipped with fixed and mobile lines of telecommunications. Although total coverage of the province is not guaranteed, the growth of its use is worth noting.

Economic Characterization

According to the available data, 911 companies were registered in 2011. The tertiary sector – mainly trade, but also transport, vehicle repair, catering and hospitality – is the most represented, accounting for about 81% of the existing businesses (2011). In that year, the manufacturing industry accounted for only 8% of businesses.

Agriculture and Fishery

The province’s economy essentially relies on agro-livestock and forestry. In fact, the agricultural sector, which includes livestock farming and the exploitation of forests, is responsible for the most employment.

The province produces cereals (mainly corn and rice), roots and tubers (cassava, sweet and regular potatoes), legumes and oilseeds (beans, peanuts and soya), various fruits (bananas, citrus fruits and pineapples) and vegetables (onion, tomato, cabbage, carrot and pepper). The main crops, in order of their importance per cultivated area, are cassava—absolutely in first place—peanuts, beans, corn and sweet potatoes.

During the colonial period, coffee was economically the most important agricultural product. At present, the coffee sector has 3,446 family coffee growers with about 97 business-type farms for a total area of 32,419 hectares. Associated with the coffee culture, the plantation of palmar takes place from imported hybrid plants and seeds of high yield potential.

Before the war (in the 1970s) a livestock development project was underway to take advantage of the conditions of the plateau of Camabatela, and an industrial slaughterhouse was built to this end. The Government has recently built a new slaughterhouse with a slaughtering capacity of 250 animals per day, while promoting animal repopulation using Spanish funding.

Fishing is practiced in the province’s rivers and lagoons, under artisanal methods, and has significant economic and social importance, particularly in Cambambe, where the commercialization is done in the form of fresh, scaled, dry or smoked products. Much of the fish is drained to Luanda. The most fished species are the local tilapia (cacusso), catfish (much appreciated by the population) and the moon fish (mussolo).
There are areas with potential for aquaculture, such as in Lucala, Banga, Ambaca and Cambambe, in addition to a Breeding Center in Cambambe for supplying species.
The sector is under the supervision of the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture, and Rural Development and Fisheries. Some private companies provide services to the agrarian sector, with special emphasis on the mechanized preparation of lands (Tecnagri and Mecangol) and others dedicated to the sale of seeds, fertilizers, equipment and tools (ANGOPRI, Hortojardim, AGRIPEST and EDUSA).

Industry, Geology and Mines

The industrial domain has still little relevance. According to the National Statistics Institute, in 2011, 45 manufacturing companies were active in the province1. The same year, the value added of this industry was around US $ 18 million for a total provincial GDP of US $ 384 million, though the present value is significantly higher. The main industries are beverages (beer in Cambambe, and mineral water in Cazengo), industrial slaughterhouse (Camabatela), mills (manioc and corn flours) and baking.
A textile factory financed by the government of Japan has recently been renovated in Dondo-Cambambe, but it has not yet started operations. A motorcycle assembly unit is still waiting for operation.
The Government has set up the creation of an industrial center in Lucala, in order to take advantage of the power transformation unit from the Capanda and Lauca hydroelectric power plants, which though still lacking infrastructure, nevertheless represents a good opportunity investment. Currently there is only one plastic factory in the industrial community.
Given its location and the possibility of access to electrical energy (at proximity to three hydroelectric dams – Cambambe, Capanda and Lauca – with another one under construction), Northern Cuanza has the conditions for a stable agro-industrial development, and also entrepreneurial ventures, aimed at providing services to the population.

The mining sector represents, for its potential alone, one of the main strategic areas of the national economy. In Cuanza Norte, the presence of iron, manganese, copper, gold, ornamental rocks, quartz, asphalt and talcum is no secret. The Cassala Quitungo has important deposits, with proven reserves estimated at more than 300,000,000 tons of iron ore, and about 5,000,000 tons of manganese. There is data on the placement of copper in the Serra do Banga and gold in Massangano, Serra do Banga, and in Gonguembo. There is also marble located in Quixico, Cacolombo and Zanga, as well as some granite formations to use as ornamental stones. Finally, there are inert materials, essential for the construction industry.

Challenges and Opportunities of the Province

The basic vocation of the province of Cuanza Norte is its vitality, which should encourage and facilitate the installation of an industrial environment. This could be the case with the extraction and conversion of iron ore from Cassala-Quitungo. Given the proximity and economic links, the creation of a regional “cluster” is projected between Cuanza Norte and Malanje, with an emphasis on the trinomial electricity / agriculture / manufacturing. In fact, these provinces are not only the main zones of energy production but also contain remarkable reserves in the national context.

Following the logic of the implementation of regional development hubs, the agricultural sector is considered as a strategic investment, associated with the food and processing industries. On the one hand, the province’s agricultural potential indicates that its production can be aimed at not only domestic consumption but also at exports, particularly at the level of cassava, peanuts, beans, corn, potatoes, coffee, palmar, rice, cotton, sunflower, tropical and semi-tropical orchards and horticultural crops. It is worth also highlighting the potential for the timber industries and for the cultivation of exotic forest species, for livestock farming (cattle raising, poultry and pig farming), given the existence of good and diversified pastures, and for fishing activities. A final word should be said for the resumption of production and industrialization of coffee and soybeans. In the future, the business sector should introduce soy as a crop, mainly for its importance as a raw material for the production of food oil and the use of bagasse in the feed industry. On the industrial front, the province is able to receive investments for the development of some integration chains in the agro-industrial and food industries.

This is true for either the food industry (meat industry, edible oil production, milling and baking), or the beverage industry, the textile industry (cotton), wood and furniture, and soap, brick, and tile manufacturing, among others. The new integrated system of fiscal and financial incentives allows the organization, under favorable conditions, of numerous industries, as well as, with fewer resources, the revitalization of the private sector to achieve maximum effects. The Government has recently decided to accept investment proposals for the construction of infrastructures in the industrial hubs, which, for Cambambe and Lucala would be a good business opportunity.

Investment in the hotel and catering industry is still an important investment opportunity, given the tourism potential.

The proximity of Luanda, as a major consumer and exporter center, and the existence of road and rail connections, reinforce all this economic potential. Furthermore, the executive’s strategy to boost credit, provide incentives for entrepreneurial activity, and the availability of partnerships, constitute another driver of provincial growth. For example, within this framework, the development of agro-industrial centers in Cambambe and Lucala, based on public and private partnerships, would set up production chains integrating citrus, bananas, other fruits and vegetables, cassava, rice, peanuts, sunflower and soya.

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

The main center of power generation at the national level, welcoming energy- intensive industries with a productive specialization in agro-business and large-scale livestock farming, with the capacity to export agro-food products and to supply the manufacturing industry with a strong agro-industrial sector, benefiting from the strategic position for the circulation within the northsouth- west of the country, provided by the Malanje rail corridor and the Dondo branch – for the economic development of the Dondo-Ndalatando-Lucala axis. A well-developed tourism sector, with a qualified and diversified offer, valuing the natural landscape and historico-cultural resources of the province, supported by reclaimed and qualified urban centers, taking advantage of the proximity to the largest metropolitan area of the country.

Strategic Priorities

• Business agriculture, with emphasis on intensive crops such as corn to supply poultry units; the recovery of coffee and cotton cultivation (there is already a processing factory needing raw material); the cultivation of palmar; and the production for the agro-industry (sunflower, peanuts, beans, cereals, fruits and tubers).

• Large-scale agro-livestock farming.

• Industry: promotion of the industrial centers of Lucala and Dondo with the appeal of processing units for agricultural products, in particular the production of palm oil, vegetable oil, cotton and coffee processing, and fruit juices.

• Appreciation of the tourism potential (nautical, ecological and rural) by creating support infrastructures in places with the greatest potential for attracting visitors, developing hotel and catering services, and promoting initiatives.

• Attractive urban community of qualified professionals, activities and tourists, and rehabilitation of urban centers (public space, buildings, housing and urban infrastructures).

• Inclusion of young people in the labor market and creation of selfemployment, especially in the agricultural, industrial and tourism sectors.

• Energy, with increased production and transport and distribution networks.

Physical, Geographic and Environmental Characteristics

The Province of Cuanza Sul is located on the central west coast, in a mountainous area with varied altitude. It is bordered to the north and northeast with the provinces of Bengo, Cuanza Norte and Malanje, with Benguela to the south, with Huambo and Bié to the southeast, and with the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
It covers an area of approximately 55,660 km2 and is organized administratively in 12 municipalities: Amboim, Cassongue, Cela, Conda, Ebo, Libolo, Mussende, Porto Amboim, Quilenda, Quibala, Seles and Sumbe. The provincial capital is the city of Sumbe. It is a typical transitional region from the geographical point of view, between the coastal plains and the interior or central plateau of Angola, and the northern Kimbundu culture and the central Umbundu culture.

The territory of Cuanza Sul is ecologically very diverse, with a coastal plain (corresponding to the municipalities of Sumbe and Porto Amboim), a mountainous zone with a succession of levels that grow in altitude toward the interior (Amboim, Quilenda, Seles, Conda and Libolo) and a peneplain transitional zone (Ebo, Quibala, and parts of Cela and Mussende). These three zones are arranged almost parallel from north to south and from west to east. A fourth zone integrates the well-known Central Plateau (parts of Cela and Mussende and Cassongue).

The climate is also diverse, from the arid and semi-arid coast (with rainfall between 400 and 900 mm, and average annual temperatures of around 25° Celsius), the sub-humid and wet zone (900-1000 mm and 20-22° C), the transitional zone (1300 to 1400 mm and 20-21° C) and finally the Central Plateau, where rain is the most pronounced, over 1400 millimeters and average temperatures are lower (19° C) .

This geomorphological and climatic diversity has correspondingly varied types of vegetation, with trees typical of semi-arid climates being found in coastal steppes and savannas, dense rainforest favorable for Robusta coffee in the mountainous zone and open forest with savanna in the highest areas.
The Kumbira forest – the place “where the sun hides” – is a paradise of unique beauty with invaluable economic, tourist and natural potential. In spite of its value, it is a little-known region, quite threatened and lacking in protection. It is located in the central region of the Escarpa de Angola, a rugged area that separates the plains from the coast and the plateau in the interior of the country. One of the characteristics of Central Escarpa is that it is permanently enveloped in a mist carried by the sea winds. When it reaches the slope, it condenses to form a fine rain, even during the dry season. This combination of topography and humidity is the main reason why the escarpment has a microclimate contrasting with the almost desert landscape of the coast of Cuanza Sul.

The province is covered by four hydrographic basins, which give it a wealth of very relevant ecological and biological resources: to the north the Cuanza and Longa rivers; in the center the Queve river, and to the south the Quicombo river. On the Queve, relatively close to the city of Waco Cungo, one of the largest concentrations of hippos in the country, only comparable to the River Cuquema in Bié, may be observed.

Demographic Characterization

According to the 2014 Census, the province had 1,881,873 inhabitants, 51.9% women and 48.1% men.

The population density is the highest in the country with 33.8 inhabitants per km2. The active population is 48.1% of the total, while 66.6% of the population is under 25. Only 3% are over 65.

Education and Vocational Training

The province’s population is a very young age, with the high presence of schoolage children putting pressure on the primary education system. However, there is an overall trend towards increased demand for education services across the province, which could mean an opportunity for investment in education, including vocational and higher education.

In addition to elementary and primary schools, the province has seven teacher training colleges, four professional technical schools, one Polytechnic Institute, the National Institute of Petroleum in Sumbe, the Agrarian Institute in the county of Cela and a technical-professional agrarian college in Quibala (Catofe). At the level of higher education, the province has the Higher Institute of Educational Sciences, the Higher Polytechnic Institute of Cuanza Sul, the Higher Polytechnic Institute of Porto Amboim and the Higher Polytechnic Institute of Libolo, which offer courses such as agronomy, zootechny, agrarian business management, Accounting and management, nursing, engineering (informatics, telecommunications, electronics), psychology, and law, among others.

Health

In terms of access to health care, the province has a number of health facilities in all municipalities, health centers and hospitals, especially the provincial hospital and the pediatric hospital, both in Sumbe, a regional hospital in Porto Amboim and another in Libolo, and two regional reference hospitals in the Amboim and Cela counties.
Despite the investments in the sector, the province still has deficiencies in infrastructure and specialized personnel, namely medical specialists and qualified nurses.

Media

Cuanza Sul is equipped with fixed and mobile telecommunications services. Although difficulties with mobile coverage still persist, there is a gradual increase in voice and data services in the province’s municipal offices, in the main urban population groups and even along the roads between municipalities.
Voice and data services are provided by mobile operators Unitel and Movicel, which have representative offices in the province, and by the operator Angola Telecom, which is responsible for providing fixed telephony services through its copper and fiber optic networks.

Economic Characterization

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery

According to data from the 2014 Census, agriculture and fishing are the most common economic activities in the country, the province of Southern Cuanza having the highest proportion of agricultural and livestock farming households. The same document reveals that the provinces of Benguela and Cuanza Sul had the lowest unemployment rates in the country with about 14% each.
This is partly explained by the quality and abundance of land resources allowing the coexistence of family and business economies in the agro-food sector.

Corn is by far the main crop, occupying almost 70% of the cultivated area, followed by beans with almost 15%. The remaining crops vary with manioc, peanuts, bananas, various vegetables, potatoes, sweet potatoes, other fruit trees (pineapples, citrus, mangos) and palm groves in descending order. Coffee, once the province’s great wealth, has received more attention in recent years and offers high growth potential.

The Cuanza Sul Province is where the largest public and private investments were made in the last two decades in agriculture, along with Malanje, which benefited from private investments. The Aldeia Nova Project, a public-private partnership financed by Israeli banks worth more than $ 100 billion for corn, milk and poultry production, is located there. It is also the province with the largest concentration of public and private bank financing, having benefited until 2013 from about 70% of the credit granted to agriculture by the Agrarian Development Bank since its founding in 2006. For this reason, the province has the largest cultivated area by private companies, with more than 75 thousand hectares.

An important potential is the production of meat, milk and eggs, associated with traditions in the field of livestock in balance with agriculture and the environment.

Cela-Catofe’s Milk Basin has had relevance in the past and is a sleeping giant awaiting good projection and financing.

The abundance of surface water resources whose potential is by a large measure waiting to be harnessed, forest resources with quality timber, the tradition of market economy and the accumulated knowledge in some segments of agricultural production (corn, coffee, cotton, palm, horticultural, fruit) are opportunities for anyone interested in investing in the province.

The Government invested in the rehabilitation of the Matumbo canal, in the Cela county, to supply water to important farms in the same municipality. The reactivation of the structures of the Agronomic and Veterinary Research Institutes, with the creation of an artificial insemination center, is part of a set of measures to support agro-livestock production. Production factor supply companies are starting to set up in the region.
Another important potential is related to fishing and aquaculture, especially in the sea, where the sector generates a significant volume of employment.

Industry, Geology and Mines

Before the war, the Cuanza Sul region experienced a remarkable entrepreneurial development through the installation of various agro-industries for grinding and fruit and dairy processing, which were destroyed during the war.
Now there is a gradual recovery of the processing industry with some units linked to agro-food (dairy, juice, coffee, bottled water) and cement.

The fisheries sector has great potential to organize and integrate into a very competitive processing and marketing line, such as the existing Peskwanza unit in Porto Amboim.

The petroleum sector has a significant presence, mainly because of the Porto Amboim Ocean Terminal and the National Petroleum Institute, which give the sector a framework.
The province has important diamond deposits in the municipalities of Quibala and Mussende, as well as other mineral resources such as mineral water, stone and inert materials used in civil construction.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Cuanza Sul is characterized in general as a territory combining urbanity and rurality in a context of excellent landscapes and natural inland and coastal systems, when added to its strategic position in the proximity of the main urban concentrations, explain why the region is often visited for recreation, tourism and leisure. Its location is also important as a connecting platform between the entire northern and central regions, both on the coast and inland. There are plans to link Luanda and Benguela Railway via Cuanza Sul.
Investments in the hotel and catering sector are concentrated in the municipalities of the coastal strip (Sumbe and Porto Amboim) and the counties of Libolo and Cela. In Conda, there is a facility located in a coffee farm, which serves rural tourism, as well as one of the Libolo units. In the rest of the province, the hotel and catering offer is precarious, which may represent an opportunity for future investors.
Funerary art, with the famous tombs (monoliths and ornate stone constructions to perpetuate the memory of the great chiefs, an idea also associated with the monuments of Greater Zimbabwe) can be found in six municipalities. Together with rare cave paintings, these provide a great potential for historical-cultural tourism. The same can be said of the forts and fortresses built in the nineteenth century by the Portuguese to confront the revolts of the colonized people opposed to the occupation.

One of the major challenges to the province is formal trade, which confronts many difficulties in the conservation and disposal of agricultural products, which is above all executed via unregulated community markets. Potential investors may well consider a stake in this industry.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

In this context, the geo-strategic positioning at the crossroad of two major development axes of the national territory (Luanda-Benguela and Luanda-Huambo), and the development of port infrastructure and rail transport could also be vectors of competitiveness, provided that they are properly accompanied by a territorial strategy to complement the major routes to the interior of the province (Sumbe- Porto Amboim urban coastal axis connecting with the Gabela-Waku Kungo axis, with a functional link to all municipalities).

The province, crossed by one of the main roads of the country, the National Road 100, which links Luanda to Benguela, allows good access to Luanda and the neighboring province of Benguela. A number of road repair works are underway, implying that, for the moment, travel within the province is more complicated because of the many diversions resulting from ongoing works.
The lack of public transport systems in many municipalities in the province, the few alternatives to road transport systems to municipalities such as Conda, Mussende, Ebo and Cassongue, as well as the lack of a structured and regular supply of air transport services, are the major challenges presented by the province. There are however regular services connecting Luanda by bus.

Energy and Water

Given its geographical positioning next to the largest hydroelectric dams in the country, the province will soon benefit from electricity from the Cambambe and Lauca dams, located nearby in the neighboring provinces of Cuanza Norte and Malanje, and the Caculo dam Cabaça, under construction.
The ongoing programs to improve public access to drinking water, associated with the province’s water resources, will lead to a substantial improvement in the near future. At present, reasonable systems of capture, treatment and distribution of water are only available in the main urban centers of the province.

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

A diverse but cohesive province, with important coastal (Sumbe and Porto Amboim) and developing interior areas (dynamized by the municipalities of Cela and Quibala) with a balanced productive structure between the primary sector (intensive agriculture and industrial fisheries) agro-food industries, marine produce processing and oil industry support and a consolidated tourism sector, taking advantage of the Luanda-Dondo-Huambo and Luanda-Sumbe-Benguela road corridors, the use of natural resources and favorable conditions for the development of small-scale economic activities in rural areas (beekeeping, aquaculture, rural tourism).

Strategic Priorities

• Affirmation of agriculture and livestock production: relaunch of coffee, rice, soybean, wheat and cotton production, and promotion of palm groves to generate large-scale export-oriented agriculture and supply to manufacturing; development of the corn and livestock value chain (cattle, goats, pigs and others), including poultry.

• Modernization of the peasant economy by promoting higher incomes for family farms and their orientation towards the production of marketable surpluses, reinforcing their role in improving living conditions.

• Development of a logistic-industrial complex in Porto Amboim, supported by a deep water port, and development of the Cela agroindustrial pole.

• Transformation of Porto Amboim into an industrial fishing center and concentration of infrastructures and services to support fishing, attracting the processing industry of sea products.

• Tourism development, through the valuation of places of tourist interest, the structuring and increase of the offer (tourist routes, equipment and services) and the attraction of private investors.

• Development of a balanced network of urban centers that contributes to reducing social deficits and increasing business competitiveness by improving urban planning, infrastructure, urban and residential quality of coastal cities and strengthening the urban functions of the main interior population groups, in particular Waku-Kungo, Quibala and Gabela.

Economic Characterization

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery

The agricultural and livestock activity has a central role in the socio-economic life of the province’s population, representing the main source of employment and income.
The region’s main crops are sorghum, millet, corn and beans.
Projected a while ago, but still without an opening date, the Cunene river basin irrigation system, with enormous potential for the development of crops such as wheat, rice, sugar cane, citrus, vegetables, cotton, sunflower and tobacco, etc. is worth noting.
Livestock farming represents an important driving force in the functioning of the economic, social and cultural society. It is the province with the highest cattle population after Huíla, and also with a significant concentration of breeders who practice the ranching system. In addition to supplying their products directly for human consumption and providing a source of income for the self-sustenance of rural families, the local culture relies significantly on livestock.
The Cahama county has a modern slaughterhouse with a capacity of 18,000 animals per year, which is not fully utilized and might constitute an important business opportunity. By taking advantage of the catchment area on the Cunene river, the conditions for the development of traditional small-scale inland fishing and aquaculture are good.

Industry, Geology and Mines

Most of the land in Cunene is devoted to agriculture and livestock, which nurtures the development of a sustainable agro-food industry.
In addition to the slaughterhouse at Cahama, there are several small industrial facilities in the province, such as slaughterhouses, bakeries, mills, scrap processors, block manufacturers, carpentry and other wood manufacturing facilities.

The Cunene province has important natural resources such as iron, precious stones, granite, gravel, hydraulic lime and crushed stone, which afford a glimpse of the potential development of the extractive industry.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

The main axis for commercial network is the Ondjiva-Santa Clara road, thanks to its proximity to the border with Namibia. Small and medium-size commercial units have been increasing in the last years, satisfying intense commercial and logistical support activity, yet with still a great margin for expansion. At the frontier point of Santa Clara, there is an intense circulation of people and goods with two exchange cores, one on each side of the border.
The Cunene province represents one of the primary land entry points in Angola for tourists from neighboring countries and the southern region of Africa, especially Namibia and South Africa. This emerging tourism market should be boosted above all in terms of the promotion of nature and historical-cultural tourism. The offer of hotel units and the like is limited and little diversified. They are mostly located in the city of Ondijva. This situation should be understood as an important investment opportunity.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

In the context of southern Angola, the Cunene Province has a strategic and important economic position, boosted by the logistics platform between Namibia and Angolan territory and for the potential role the Port of Namibe in the west plays and may come to play.
The current network of major roads is in reasonable condition and allows movement in the province, including access to the border with Namibia and the neighboring provinces.

The city of Ondjiva has a redeveloped airport equipped with modern instruments and regular connections to Luanda.
Linking the Moçâmedes Railroad to the Santa Clara border and the Namibian rail network is planned. This will be an important asset in the transport of people and goods and a considerable expansion of the existing logistics platform.

Energy and Water

Cunene shows a number of shortcomings in the production infrastructure, energy distribution and water production, supply and treatment.
Sole the city of Ondjiva, the seat of the county of Namacunde, the Mission of Omupanda, the localities of Santa Clara and Calueque, the communal venues of Naulila and Chitado and the village of Ruacaná, benefit from electrical power delivered from Namibia through medium voltage lines and distributed through low voltage ones. The power is produced by the Ruacaná Hydroelectric Plant, whose management, distribution and supply are the responsibility of the National Energy Company (ENE). There is an electrical substation and a thermal power station located respectively in the city of Ondjiva and Xangongo. The remaining municipal and communal venues, including other settlements, are supplied by thermal sources or generators, managed by the municipal administrations.
The province benefits from the important Cunene river, which constitutes the border between Angola and Namibia, from the Ruacaná Falls. It is also bisected by the Caculuvar River, which crosses the Cahama county, and by the Cuvelai river, which limits, to the northwest, the Cuvelai county. Although seasonal, these two rivers have a reasonable flow rate and can offer significant amounts of water if managed in a balanced way, namely with the construction of mini-hydro plants.

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

A province involved in a process of development and land-use planning geared towards the generalization of the population’s basic living conditions and the territorial balance of the infrastructures necessary for development, overcoming the limitations arising from their natural characteristics and sustainably exploiting resources in the SADC south region, through the Republic of Namibia, and the road and rail accessibility to the neighboring provinces and to the center and north of the country – in an integrated, rational and a sustainable, diversified and inclusive economic development based on productive specialization in the agricultural and livestock sector and the development of cross-border trade and attracting investment in productive activities with potential for export.

Strategic Priorities

• Agro-livestock sector: valorization of the important livestock population existing in the province and potential of agricultural production in irrigated areas to be built and rehabilitated, with an emphasis on the Cunene River Valley, and in rainfed areas, in the strong potential of livestock production, and the development of agro-livestock value chains geared towards the supplying of the domestic and export markets.

• Logistics sector: exploring the proximity of the border with the Republic of Namibia by combining a number of projects to enhance the border area of Santa Clara and the development of cross-border trade, namely the extension of the CFM railway branch and the construction of the Santa Clara Logistics Platform.

• Mining and forestry sectors: as sectors of balance of the provincial productive structure, promoting the rational exploitation of existing resources, in particular the minerals of significant economic value (precious and semi-precious stones, iron) in the municipality of Cuvelai, quality of the Curoca and Cahama massif and the exotic timber of commercial value (girassonde, mussivi, muvala, muvuca, etc.).

• Tourism sector: also in the logic of the balance of production structure, oriented toward nature and cultural tourism, valuing and promoting the existing points of interest of the landscape, history and culture, with emphasis on the Mupa National Park, and benefiting from the crossborder flows.

• Social and economic integration of the migrant population: study of solutions that may contribute to the integration of minority ethnicities in productive activities, contributing to the social cohesion of the province.

Demographic Characterization

In accordance with the 2014 Census, the province had 2,019,555 inhabitants at the time, which corresponds to 8% of the total population that lives in the country, with 52.3% women and 47.7% men.
In terms of population density, Huambo has 56.5 inhabitants per km2. The province has an active population of 45.9%, with a young population, 69.8%, under 25. Only 2.4% people are over 65.

Education and Vocational Training

Because most of the total population is young and of school age, the province is characterized by a high population demand for education services. The sector has been improving in recent years as a result of the implementation of specific programs, translated by means of investments in infrastructure construction and the hiring of teachers.

The student/school enrollment ratio in primary education is still very significant. This situation can be seen as an opportunity for interested investors as local authorities consider the urgent need to develop this sector, mainly through the construction of schools and other infrastructures supporting the education. According to the 2014 Province Development Plan, there were four primary teaching schools, two teacher training schools and six technical and vocational schools, with emphasis on agricultural and health education.
The province has two universities (one public and one private), two polytechnic institutes and an institute of educational sciences, which together make it possible to offer a wide range of courses, such as medicine, architecture, civil construction, electronics and telecommunications, nursing, computer engineering, clinical laboratory, forestry and agronomic engineering, veterinary medicine, economics, and law, among others.

Health

Since 2002, the province’s health network has been continuously expanding, with the prospect of building new health units for the next few years. Efforts towards the municipalization of health programs in all the municipalities of the province are noteworthy.
In 2012, the province had a health network consisting of 232 health units, including a central hospital, a sanatorium hospital and ten municipal hospitals, as well as health facilities and centers.

Media

The province has two mobile operators, Unitel and Movicel, whose signal covers all municipal headquarters. Although some failures exist at very specific points, they provide access to voice and data services.
Angola Telecom has set up several improvement systems aimed at fixed telephones, and broadband internet. To improve access to Internet and also television services, the national network of fiber optics is being installed throughout the country.

Economic Characterization

The economy of the Huambo province is essentially focused on the agriculture and mining sectors. Industrial activity, which was very prosperous prior to the independence, is still in the process of recovery from the war, which particularly affected the province.

Agriculture and Forestry

The province produces cereals (mainly corn), roots and tubers (sweet potatoes and potatoes), legumes and oil seeds (beans, peanuts and soybeans), various fruits and vegetables (mainly garlic, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots and peppers).
In accordance with official data, Huambo takes second place in area planted with cereals, Cuanza Sul being ahead of it with a very small difference. With regard to legumes and oil seeds, it is the third province with the largest area planted. In horticulture, the province occupies the top position.
An important family-oriented agriculture project is underway, financed by the World Bank (MOSAP), taking advantage of a commercial tradition of the people of the Plateau. A significant proportion of the local farmers has a high business sense and dominates production technique. Other farmers with the above characteristic cannot be found in the country.
The main livestock production is poultry, cattle, goats and pigs. The regions presenting the greatest cattle rearing production are the municipalities of Huambo, Caála, Longonjo and Ucuma.
In areas less subject to human pressure, important traces of the so-called open forest or panda forest, predominantly with medium-sized trees, still remain. The province also has forest perimeters of exotic species with terrain for eucalyptus, cedar and pine. In the forest, rare flowers, edible, medicinal and adornment plants, apart from wild fruits very appreciated by local people, can be found, such as the famous loengo, with which a delicious compote is made.

The headquarters of the Agronomic Research Institute (IIA) and the Veterinary Institute (IIV) are located in Huambo, which in the past, and in the future, will keep on playing an important role in agri-livestock and forestry development in the region and in the country.

Industry, Geology and Mines

More than 90 % of Huambo’s industrial park was destroyed during the war. With peace, there are signs it is being rebuilt, mainly with the Industrial Pole of Caála, which may have more than 40 manufacturing units. At the site, a pottery, a mattress factory and a carpentry are already in operation, which are producing home furniture and school desks. The most important manufacturing plant is of beer production, which never stopped working, even during the war.
Huambo has specific subsoil features with resources of high economic value that make one believe in the development of the mining industry.
Apart from inert materials, the proven presence of a variety of minerals, especially manganese in the municipalities of Longonjo, Bailundo and Caála; barium, iron and phosphate in the municipalities of Bailundo and Caála; wolfram in the municipality of Huambo; kaolin in the municipalities of Huambo, Ucuma and Londuimbale; graphite in Caála; gold and copper in Caála and Ucuma, is well known. Current knowledge of existing mineral resources must be deepened in order to attract the necessary investments for their exploitation.

Tourism, Hotel Business, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

In terms of tourism, the most outstanding places are the ones the province offers to visitors, such as Granja Pôr-do-Sol, the reservoirs of Cuando and Gove that allow sport fishing, swimming and several nautical activities, the thermal waters of Hama and Lepi, and the stones of Kawe and Ganda in Caála.

Within the context of Angola, Huambo has an important strategic position enhanced by air, rail and road connections, which contribute decisively to the development of commerce, hotels and entrepreneurship. In particular, the importance of the Benguela Railroad (CFB), connecting the provinces of Benguela (from Lobito Port), Huambo, Bié and Moxico, with future connections to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, forms the so-called corridor of Lobito. It is not by chance that prior to the war the province stood out as a service platform.
The city of Huambo is reasonably equipped with hotel and restaurant facilities, which can facilitate the increase of tourism.
Before the independence, holding a Fair Exhibition was very important. It will be resumed in September 2018.
In short, the province’s industrial, commercial, hotel and tourism development is essentially based on the existence of access roads promoting the mobility of people and goods more quickly and efficiently.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

The central government’s projects for the construction and rehabilitation of the road network has benefited the province’s main roads. The main roads allowing movement within the province and the connection to neighboring provinces and to Luanda are in reasonable condition. Despite the registered improvements, investment is still needed in the secondary and tertiary road network.
As mentioned previously, the Benguela Railroad, which passes through the province of Luanda and connects Benguela, Bié, Huambo and Moxico, plays an important role in the movement of people and goods. The Executive branch is committed to keeping on investing in its modernization.

There are also road connections between municipalities, mainly provided by collective taxi service. There are regular inter-service connections with connections to Luanda.
The province has recently rehabilitated and modernized an airport that offers scheduled flights between the provincial capital and the country’s capital. The multimodal link of the various means of transportation (ground transportation, air and rail transport) and the fact that it can serve the nearby health facilities, education infrastructures, industrial zones and new residential areas, makes Huambo an important center of regional development.

Energy and Water

Energy and water infrastructures have benefited from many interventions in recent years, since the province abounds with water resources. However, the current situation still displays basic deficiencies in the basic infrastructure of production and distribution of energy and in production, supply, and treatment of water.
Given the water conditions, the province presents a high potential for energy production through a mini-hydro system. It also has the Gove dam, which has recently undergone repairs and is now in operation. Furthermore, the province benefits from the electricity supplied by the Lomaum and Biopio dams, both located in the province of Benguela, and from the electric power from the thermoelectric installations located in several municipalities of the province.

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

Dynamic and modern province, taking advantage of its geographical centrality in the national context and the main longitudinal and transverse roads of Angola, that can be affirmed as a strategic economic space capable of promoting the development of the Central and Southern regions of the country, based on the urban and industrial development of the Huambo-Caála link and in a productive structure that coordinates an agri-business sector oriented to the national and international markets, with the capacity to attract investment in diversified sectors – industry, transportation and logistics, commerce, tourism and top level qualified services. A structured urban system with a good functional link between the centers of the different hierarchical levels ensures the economic and social integration of the rural territories, in which a family-based agricultural economy in modernization is developing.

Strategic Priorities

• Modernization of farming activities run by families (corn, beans, cassava, vegetables, potatoes, sweet potatoes, soybeans and small livestock), forestry, inland fisheries and beekeeping, ensuring the rational use of natural resources and environmental sustainability.

• Private investment to streamline business activities and recover existing inactive production units, promoting agri-livestock and agri-industry, logistics, rural commerce and nature and cultural tourism.

• Integration of young people into economic activity, both by promoting employment and promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship associated with the modernization of sectors such as rural commerce, nature and cultural tourism, fish farming, agri-livestock and agroindustry, among others.

• Top level services, with emphasis on research and extension aimed at the province and country’s developing priority sectors, valuing an already existing important center of university education.

• Recovery and strengthening of the urban network, through the decongestion of the city of Huambo, strengthening urban functions in other cities (in particular Bailundo, Caála and Catchiungo), aiming at residents’ quality of life and population fixation, contributing to the correction of territorial asymmetries.

Demographic Characterization

According to the lastest 2014 Census, the Huíla province is the most populated in the country, after Luanda, with a population reaching 2,497,422 inhabitants (10% of the population of Angola). This results from the relative stability during the war and the engaged economic activity, which attracted populations from other provinces, mainly from Huambo. The majority are women, 52.5% for 47.5% men. The working population is 47.5%, and the population under 25 represents 67.3%. The population density is the highest in the country, estimated at 32 inhabitants per km2. However, the distribution of the population by municipality is differentiated, recording a high concentration in the city of Lubango and its surroundings.

Education and Vocational Training

Despite the investments in recent years, the province is stigmatized by a population with a low level of education and high illiteracy rate. Some of the difficulties are seen during pre-schooling, the transition of cycles, and in a high drop-out rate. In terms of professional technical education, Huíla has an intermediate Institute of Economics and a training school of health technicians located in Lubango, an intermediate agrarian institute in Tchivinguiro (with a great history in Angola), and an intermediate polytechnic institute, with the latter in the municipality of Humpata.

Higher education is located in Lubango, which includes the Higher Institute of Educational Sciences (ISCED) and the Mandume Ya Ndemufayo University, both of public management, and still with six private Polytechnic Institutes. There is in general a strong trend towards increased demand for educational services, including vocational training at the basic, intermediate and higher levels, which may represent an opportunity for potential investors.

Health

The province’s health network is expanding with the construction of new health centers, complementing a pediatric hospital, a maternity hospital and a psychiatric hospital. The social network is composed of 263 offices, the main ones being in Lubango. These include the Dr. António Agostinho Neto Central Hospital, pediatric, sanatorium, and psychiatric hospitals, and the Comrade Irene Maternity Hospital. There are also the Municipal Hospitals of Caluquembe, a hospital linked to the Evangelical Church, and, with great tradition since colonial times, in Matala and Cuvango.

A private health network in the province includes seven clinics, 45 medical centers, 61 nursing offices, one technical health school, and 21 specialized centers and offices.

Media

With regard to the telecommunications sector, there has been significant progress, notably an increase in the fixed telephone network, and the introduction of the mobile network and the Internet. At present, all the counties in the province are covered by Unitel and Movicel (mobile voice and data networks).

All municipalities are also covered by the operator Angola Telecom (fixed voice and data network), which provides services through its copper and fiber optic networks, except for the municipalities of Jamba and Cuvango, which are only connected to the copper network.

From Lubango, it is possible to access Angola Telecom’s fixed telephone network, responsible for providing basic telecommunication and corporate communications services, satellite communications system, public booths, data communication, and radio and television signal transport, among others.

The postal service emphasizes the transportation and distribution of letters and parcels, Internet access points (service available to citizens), and fax and stamp sales.

Economic Characterization

Agriculture and Livestock

In Huíla, agriculture and livestock farming find excellent conditions for their development, allowing them to consider the region as an important center for the production and establishment of food reserves, both for cereals, fruits and vegetables, and for various livestock species. In the south, with less rainfall, corn gives way to sorghum and millet as the basic food staples.
The agricultural activity is very diversified, according to the ecological characteristics of each region, and the province’s main crops are corn, beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, squash, cassava, peanuts, horticultural crops, sorghum, and more. One of the most important hydro-agricultural enterprises in the south of Angola, with capacity to irrigate about 10,000 hectares, is located in the Matala county.
Regarding infrastructures to support agricultural production, important irrigation systems serve the various agricultural farms in the province with an estimated capacity of about 7,000 hectares. Livestock farming is one of the main sources of income for the population and, besides to a major economic weight, a huge symbolic and cultural value. The province has the largest cattle population in the country, estimated at almost 1.5 million heads, with more than 1.3 million goats, and more than 300,000 pigs. There are areas in which the majority of the population is essentially dedicated to pastoral life with a well-credited resource for transhumance.

Industry, Geology and Mines

Most of Huíla is devoted to agriculture and livestock, both of which are conducive to industrial development. The need to process the products derived from agro-livestock farming has led to the creation of agro-food industries, particularly the processing and preservation of vegetable derivatives for human consumption: meat, eggs, sausages, milk, butter and cheese.
The province’s industrial environment is composed mainly of small and medium industries for the food sector, especially beverages, bakeries, slaughterhouses, sausages, and mills, among others.
In addition to the agro-livestock business, Huíla has a wide range of rocks and minerals already in an exploration phase, featuring decorative granites, clay, gravels, sands and waters, all of which are resources well exploited because of their high commercial interest. Another development axis for the mining industry is the reactivation of the Cassinga mining complex, intended for the production of iron, as well as the exploitation of ornamental rocks, already in progress.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

The Huíla province meets the conditions to become a reference tourist center for the country and the southern region of the African continent, affirming itself as a destination offering an increasing range of services and tourist products in the natural, cultural and leisure activities.

Its privileged location with the neighboring provinces of Namibe, Cunene, Benguela and Huambo, and relatively easy access to the Santa Clara border post (Cunene province), where there has been an increase of foreign tourists, mainly from Namibia and South Africa, gives the province a special status.

The best-known tourist areas in the province are the Tundavala rift in Lubango, the Serra da Leba (although already part of the Namibe province, and its access is by far easier from Lubango) and the National Park of Bicuar, plus other attractions that are already or have potential to become tourist interests.

The annual Expo-Huíla, whose tradition dates back to colonial times and remained active during the war, only to be interrupted in the first ten years after the independence, validates the commercial and productive vitality of Huíla. It represents the largest business portfolio in the south and the second largest in the country, only surpassed by FILDA, in Luanda. The cattle fair during the event has greatly contributed to the regional and national animal farming development. The fair is integrated into the Festivities of the City of Lubango, in allusion to Our Lady of the Mount, which in itself constitutes a notable tourist attraction.
Approximately 76% of commercial establishments are located in Lubango, which is directly associated with the urban dimension and the population density recorded there.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

As a result of investments made in recent years, the province of Huíla benefits from a road network in good condition, allowing not only the circulation within the province but also connections with neighboring provinces, and consequently to Namibia, and Luanda. These connections play a major economic role because they give access to various fundamental infrastructures, such as the harbors of Namibe and Benguela. Despite these improvements, investment still remains to be made, namely in the recovery of the secondary and tertiary road network.
The province also benefits from the Moçâmedes Railway (between Namibe and Menongue, in Cuando Cubango) which plays a vital role in freight transportation.

As far as highway transportation, there are standard inter-county and inter-provincial connections, mostly in Luanda.
The province also has an international airport, with regular flights to and from Luanda and also to the capital of the Republic of Namibia.

Energy and Water

Although over the last few years, improvements in the energy and water sectors have been observed in Huíla, as a significant player of the national territory, deficiencies in basic infrastructures such as water supply, and treatment and supply of electric energy, are still evident.

The province’s main source of energy is the Matala Hydroelectric Power Plant, which is equipped with three generator sets of 13.6 MW each, for a total of 40.8 MW, with one of the generators paralyzed some years ago. It is followed by the Arimba thermal power station and the Lubango electrical substation, with a production of 40 MW each.
As for water supply, despite investments and improvements, still significant deficiencies persist. Nevertheless, there are ongoing programs and investments that will improve this situation in the coming years.

Demographic Characterization

The Province of Luanda is by far the most populous in Angola, a consequence of a strong migration of populations from other provinces, a phenomenon which is also common in other countries, but aggravated by the civil war. In accordance with the 2014 Census, the Luanda province had 6,945,386 inhabitants, with the highest population density in the country, 368.9 inhabitants per Km2. Currently, it should have more than eight million. There is a gender balance with a slight predominance of women (51%) compared to men (49%). The active population represented 55.3%, while young people under 25, 63%, and those over 65 only 1.5%.

Education and Vocational Training

According to the data from the Development Plan of the province, Luanda had a total of 826 schools, both public and private and several international schools, especially in the capital. However, there is still a lack of school infrastructures in the municipalities of Icolo-Bengo and Quiçama and, at a broader level, educational support infrastructures (libraries, media libraries and others).

There is a large number of public and private universities in the province, with a wide variety of courses such as medicine, law, architecture, economics, psychology, sociology, and various types of engineering, among others. In higher education, the Catholic University of Angola, which in 2017 took the 70th position in the ranking of African universities and is widely recognized for its Center for Studies and Scientific Research, stands out, and so does the Agostinho Neto University, which has a new Campus in the University City of Luanda.
According to the 2014 Provincial Development Plan, there were 30 professional training establishments in the province, distributed by fixed Training Centers, small Mobile Centers and Arts and Crafts Pavilions, with emphasis on the Integrated Technological Training Center (CINFOTEC).

Health

The health system network in the Province is expanding quickly and currently has very diverse capacities of health care provision.
The health units (hu) are spread over all the municipalities, with a preponderance of the service in the municipality of Luanda. Despite the improvement recorded, the per capita ratio per health unit in some municipalities is still in parameters outside the range considered acceptable.

Alongside the public health network, there is also a private network that has been progressively developed, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, with particular emphasis on the municipality of Luanda, which represents an opportunity for investments in a high demand sector.

Media

The Luanda province in the areas of telecommunications, information technology, post services and meteorology is well served, with perspectives of becoming an African power, a result of investments made at the level of human capital and support infrastructure.
The province has a good system of fixed and mobile communications, and Internet service and cable television offering a wide variety of international and thematic channels. A fiber network is widespread throughout the province.
The services are provided by several operators such as Unitel, Movicel, Angola Telecom, TvCabo, DSTV, Zap, and others.

It is possible to access the signals, not only of Public Television of Angola and National Radio of Angola, but also of a set of other local and community radios. The headquarters and main studios of the public and private media organizations and also the correspondents of several international communication organizations are located in the province. It has two main-stream daily newspapers (one public and one private) and several weeklies, all private.

Economic Characterization

Agriculture and Livestock

Given its climatic conditions, soils and geography, and limited to urban occupation, the province of Luanda is propitious for a wide range of cultures. Agricultural production is mainly focused in the counties of Icolo, Bengo, Quiçama, Cacuaco, Belas and Viana.

Luanda profits from a consumer market recipient of large agricultural products and has good outlets for them. Also, the market of industries potentially consuming livestock products in Luanda is significant, which is an important factor that enhances its development.

The water resources in the region are a determining factor for this sector. The government invested in various irrigation strategies, some of which are not always well implemented. The “Quiminha” Project was recently set up with funding from an Israeli financial group for more than $200 million.

Although livestock activity has been declining substantially in past years, as a result of the expansion of urban residential areas at the expense of areas reserved for aviaries and the rearing of grazing animals, farming has favorable conditions throughout the rural province, in particular for the breeding of cattle, goats, pigs, sheep and birds. The KIKOVO complex, in the county of Viana, is currently the largest egg producer in the country.

Not having a great representation in the calculation of the national fishing volume, part of the population is still engaged in fishing activity, both maritime and continental.

Additionally, the province has excellent conditions for such a practice. The levels of demand for fish continues to increase, and it is expected that, as a result of the population increase and changes in the Angolan diet, demand levels will increase substantially, which opens up ideal prospects for the sector.

Industry, Geology and Mines

Luanda has the largest national industrial park, with important and diversified units and significant growth potential.
The good conditions for the outflow of products, both for the domestic and the external market, make Luanda the most important logistic platform in the country.
The expectation that domestic consumption will keep up with the growth of the population income is a favorable factor in the development of the industry.
The Province of Luanda has mineral resources that permit the exploitation of limestone, gravel, red soil, sand, clay and siliceous sand, the largest production occurring in the municipality of Cacuaco; the production of siliceous sand, however, occurs exclusively in the municipality of Viana.

Tourism, Hotel Business, Commerce and Entrepreneurship The Luanda province is home to more than 80% of the country’s commercial network of goods and services. The trade sector represents a great opportunity for investors because of the high potential for business expansion, boosted by expected population growth and increased income.

In addition to the influence that business tourism carries, it should be noted that all counties have places of tourist interest and leisure. The hotel sector in Luanda has been developing with new infrastructures that are well equipped and with a high level of quality.

Likewise, the offer in terms of catering is wide, making the province a pleasant place for those who visit it. It is also worth mentioning the entertainment culture in the Cape Island next to the Bay of Luanda, with many bars and restaurants.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

We are all aware of the traffic difficulties in Luanda. For that reason, the region needs an integrated transport plan capable of coordinating road, rail and sea traffic, offering several traveling options to the population, even though a strong population growth can overwhelm the current scenario.

In this sense, an opportunity is opening up for investors interested in solving this problem, as well as in joining the efforts that the province will have to make with the rehabilitation of interprovincial roads, secondary and municipal roads. The peripheral expressway in Cacuaco and Viana favored the interconnection between the municipalities of Cacuaco, Viana and Belas.

In terms of road traffic, the province has regular bus connections to all provinces, except for Cabinda, which has a service provided by several operators.
The province also has railroad service, the Luanda Railroad (CFL), a line that currently extends to the province of Malanje, after an important investment in its rehabilitation, which was followed by the acquisition of new diesel locomotives and wagons, aiming at a quality service. The railway station has recently been inaugurated, allowing the transport of goods by train directly from the port of Luanda.

Apart from the expansion and modernization of the Port of Luanda, the province has passenger terminals at Kaposoka, in Samba, and the Port of Luanda, which are transportation alternatives. They marked the beginning of the commercial maritime passenger service, opening doors to the expansion of the project for the entire country’s coastline.

The new Luanda International Airport is under construction, a technologically modern infrastructure 40 kilometers from the city. It should be one of the largest airports on the African continent. It is intended for both international and domestic flights and will have an annual capacity of 15 million passengers and 600 thousand tons of cargo. It will be able to receive all types of aircraft. Luanda is currently served by the 4th de Fevereiro International Airport, which has been the subject of expansion and modernization throughout the years. Located in the city, it has domestic and international terminals, which offer, in addition to connections to almost all provincial capitals, regional and intercontinental connections to important cities like Windhoek, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Brussels, Dubai, Beijing, and Rio de Janeiro, among others.

Energy and Water

After a difficult period, the regular supply of energy to the city of Luanda improved with the completion of Cambambe and Laúca. The horizon will improve even more, as it is expected that the Soyo Combined Cycle Plant will be completed and fully operational in the near future. Hence, natural gas will start to be used for the energy production, not only for the Zaire province, but also to serve Luanda, which will boost the expected industrial impetus.

The collected water intended for the province originates from the Bengo river (the treatment plants of Candelabro and Kifangondo) and from the Cuanza river (plants of Luanda Sudeste, Kikuxi, Luanda Sul and Bom Jesus). Although water and energy infrastructures have benefited from many measures adopted in recent years, huge challenges linked to their regular distribution in some parts of the province still remain.

Demographic Characterization

In accordance with the 2014 Census, the province had, at that time, 862,566 inhabitants, with a relative balance between men and women (51.5% men and 48.5% women). The province has various important areas of mining (small-scale illegal mining of diamonds), particularly in the municipalities of Cuango and Cambulo.

There are a significant but unquantified number of temporary inhabitants, many of them from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

With a reduced population density of 8.31 inhabitants per Km2, Lunda Norte had 54.1% of working-age population at the time of the Census, 59% under 25, and only 2% aged 65 or more.

Education and Vocational Training There is great pressure on the education sector because of the high proportion of children and young people. The sector struggles with a lack of infrastructure and qualified staff. However, the Government has made gradual efforts to overcome the large shortage of schools and staff, and to improve the coverage of the school network in order to provide more comprehensive education services in the municipalities outside the headquarters. The priority announced for 2018 has been the completion of works in progress.

In 2017, the province of Lunda Norte had 2,178 classrooms in its school network. Lueji A’nkonde University, which covers the provinces of Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Malanje, is located in Dundo, where the Superior Pedagogical School of Northern Lunda, an organic unit of Lueji A’nkonde University, is also located. The municipality of Cuango has instituted the core of the Superior Pedagogical Institute, with the intention to create other university centers in other municipalities. In 2018, the Institute of Administration and Management, in the municipality of Lucapa, and the School of Training of Health Technicians, will start operating.

Health

The health sector has also benefited from Central Government programs to extend its infrastructure network. By 2015, the health network had three provincial hospitals, at least six municipal hospitals, 15 health centers, 73 health posts and four maternal and child health centers, in addition to two sanatoriums. In 2017, the “Kamanga” David Bernardino General Hospital was inaugurated with an ortho-traumatic focus, considered as a reference in the province. A Maternal- Infant Hospital and a Diagnostic Center recently inaugurated still need to be equipped. These three infrastructures are located in Dundo.

< Media

The fixed-line network is limited to the municipalities of Chitato, Cambulo and Lucapa, but the coverage of the mobile telephone network covers all municipal offices and extends to all communal venues. It is also possible to capture the signal along the main roads EN180 and EN230. Since the end of 2014, the province has installed equipment so that the Saurimo-Dundo section can be connected to the optical fiber.

Economic Characterization

Despite the importance of diamond mining in the province’s economy and the disproportionate interest in both the industrial and the craft industries, mining does not represent a sector developing employment opportunities or local development. 45% of Lunda Norte households practice some type of agricultural activity. The sector is far from taking advantage of its full potential.

There is also potential to develop small-scale industry and tourism, knowing that in all the cases, there is a lack of infrastructure, including electricity and road networks throughout most of the territory, as well as incentives for projects investing on the economic, social and environmental sustainability of its activities. Through the investments made in recent years and those planned for the future, the Executive seeks to create more attractive conditions for private investors interested in investing in Lunda Norte.

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery

Agriculture in the province is dominated by activities run by families, with around 97% of the area cultivated, leaving only about 3% for farms. Cassava represents about 45% of the total cultivated area, corn 30%, sweet potatoes 9%, peanuts 7%, the remainder being attributed to beans, various fruits (bananas, pineapples, citrus, mangos) and vegetables, among others less significant. The province’s conditions are favorable to other crops, such as rice and cotton, which have had great importance in the past, in addition to fruit trees, sugar cane and coffee.
Cattle farming is at an early stage in the province, while the goat, sheep and pig production is more pronounced when compared to the distribution of the different livestock production at the national level. On the other hand, the production of poultry has little importance.

The Government has installed a livestock farming unit for modern production with financial and technical assistance from an Israeli company, but the results were not those expected because of design problems. For example, the industrial slaughterhouse installed was undersized, as it provided for the slaughter of 18 cattle/day when the initial cattle head count (400) was clearly insufficient. Small-scale fisheries and fish drying are widespread in the province, and continental fisheries based on the development of freshwater aquaculture represent a promising sector. In the context of a restocking of rivers with native species to reduce the current pressure on fish stocks and an investment and training plan, this sector has real potential.

Industry, Geology and Mines

Although most of the current and potential production of diamonds is located in the territory of Lunda Sul, diamond mining is very important not only in the Lunda Norte economy, but also in the image of considerable concession associated with it. Existing production may increase, since ENDIAMA alone registers in this province no fewer than 16 prospecting projects in search of investors. Currently, the province’s largest industrial mining project is Cuango, with 4.1% of the market in terms of volume, but 8.5% in value, which shows the quality of the kimberlite in this area. Lunda Norte is also the province that attracts more small-scale mining, though most of which is illegal.

Apart from the industrial exploration of diamonds, there is practically no industry in the Province. Its potential for development is limited by the poor coverage and inadequacy of the electricity network. Taking this into account, it could increase substantially to the extent that the electricity production capacity increases, and the main roads are rehabilitated.

Tourism, Hotel Business, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

The history and traditions of the Tchokwe culture and other peoples in the area, the existence of landscapes of rare beauty, the century-long history of the diamond industry, and the particular architecture left in the city of Dundo can constitute attractions for the development of tourism. Many preconditions need to be created in order to really take advantage of this potential. So private investments in the sector have to be projected within the framework of public investment prospects, but projects based on historical-cultural tourism and green tourism must include environmental protection activities.

Mainly informal, trade and entrepreneurship are extremely important in most people’s lives, but in their current state, they are not economically significant. This implies that new investment options will open up as the province becomes better structured.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

The province of Lunda Norte is still characterized by a very poor road network. It is crossed by two fundamental roads in the national development strategy: EN230 (west-east) connecting Luanda to Saurimo via Malanje and Xá-Muteba/ Capenda-Camulemba/Xinge in the section belonging to Lunda Norte; and EN180 connecting Dundo, Saurimo and Luena, or from north to south the capitals of, respectively, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Moxico. EN225 is a very important third road for the province, since it interconnects EN230 (from Xá-Muteba) and EN180 (up to Dundo) by the north quadrant. In accordance with data from the 2014 Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation Program (PRIR), these three roads were in the process of rehabilitation at that time. Apart from these roads, the province had about 650 kilometers of secondary roads that needed work, and more than 2,000 kilometers of tertiary roads in the same situation.

At the transport level, Dundo airport started receiving flights from TAAG again in late 2017, after a ten-year hiatus. It has three flights per week. Unlike most of the country’s provinces, Lunda Norte has a network of several airports, but work is required to be able to receive commercial flights. Road transport to and from Luanda is achieved by buses, which are forced to use the EN180 via Saurimo. Apart from being a very long route, it is regularly interrupted. Since the beginning of 2018, traffic was interrupted twice: the first time because of the road degradation, and the second time because of the opening of a ravine threatening to cut EN180.

In the city of Dundo, a large public housing project was built, though it remained underused because of the poor financial capacity of the population to pay either for rent or the purchase price required. Its existence may be an attractive feature to ease the installation of investment support units in the region, as opposed to housing shortages in other Angolan cities.

Energy and Water

The province has benefited from investment and central government programs, which have improved conditions in these sectors. However, Lunda Norte, at the time of the 2014 Census, was part of the four provinces with the lowest rates of access to drinking water in the country, but with important intra-provincial differences.

These situations are repeated in terms of access to energy. Generally speaking, only 15% of the households had access to the public network at the time of the census, despite the various energy production projects announced since the beginning of 2010. With the start of the rehabilitation and the reinforcement capacity of the Luachimo hydroelectric plant in May 2018, a significant improvement is expected, since the production capacity generated should facilitate the development of small industries.

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

A more balanced, equitable and inclusive society, on the way to the definitive overcoming of its deficits in the infrastructures and basic services, trying to reduce social and territorial inequalities in an area of cultural affirmation and of traditions; an economy based on a more diversified production base, with a view to enhancing traditional production methods and working conditions, qualifying them with the technical and technological means and skills that enable tradable production, either directly or through local manufacturing which creates added value; a better structured, sustainable and quality territory based on a balanced urban network that values the size of the Dundo-Luachimo-Chitato link and the movement with the other urban centers of Lunda Norte, ensuring the province’s territorial cohesion.

Strategic Priorities

• Diversification of economic activities and of the productive base, involving diamond companies in projects to support micro-enterprises and agro-livestock development companies, having in view the increase and competitiveness of local production as a deterrent to imports and promoting the reduction of final prices charged, promoting the local acquisition of industrial mine-support services.

• Development of diamond mining and related activities, favoring the role of semi-industrial holdings by diamond cooperatives as an instrument to combat poverty and stimulate private initiative.

• Increase of agriculture and livestock, evolving from rudimentary subsistence agriculture to the production of marketable surpluses, involving the restructuring of rural areas, improvement of tools, development of rural credit and trade, and the recovery of old agricultural and livestock farms.

• Promotion of sustainable tourism, promoting heritage and cultural resources, namely for niche tourism services.

• Development of trade and urban services, reinforcing the urban dimension of the Dundo-Luachimo-Chitato link by promoting higherlevel administrative functions, advanced social and public services, logistical activities – consolidating the urban system and balancing cross-border relationships – and with the infrastructure of the remaining municipalities.

Demographic Characterization

In accordance with the 2014 Census, the province had at that time 537,587 inhabitants, with a balance between men and women, 49.4% of men and 50.6% of women. The province has a very low population density, 6.64 inhabitants per Km2. At the time of the census, the percentage of the working age population was only 39%, with a population under 25 of 62%, and over 65 of only 2%.

Education and Vocational Training

The high proportion of children and young people adds great pressure on the education sector. The sector struggles with a lack of infrastructure and qualified staff. However, the Government has made serious efforts to overcome the great lack of schools. The priority has been to complete all the unfinished works by 2018. According to available data, in 2017 Lunda Sul had 1,443 classrooms in its educational network. The province also has the Lunda Sul Polytechnic School (ESP), an organic unit of the Lueji A’nkonde University, whose headquarters are in the province of Lunda Norte, as well as the Lusíada Polytechnic Institute. In the municipality of Dala there is also the newest teacher school of the future, the NGO ADPP.

Health

In accordance with the Lunda Sul Health map of 2011, the province then had 62 health units, four of them considered as municipal hospitals. According to other available data, in 2018 the provincial health network has 115 health facilities, 112 of which are functional, reflecting, despite the failures that remain, the completed investment in the sector over the past years.
Lunda Sul also has a provincial hospital, known as General Hospital. In May 2018, the resumption of the works of its rehabilitation was announced. Once concluded, this health facility will be renamed Municipal Hospital of Saurimo, as a new General Hospital is under construction. There is also a Maternal Child Hospital, also referred to as a maternity.

Media

There is reasonable coverage of fixed and mobile telephony, available in the four municipalities. The mobile network with broader coverage reaches the municipal offices, some communes and the main roads. The province is connected to the national fiber optic network in the Malanje/Saurimo section and, by the end of 2014, the equipment was installed so that the Saurimo /Luena and Saurimo/ Dundo sections could be connected to this network as well.

The broadcasting signal from public television and radio reaches the capital of the province but needs to be progressively expanded to all municipalities.

Economic Characterization

The importance given to diamond mining in the Lunda Sul province over the last century has created a dual economy with separate production and marketing systems: a disproportionate interest of all actors (potential investors, companies, and young people) in this sector, and little returns to local development. The Government intends to reverse this situation. According to the data from the 2014 population census, only 34% of the province’s households practice some type of agricultural activity. There is sufficient potential, however, to develop the sector and meet the political will of rebalancing the situation as emphasized in the strategic vision of the PND 2018-2022 for the province.

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery>

Agriculture in the province is mostly run by families, with cassava accounting for about 80% of local production, followed by sweet potatoes with 15%. Other crops are emerging, even peanuts, even though as more than 95% of the territory has favorable conditions for its production. In addition to these three crops, it would be favorable to take advantage of the marginal lands along the rivers and of the regularity of the rains and to bet on horticulture and fruit growing to diversify agriculture and diet.
Livestock and poultry are limited in the province, although the territory has good aptitude for the former. On the other hand, the production of goats, pigs and sheep is proportionally much larger than in the rest of the country, though it is still run by families.

Small scale fisheries and fish drying are widespread in the province, and together with freshwater aquaculture, they represent a promising sector, within the context of a restocking of rivers with native species to reduce the current pressure on fish resources in addition to an investment and training plan.

Industry, Geology and Mines

Apart from the industrial exploitation of diamonds, there is no industry in the province. Its development potential is limited by the little coverage and inadequacy of the electricity grid, but taking this into account, it could increase substantially as soon as the main roads are rehabilitated and the economy diversified.

Angola is one of the top ten diamond producers in the world, and the top five in terms of value, thanks to the prices achieved for the quality of its extracted diamonds. In 2017, it became the fourth largest producer in the world in value, with more than 1,100 million dollars. 85% of this production (corresponding to 60% in value) comes from the CATOCA mine located in Lunda Sul. With the upcoming entry into operation of the Luaxe mine, also belonging to CATOCA, the province will have the largest kimberlite in the world and a production potential of 10 million carats per year for the next 30 years.

Tourism, Hotel Business, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

The history and traditions of the Tchokwe culture, together with the possible creation of a national park in the province, can be a strong attraction for the development of tourism. The construction of several hotels in Saurimo in past years represents the beginning of the great investment needed by the tourism and hotel sector to reveal its full potential.

Trade and entrepreneurship, mainly informal, play a large role in people’s lives, but in their current state they are not economically significant.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

Two main axis roads in the national development strategy cross the Lunda Sul province: the EN230 road connecting Luanda to Saurimo via Malanje (west-east), and the EN180 connecting Dundo, Saurimo and Luena, running from north to south of the capitals of Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Moxico. In accordance with the data from the Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation Program (PRIR) of 2014, the first completed road dealt with the section belonging to Lunda Sul and the second road in its entirety was in the process of rehabilitation. A third road, the EN 240, structuring the whole southern quadrant of the western province in the east, had its eastern third segment completed, the central third in progress, while the western one still waits to be awarded. Apart from these roads, the province had more than 500 kilometers of secondary roads requiring work, and more than 1,300 kilometers of tertiary roads in the same predicament.

The city of Saurimo has an airport and regular flights to and from Luanda, in some cases via Malanje. Road transportation is also assured on a regular basis, to and from Luanda. At the beginning of 2018, it was interrupted impacted by the degradation already seen in EN 230. However, the main inter-provincial road transport operator has decided to resume routes to meet the demand.

Energy and Water

The province has been benefiting from investment and central government programs, which have improved conditions in these sectors. However, Lunda Sul, at the time of the 2014 population Census, was part of the four provinces with the lowest rates of access to drinking water in the country. Intra-provincial differences are important from one municipality to the next and between villages and rural areas.

These situations are repeated in terms of access to energy. Generally speaking, about 20% of households had access to the public network at the time of the census, thanks to the hydroelectric power from the Chicapa Hydroelectric Plant.
However, despite having an installed capacity of 16 MW, the plant only provides 4 MW for domestic consumption (exclusively to the city of Saurimo), the remaining 12 MW is consumed by the Mining Company of Catoca. At the end of 2011, a thermoelectric plant with three generator units with a production capacity of 7.5 MW started to operate in Saurimo.

Demographic Characterization

In accordance with the data from the 2014 Census, the province had 986,363 inhabitants. The majority are women, 51.4%, while men represent 48.6%. The mostly young population, under 25, represents 66.4%, while only 3% are above 65. The working population was 47% at the time. The province had a population density of 10.1 inhabitants per Km2.

Education and Vocational Training

In past years, the education sector has been making remarkable progress, mainly in relation to the increase of the number of students, teachers and infrastructures at all levels of education. Despite progress, problems and difficulties persist throughout the country, such as the lack of infrastructure and personnel, notably teachers. In terms of technical and vocational training, the province has some basic training schools covering subjects such as accounting, IT and foreign languages. The province also has an intermediate Agrarian Institute, an intermediate Institute of Health, the Polytechnic Institute of Administration and Management and the intermediate Institute of Teacher Training.

Malanje has a Faculty of Medicine and a Polytechnic School, which offer courses in pedagogy, mathematics, hospitality and tourism, and philosophy, among others. It also has a Higher Polytechnic Institute with courses in clinical psychology, nursing and pharmaceutical sciences and a university associated with the Methodist Church.

Health

The health network of the province is composed of Health centers and facilities in the primary network, fourteen municipal hospitals, one general hospital and two specialty hospitals (Maternity and Sanatorium).
Given the number of its population, the size of the territory and the dispersion of villages, towns and cities, the sanitation system is considered insufficient. This requires a large investment in terms of infrastructures, staff training, equipment placement, as well as key means for its operation.

Media

The province has a mobile telecommunications network belonging to the two national operators (Unitel and Movicel). Although they do not cover the entire territory, they provide both voice and data services in all municipalities. The city of Malanje also has fixed telephone services provided by the operator Angola Telecom through its fixed network of copper and optical fiber.

Although the network does not reach the entire territory, Malanje receives a broadcast signal from the Public Television of Angola and the National Radio of Angola.

Economic Characterization

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery

Malanje has a significant potential for the development of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and livestock in modern and competitive ways, anchored in its climatic conditions, soil, water resources, biological resources, geographic location and sources of electricity, which can mean a great opportunity for interested investors.

Cassava is the main crop, with 34% of cultivated area, followed by corn (22%), beans (24%), peanuts (12%) and sweet potatoes (9%). The remaining crops are potatoes, vegetables and diverse fruit trees. Rice, cotton and tobacco have been of great importance in the past, but their recovery is slow.
Currently there are several initiatives in the province that rely on large public investments. One of the major references deals with the perimeter of the Capanda
Agro-industrial hub in Cacuso, with an area of 410,000 hectares, of which 13,500 will be irrigated. This hub is part of the BIOCOM company, which produces sugar, ethanol and electricity, and several other public and private enterprises, which, together, make Cacuso the municipality with the largest agricultural investment in the country, more than 1.2 million dollars since 2004.

In the Malanje province, there are excellent ecological conditions for the development of livestock, due to the climate, soil and terrain with elevation, suitable for the breeding of cattle, pigs, goats and poultry.

With regard to forest resources, Malanje has some species of high wood value confined in areas such as Cuale, Massango, Marimba and Quela, in the north of the province, and in the southern region of Cambundi Catembo and Quirima. Another of the province’s great potentialities is based on water resources (rivers, streams and lagoons), which represent an important potential for fish capture, especially in the municipalities of the Songo region. With the exception of the municipalities of Caculama and Quiwaba Nzoji, all municipalities rely on fishing as an important source of food and income for their population. The most important rivers are Cuanza, Lucala and Cuango, which can be used for small and medium irrigation.

Industry, Geology and Mines

Despite the water potential, the high energy capacity and the privileged road and railway connections, the industrial activity in the province of Malanje is at an early stage, limited only to small-scale bakery and milling industries. The only important industry is BIOCOM, already mentioned in the previous section. An industrial pole of the city of Malanje is in the process of development, and a textile unit, whose equipment is already in Malanje, is planned.
In the field of geology and mines, important mineral resources such as diamonds, gold, ornamental rocks, manganese, iron, gypsum, different inert materials, bicarbonate water, etc. can be found in the territory.

Tourism, Hotel Business, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Commercial establishments carrying out wholesale marketing tend to focus mostly in the city of Malanje. This predicament raises a major challenge, particularly in rural areas. This means that one of the major business opportunities in the region relates to the commerce sector, which would give renewed vitality to the commercialization of products from the countryside to the cities and vice versa.
Because the province is connected to Luanda by land and railway and because of its strategic location between the coast and the eastern provinces, Malanje became an important logistics and commercial center for the region, which implies a series of opportunities for investors interested in boosting the trade sector.
With regard to the province’s tourist potential, Malanje has national reference sites, especially the Calandula Falls, the Pedras Negras de Pungo-Andongo, the Luando National Reserve, the Cangandala National Park, the Musselege Falls, and the hydro-graphic basins of the rivers Cuanza and Zaire, all of which, combined with the characteristics and cultural features of its people, constitute a diversified and quality tourist attraction.

The existence of tourist and economic potential in the province have encouraged the emergence of some hotels, pensions, restaurants and other enterprises dedicated to the hosting, leisure and accommodation of a growing number of national and foreign citizens traveling to the province.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

With regard to the means of transport, it should be noted that the province is served by bus routes, public transport (private taxis) and by an airport at the provincial capital, with a regular connection to Luanda via the Sonair airline.
The main access roads are rehabilitated. Although lacking maintenance, they have fostered the circulation of goods and services in the province. There are also some difficulties in the connection between the municipal headquarters of Marimba, Kunda-Diabase, Luquenbo and Kirima with the provincial capital. National roads connect the municipality headquarters to the neighboring provinces of Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, and Cuanza Norte. The road to Luanda is functional despite the need for maintenance.

The rail transport service ensures mobility between Malanje and the provinces of Northern Cuanza and Luanda. It represents another investment opportunity in the creation of a logistics platform to support the eastern provinces of the country.

Energy and Water

Taking into account the various natural waterfalls forming natural hydroelectric dams and their solar and wind potential, Malanje offers huge opportunities for energy exploration using non-polluting and renewable sources.

Malanje also operates two of the country’s largest hydroelectric dams (Capanda and Lauca), which provide power to other provinces. It also profits from part of the energy produced by BIOCOM. Nonetheless, as a whole, the province continues to have a deficit in the supply of electricity in some municipalities, and many of them are now dependent on the electricity produced from the generator sets installed in the municipal headquarters.

The water sector has undergone significant development since 2008, but this growth is not enough to remedy the deficit of access to drinking water through household connections especially in the capital city of Malanje.

In the rest of the province, other equipment such as fountains, small water systems and wells have been installed.

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

The main power generation center on the national scale, hosting energy-intensive industries and with a productive specialization in corporate agriculture and large-scale agri-livestock, with the capacity to export agri-food products and to supply the manufacturing industry, with a strong agri-industrial sector, benefiting from the strategic position in the north-south-west traffic of the country – provided by the railway corridor of Malanje and the Dondo branch – for the economic development of the Dondo-N’Dalatando-Lucala road. A well-developed tourist sector, with a qualified and varied offer, valuing the natural, scenic and historical-cultural resources of the province, supported by recovered and qualified urban centers and taking advantage of the proximity to the largest metropolitan area of the country.

Strategic Priorities

• Business agriculture, especially: intensive crops such as corn to supply poultry units; the recovery of coffee and cotton cultivation (there is already a processing unit that needs raw material); the cultivation of the palm tree; and the production for the agri-industry (sunflower, peanuts, beans, cereals, fruits and tubers).

• Large-scale farming.

• Industry: revitalization of the industrial centers of Lucala and Dondo by attracting processing units for agricultural products, in particular the production of palm oil, vegetable oil, cotton and coffee processing, and fruit juices.

• Recovery of the tourism potential (nautical, ecological and rural) by creating support infrastructures in places with the greatest potential for attracting visitors, developing hotel and catering services and promotion measures.

• Attractive urban environment of qualified professionals, of activities and tourists, rehabilitating the urban centers (public space built, housing park and urban infrastructures).

• Integration of young people into the labor market and creation of selfemployment, especially in the agricultural, industrial and tourist sectors.

• Energy, enhancing production and transport and distribution networks.

Demographic Characterization

According to the 2014 Census, the province had 758,568 inhabitants, 51.3% women and 48.7% men. Moxico has a very low population density, with only 3.4 inhabitants per square kilometer. At the time of the census, the working population was a 46.5%, with 67.6% of the population under 25, and only 2.9% aged 65 or over.

Education and Vocational Training

The demand for education is quite high since most of its population is within the education age, putting an enormous pressure on the system.
Difficulties in the infrastructure front and specialized personnel exist. However, the provincial authority has established among its priorities the expansion of the school infrastructures in the province. According to the PDP data, the province had a school community of 223 schools covering all levels.
The province benefits from the presence of higher public education with the Polytechnic School of Moxico, which belongs to the José Eduardo dos Santos University, where courses such as nursing, clinical analysis, mathematics, geography, physics and chemistry are taught.

Health

Since 2002 there has been an increase and improvement in the access of basic social health services in the province, with emphasis on efforts to implement primary health care programs in every county.

The province has health infrastructures in all its municipal and some communal centers, although there is still a shortage of medicines in some public health centers and poor conditions in some local health facilities. Investment in the health network is considered to be one of the priorities of the provincial government, which opens up an opportunity for the participation of the private sector, either in terms of infrastructure construction and staff training or the provision of good and essential services.

Media

According to the 2014 Development Plan of the Province, Moxico had only 170 users of fixed-line telephone network in 2012, about 4500 registered users of mobile phone and approximately 400 subscribers of Internet services—low numbers considering the population. The fixed and mobile telephone networks still do not guarantee full coverage of the province despite improvements and investments undertaken, namely the implementation of the national fiber optic network.
However, the provincial and central governments at the provincial level intend to bet on improving the quality of infrastructure supporting information and communication services in at least all strategic areas of the province, which can be a great business opportunity for private investors.

Economic Characterization

Agriculture and Fishery

The province’s economy relies mainly on agriculture and can be the driving force behind other sectors of the economy linked to the manufacturing and commercialization of surpluses, which generate the bulk of jobs in rural and peri-urban areas.
Thanks to its huge size and characteristics, the province has a great potential for the development of a competitive agriculture, since it bets on the removal of certain constraints – which may be immediate business opportunities – and the creation of incentives as much for the business as for the familial sectors.
The province produces or has the potential to produce rice (with a notable prewar history), corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, soybeans, peanuts, various fruits (pineapple, citrus, mango, avocado) and vegetables beyond the conditions and tradition for beekeeping. The breeding of cattle, goats, pigs and poultry also is feasible since some precautionary measures have been taken.
Moxico also has one of the largest forestry reserves in Angola. The municipalities of Moxico, Luchazes, Camanongue, Léua, Luau and Alto Zambeze hold precious reserves for the exploitation of woods of high commercial value (mussivi, Muvuca and girassonde).

Its water potential, reflected by the numerous rivers, lakes, lagoons and extensive wetlands during the rainy season, is conducive to the practice of river fishing in several regions of the province, the most expressive being the municipalities of Moxico, Luau and Alto Zambezi. This activity can be boosted by the improvement of technology for the production, processing and conservation of several highly prized species for domestic and foreign markets, given the relative proximity of the important Katanga market in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which for example traditionally imported “tuqueia.” Aquaculture can be an important complement to small-scale fishing and may also contribute to the economic and social development of the province.

Industry, Geology and Mines

The industrial environment is still very weak, reduced to micro and small companies among which those related to the baking, grinding, locksmithing and carpentry sectors stand out. There are conditions and opportunities to invest in setting up small industries for processing, manufacturing and conserving the diversity of local products.

According to completed prospective studies, including PLANAGEO’s, the Development Plan of the Moxico province refers to the existence of mineral resources such as coal, copper, manganese, iron, diamond, gold, wolfram, tin, uranium and lignite. All these minerals are yet to be exploited. This too represents a business opportunity for those interested.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

In the province, there are several areas of tourist interest such as the Cameia National Park, Luizavo Falls (Alto Zambezi county), Lake Dilolo (municipality of Luacano), Lago do Calundo (municipality of Leua), Chafinda Falls and Lagoa da Água Azul (municipality of Moxico) and the Mussuma Mitete Nature Reserve in the municipality of Bundas. All this potential has not been sufficiently exploited because of the poor development of the transport, hotel and restaurant sectors, which are therefore good business opportunities. Challenges for the tourism and hotel industry are reflected also in poor skilled labor, difficulties in accessing sites with high tourism potential and logistical problems.

In spite of the challenges mentioned above, the Angolan executive plans seek to create logistics centers that serve as a basis for delineating the territory and enhancing the strategic position of the province in the context of the SADC1, since it is a border province.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

The transport infrastructure in the Moxico province relates to road, railway, air and river (small scale) networks. Given its territorial dimension, the Moxico province needs to invest more in a network of quality and well-maintained roads. In general, road traffic conditions between the various counties and between them and the neighboring provinces are difficult. They have been considered one of the main impediments for the province’s development.
Because it is connected to the central coast of Angola by the Benguela Railroad (CFB) and to the railroad system of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is connected to that of the Republic of Zambia, Moxico has a good development potential.
If the SADC member states intend to connect to the Democratic Congo and Zambia, then it would be possible to establish a rail link with the cities of Beira in Mozambique and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, in the Indian Ocean. It would not be impossible either to connect indirectly to the South African rail system. In this way, the CFB could form a transcontinental rail network, which opens up good prospects for the province of Moxico. Moxico has airports in Luau and Luena with regular flights from Luanda to the city of Luena.

The Zambezi River is navigable for small vessels. It has been a viable option for the transport of people and goods between Alto Zambezi and Lumbala-Nguimbo and the Republic of Zambia.

Energy and Water

Despite efforts to repair basic infrastructure in municipalities and install small systems for the production, transportation and distribution of electricity, and for water supply, the province has still some deficits in the supply of drinking water and electricity.
Given the province’s environmental and water conditions, there are many opportunities for national and foreign investors wishing to invest in the energy sector, including renewables and water, since focusing on the recovery and construction of new thermal and mini power plants and drinking water supply and supply systems, are necessary.

Demographic Characterization

According to the 2014 Census the province had, at the time, 495,326 inhabitants, 48.5% men and 51.5% women.

The population is quite young, 67.7% of inhabitants under 25. The province has very low population density, 11.4 inhabitants per km2. At the time of the census, the percentage of the working-age population was 49.7%.

Education and Vocational Training

The high percentage of young people explains the great deal of pressure on the education sector, which is confronted with a lack of infrastructures and qualified staff, despite the implementation of specific programs that have brought about improvements, such as a 7% increase in qualified teaching staff.
The data available account for 158 schools, including one primary teaching school and four higher education institutions, three of which are public and one private, with a special emphasis on the Fishery Academy, with a wide range of courses focusing on this economic domain. In addition, more courses such as accounting and management, engineering, marine biology, human resources management, law, architecture and urbanism, political sciences and administration of the territory, among others, are offered.

Health

In recent years, there has been an improvement in health care in the province, mainly through the construction and rehabilitation of health facilities, in particular the one of the Ngola Kimbanda Provincial Hospital, and the construction of a 300-bed Maternal and Child Hospital. However, difficulties on the personnel front persist.
The healthcare network includes 79 public and 47 private health centers, with a total of 1,443 beds, including two provincial hospitals and a maternal and child hospital.

Media

The province has reasonable coverage of fixed and mobile telephony, but in the municipalities of Virei, Camucuio and Bibala major difficulties remain. The province is linked to the national fiber optic network whose signal operates in Tômbwa and the city of Moçâmedes. Despite difficulties, the fiber optic network continues to expand, and the quality of service is improving.

The broadcast signal of public television and radio is available in all municipalities, and there is a modern, recently inaugurated production center of the Angolan Public Television in the city of Moçâmedes.

Economic Characterization

The economic activity of the province relies mainly on the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors, based on geographical location and territorial and climatic characteristics. These latter also allow to deduce the potential for the development and exploitation in sectors such as tourism and commerce. The existence of the third largest port in Angola and the Moçâmedes railroad, linked with the border with Namibia, are also factors that boost economic growth and development in the region.

Agriculture and Fishery

In Namibe, the agricultural sector is not as strong as in other regions of the country because of the vastness of the desert and the cultural characteristics of its people, traditionally leaning on livestock. Despite this, the province makes possible the development and exploitation of agricultural activity, including vineyards and olive groves. Conditions are also favorable for potato cultivation and horticulture, for fruit growing in coastal areas, and for crops such as sorghum and millet in the more semi-arid zones.

Livestock (mainly cattle and goats) plays an important role thanks to the quality of the pastures deep inside areas of the province between the altitude of 700 to 1200 meters.
Almost all herds belong to the Macubal peoples, who continue to practice transhumant grazing, and carry, beyond economic importance, historical and cultural symbols.

Fishing is an important source of income for the province and a sector with high potential, thanks to its extensive coast extremely rich in biodiversity, which can supply several species of not only fish, but also high-quality crab, clams, mussels, and oysters, among other shellfish. These conditions also foster the creation and development of an industry linked to the drying, freezing, processing and preserving of fish and shellfish. The existence of the Fishery Academy is also an important factor in the sector’s development.

Industry, Geology and Mines

The province’s industrial park consists mainly of industries manufacturing agricultural and fish products and extracting and transforming ornamental stones.
Namibe has interesting mineral resources for economic exploitation, such as marble, nickel, platinum, gold, copper, zinc, gypsum, sand, and limestone, among others. These resources are important not only for the development of the industry directly engaged with its exploitation, but also for other industries that need some of these resources as raw materials.

Also noteworthy is the existence of mineral and medicinal waters in the Bibala county and the extraction of salt in the municipalities of Namibe and Tômbwa, activities that can also be boosted and exploited.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

The province’s tourism potential must be accessed, because of its diversity and geographic and climatic characteristics, its desert, existing animal and plant species, which include turtles, species protected by law, and seals. These features, including the Iona Natural Park, favor ecotourism. Health tourism also has a high potential with the thermal waters of Bibala. The province’s vast Atlantic coast with beautiful beaches is ideal for a tourism engaged in diving and nautical activities. The relative proximity of Walvis Bay in Namibia is another factor to consider.

The province has few hotels, which underscores the need and growth potential of this sector as well as others closely reliant on tourism, such as catering and trade. The trade sector has been developing substantially but is very concentrated in the municipalities of Namibe and Tômbwa. The informal sector represents an important part of the commercial activity, and still exists, although in 2012, 1,098 commercial establishments were legalized.

The border with the Republic of Namibia is a major opportunity, either for the tourism sector, where the province can attract visitors, or for the development of commercial activity, since it is a country that represents a considerable market.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

A major investment took place in recent years in the province’s road infrastructure with the rehabilitation of main and secondary roads that allow circulation not only within the province but also to the neighboring ones. Bad sections and roads still exist, but investments continue for their improvement. At the transport level, the province is served by a regular air link from Luanda to the city of Moçâmedes. Road transportation is also regularly and acceptably provided by private operators, whether on inter-municipal or interprovincial highways.

Energy and Water

The power supply for the province comes from the Matala Hydroelectric Plant (Huíla), the Xitoto Thermal Power Plant, in the County Namibe, and the Tômbwa Thermal Power Plant. In other municipal and communal centers, the supply is provided by groups of generators.

The province has benefited from investment

and central government programs, which have improved conditions in the sector.

In June 2017, the municipality of Namibe received another turbine with a capacity to generate 28 MW, and more investments are being made not only in this municipality, but also in Tômbwa.
Difficulties in accessing drinking water still persist, either because of a lack of infrastructure or of the low rainfall and drought that impact the province, despite the Central Government’s investments to improve conditions.

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

Province with an attractive and competent environment, endowed with a wide range of opportunities, welcoming the most important fishing zone of Angola and an important fishing and fish processing industry and salt production, and promoting the valorization of the bays of Namibe and Tômbwa. It is a reference destination in the country, with potential for internationalization, taking advantage of 480 km of the Atlantic Coast and a desert interior area, rich in natural, landscape and cultural resources. A growing industrial sector, associated with the use of primary production (sea products, mineral resources, agricultural and livestock) and maritime activities. The logistics platform for the internationalization of the southern region of the country, linking the port of Namibe with international air transport, rail and highway, and the development of the Namibe international corridor in view of improving and increasing trade with SADC countries.

Strategic Priorities

• Consolidation of the fishing sector and development of a strong fishing and fish processing industry. Promotion of aquaculture.

• Strengthening the harbor and logistics functions of the port of Namibe by moving to an Hinterland that includes Angola and northern Namibia.

• Appreciation of the agricultural and livestock sector: modernization of livestock farming and reinforcement of agricultural crops of Mediterranean and subtropical characteristics (vine, olive, tomato, melon, watermelon, mango), and promotion of associated agro-industrial activities.

• Industrial development focused on export: sea products processing industry, ornamental rocks and also industries supporting maritime activities (maintenance, repair and shipbuilding, equipment).

• Tourism as a privileged activity for the internationalization of the province, structuring supply and betting on a public-private cooperation. • Appreciation of human resources.

• Cohesive territorial planning and re-qualification of the territory as a way of attracting investment and stabilizing the population.

• Social and economic integration of the transhumant population.

Demographic Characterization

According to the last 2014 Census, the population of the province was composed of 1,483,118 inhabitants. In Uíge, the women population stands at 50.9% while men at 49.1%.

At the time of the census, the province had a population density of 23.8 inhabitants per square kilometer and an active-age population of 46.6 per cent, while the young population (under 25) stood at 66.3%.

Education and Vocational Training

According to the data available, the province has 1,238 schools. As in other provinces, the education system in Uíge is under great pressure, both because of the high proportion of young people and because of the shortcomings in terms of infrastructure and human resources.

The province has two teacher training schools, two agrarian intermediary schools and an intermediary health institute. There is also a public higher education institution, which, according to recent data, has about 8,000 students, who can choose courses such as Medicine, Nursing, Law, and Economics, among others.

Health

In recent years, there has been a gradual increase of health units, as well as health professionals. According to PDP data, the province currently has 218 health facilities, including ten mother-child centers and a center specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). There is still a shortage of specialized personnel, but the Uíge province benefits from the presence of the university, which trains health professionals, namely doctors and nurses.

Media

As far as media is concerned, the province has two postal stations with internet rooms. Mobile and fixed network coverage still falls short despite investments that have brought improvements.
The Uíge province also benefits from the national fiber-optimum network that will, over time, substantially improve the quality and availability of services.
A good part of the province receives the Public Television of Angola and the National Radio of Angola signals, despite persistent difficulties that investments in the sector, namely in the center emitting the Public Television of Angola, are overriding.

Economic Characterization

Agriculture and Fishery

As in the rest of the country, agriculture is also the main economic engine in Uíge, alongside trade. The province has good conditions for agricultural activities. The main crops consist of cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, peanuts and beans, and more.
After a period of neglect, coffee (Angola was once the third largest producer in the world) has made a comeback in recent years. It is estimated that the area devoted to its cultivation stretches over 30,000 hectares. Though the large farms, fazendas, have been abandoned or are underutilized, they can be an attractive factor for investment, especially with the modernization of the productive system and industrialization.

In the animal farming sector, the breeding of poultry, followed by swine, sheep, goats and cattle stand out. In 2012, there were 12 aquaculture productive tanks with a production of 36,016 kilograms of fish.
Wood represents an interesting opportunity for investment, with eight industrial sawmills in the province. The possibility of setting up furniture manufacturing units makes perfect sense.

Industry, Geology and Mines

This sector needs more investment in the province, given its high potential. The Mavoio and Tetelo copper mines are in operation, and there is exploitation of aggregates for construction, such as gravel, white sand, red clay, burgau and rock.
The exploitation of diamonds is another opportunity for business and development. Along with the small-scale exploitation, explorations and studies have been carried out on the prospection and eventual exploitation of diamonds in several municipalities.

The province also has important forest reserves that can be economically exploited, provided that its sustainability and environmental factors are assured, making the wood manufacturing industry an attractive sector.

The coffee sector also has economic potential, not only in the production but also in the industrialization of the sector, namely in the husking, roasting, packaging and even processing by-products.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

These sectors also reflect good examples of the province’s economic vitality. Whether in the hospitality or in the commercial sectors, there has been an increase in licensed establishments.
The Luanda, Malanje, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Democratic Republic of the Congo people and merchants’ demand for local agricultural products is a factor bringing great dynamism and potential to the province’s agriculture and commerce, a significant fact knowing that between 2009 and 2013, the trade increased by four.
The province’s hotel sector has 17 hotels. Given Uíge’s tourist and commercial potential, both in terms of cultural and natural heritage, this sector carries a lot of potential.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

In the matter of transportation, the Uíge province is served by inter-municipal and inter-provincial bus routes, private taxi networks and an airport, which was renovated and expanded in 2014, though at the moment there is no regular air connection to the province.

The access roads have been the focus of heavy investments and are in reasonable condition, above all the road connecting Luanda to Uíge. Although there are secondary and tertiary roads in need of repair, in general, the existing roads allow circulation between the municipalities and to the neighboring provinces.

Energy and Water

Given the investments made in recent years, improvements in the energy and water sectors have been achieved, while others are planned.
In 2012, the total operative capacity in the province was 42.11 MW, but the situation is expected to improve as the energy from the Capanda dam reaches the cities of Uíge and Negage. In fact, Capanda produces enough energy to extend its distribution. On the other hand, planned mini-hydraulics are expected to function as the base in order to improve the system and support future investments.

As for water, investments have been made to ensure access to drinking water, including fountains and small water systems. Some of these supply systems rely on gravitation, and this process can be extended to other municipalities. The rate of coverage of the population in terms of access to water was at the time, 40.6%. It is planned that funding from the World Bank will expand the network.

Challenges and Opportunities of the Province

Strengthening connections with Zaire, Malanje and Luanda is a priority. The role of Luanda as a major center of consumption, outlets and exports, must be mentioned here.
These conditions encourage the contemplation of business and investment opportunities, first of all in agriculture, given the availability of land and the gradual increase of cultivated area and agricultural production. Coffee, corn, cassava, beans, soybeans, peanuts, bananas (of various types), citrus and tropical fruits are products with a great future. Secondly, the exploitation and manufacturing of wood are important investment and business opportunities. Cattle and goat breeding is considerable, taking advantage mainly of the conditions of the Congo plateau, an extension of the Camabatela plateau (Northern Cuanza), of strong animal raising tradition, where a modern industrial slaughterhouse has been recently inaugurated. A strategy of economic dynamism leads in turn to the creation of specialized inter-municipal and agro-industrial centers and projects.
The development of an industrial exploitation of copper and diamonds, as well as other mineral resources, such as gold, will be another important area of investment.
In the chapter on trade, there is an interesting dynamic, which has been reinforced by the recent creation of a B.U.E. (Balcão Único do Empreendedor) with plans to extend to market and logistic networks. This will facilitate the commercialization, manufacturing and flow of goods and products, integrating the province into important commercial circuits.

The hotel sector, associated with the economic dynamism of the territory but also with the province’s tourist development, is another good business opportunity. As mentioned, the province has a rich historical and cultural heritage, as well as a natural heritage worthy of being valued.

Finally, the media, the improvement of transportation services, and the extension of digital coverage are important investment and business areas.

Economic Characterization

Thanks to large hydrocarbon reserves, oil and gas exploitations have a strong foothold in the province. They are the main engine of the economy and contribute, with their momentum, to the development of other sectors, such as miscellaneous service providers for oil companies.

Despite having less economic importance, agriculture accounted for around 80% of the labor force, according to the 2014 data.

The proximity to the Democratic Republic of the Congo opens intense though still somewhat unstructured commercial activities. A favorable evolution is expected.

Agriculture and Fishery

The climatic and soil conditions are favorable to the development of agriculture, especially in the interior areas. However, with few exceptions, a self-subsistence and local agriculture is practiced almost exclusively. The main exceptions are the mid-size farms in Nzeto and Cuímba, which grow various crops such as cassava (including flour processing), corn, soy and vegetables, and the Girassol fazenda, which supplies some supermarkets in Luanda. Though still from small producers, pineapple cultivation is important because of its quality and the possibility of industrialization.

The conditions for the growing and production of peanuts, sweet potatoes, cassava, beans, bananas, citrus fruits and coffee, are favorable. The more arid coastal zones are conducive to the cultivation of cashew. The potential for the exploitation of high value timber is a reality as well.

Fishing happens almost exclusively on a small-scale, but the province’s extensive coastline and the quality of the fish reflect a great potential for developing this activity, along with the possibility of setting up processing industries. Also, in the interior, the fishing activity takes place in rivers and lagoons, but above all in the Zaire river.

Industry, Geology and Mines

The province’s industrial park is mainly made of small family businesses. According to the data from its Development Plan, the province has 295 industrial units, and a great potential for growth given its proximity to Luanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The main industries are baking and the production of blocks for construction.

At the level of the petroleum sector, the province of Zaire is one of the most important in the country, with large reserves both onshore and offshore. There are several blocks in operation and a modern Liquefied Natural Gas (LPG) unit in the city of Soyo, whose investors, almost all major oil companies operating in Angola, financed about $ 4 billion. The sector is the main driver of the local economy, and it also energizes many companies that provide services to the oil companies. All the movement generated around the activity also brings a great potential to other sectors such as hotel and catering.

In addition to hydrocarbons, the province also has important mineral reserves with potential commercial exploitation, such as granite, limestone, sand, and also copper, pyrite, phosphates and even diamonds. It is also important to study the possibility of phosphate exploitation for the use of phosphorus as fertilizer. Oil exploration and the availability of energy could enable the development of the petrochemical industry, including the production of nitrogen fertilizers. The creation of the Soyo industrial center is underway, with an infrastructure, which, in itself, represents an excellent business opportunity.

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

The province has a high tourist potential. Since its capital is a World Heritage Site, it can boost historical and cultural tourism. There is also great potential for nature tourism, with the presence of the Zaire river and the beauty of the surrounding landscapes. The Atlantic coast offers beautiful beaches.
The necessary development in the area of tourism creates great business opportunities for the creation of infrastructures in the hotel and catering sector. The trade sector offers good business opportunities. It can be exploited at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and complements existing or potentially expanding sectors such as oil or tourism. At the moment, it is still little developed. It is mainly centered in the provincial capital and in the city of Soyo. Also, a major informal sector accounts for a large part of existing trade.

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

Major investments have been made in recent years in the province’s road infrastructure, and the roads connecting Nzeto, Soyo, Tomboco and Mbanza Congo, including Luanda. They are in very good condition, especially the highway between Nzeto and Soyo, which opened in August 2017 and operates with two lanes, expected to be four and extended to Luanda in the near future. Difficulties on the roads to Nóqui and Cuímba and on the secondary and tertiary roads still persist. In terms of transport, the province is served by regular air connections from Luanda to the cities of Soyo and Mbanza Congo. Three transport companies regularly provide road transport to and from Luanda.
The business potential in this area is to be explored, namely the possibility of maritime links between coastal cities and also the province of Cabinda. The navigability of the Zaire river is also a good opportunity.

Energy and Water

The province has benefited from investment and central government programs, which have improved conditions in these sectors. The Soyo combined cycle plant was inaugurated in August 2017 with a production capacity of 750 MW.
Difficulties in accessing drinking water persevere, despite existing water resources, but the situation has been improving.

Information complied by JMJ Angola from the National Development Plan and Provincial Development Plans.

BENGO

CABINDA

CUANZA SUL

HUÍLA

LUNDA SUL

NAMIBE

BENGUELA

CUANDO CUBANGO

CUNENE

LUANDA

MALANJE

UÍGE

BIÉ

CUANZA NORTE

HUAMBO

LUNDA NORTE

MOXICO

ZAIRE

PROVINCES

Information complied by JMJ Angola from the National Development Plan and Provincial Development Plans.

BENGO

CABINDA

CUANZA SUL

HUÍLA

LUNDA SUL

NAMIBE

BENGUELA

CUANDO CUBANGO

CUNENE

LUANDA

MALANJE

UÍGE

BIÉ

CUANZA NORTE

HUAMBO

LUNDA NORTE

MOXICO

ZAIRE

THE BENGO PROVINCE

Physical, Geographical and Environmental Characterization

THE BENGO PROVINCE

Demographic Characterization

THE BENGO PROVINCE

Economic Characterizationn

Agriculture and Fishery

Industry, Geology and Mines

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Energy and Water

THE BENGO PROVINCE

Challenges and Opportunities of the Province

THE BENGO PROVINCE

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

Strategic Priorities

THE BENGUELA PROVINCE

Physical, Geographic and Environmental Characteristics

THE BENGUELA PROVINCE

Demographic Characterization

Education and Vocational Training

Health

Media

Optic network that has brought substantial

THE BENGUELA PROVINCE

Economic Characterization

Agriculture and Fishery

Industry, Geology and Mines

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

Energy and Water

THE BENGUELA PROVINCE

Challenges and Opportunities of the Province

THE BENGUELA PROVINCE

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

Strategic Priorities

THE BIÉ PROVINCE

Physical, Geographic and Environmental Characteristics

THE BIÉ PROVINCE

Demographic Characterization

Education and Vocational Training

Health

Media

THE BIÉ PROVINCE

Economic Characterization

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery

Industry, Geology and Mines

Tourism, Hospitality, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Access Roads, Infrastructure and Transport

Energy and Water

THE BIÉ PROVINCE

Challenges and Opportunities of the Province

THE BIÉ PROVINCE

National Development Plan 2018-2022

Overview

Strategic Priorities

THE CABINDA PROVINCE

Physical, Geographic and Environmental Characteristics

THE CABINDA PROVINCE