1. Big opportunities in the social sectors
Who would have thought that businesses would thrive in these sectors in Angola! After years of neglect, the government is making significant efforts to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and drive forward development. In 2012 for example, a staggering 30% of the 2012 budget was earmarked for priority social sectors: education, health and housing. Up to know, education & training, construction, and affordable housing tops the government’s agenda; there is a pressing requirement to bring about significant reductions in the huge housing deficit the country currently experiences, so it is a great area for your business or investment.

TIP: But you do not need to think about building a school, a hospital, or apartments that require big capital, instead look at providing valuable training, set up an agency in one of those sectors, a property agency for example, or even cheaper and more convenient: do it mostly online.

2. Agribusiness is top on the agenda
Like Nigeria, Angola wants to diversify production away from oil, and agricultural production is its top choice to achieve that. Before the start of the civil war, Angola used to be a dynamic producer of bananas, coffee and sisal, of which production is now almost nonexistent. Due to the civil war agricultural production was drastically reduced. The country has depended on international help and on food imports since the middle of 1980’s. In fact, Angola was at one point the world’s fourth largest coffee producer and the government suggests that there are ample opportunities for interested investors to get coffee production started ! Cattle breeding was another important part of the Angolan economy, but animal husbandry is hardly visible now. So, here you go, you have a population of 20 Million inside the country who need to eat every single day and Angola has a lot of fertile land available for production, but not enough is happening in this regard.

The government supports the production and processing of cereals, roots and tubercles, beans, fruits, vegetables, oil seeds, and specialty products such as green products, small ruminants, cattle breeding and meat processing, pig farming and the rearing of poultry and other birds.

TIP: The simplest food products such as eggs, chicken meat, and juice for example get imported into Angola and are worth millions of Dollars. The poultry sector holds clearly the biggest opportunity for you. Can you imagine, according to the National Private Investment Agency, Angola produces currently less than a tenth of its poultry and egg consumption, although it is really such an easy production line to set up! Once you pass Angolan bureaucracy, the opportunities with such very simple agricultural and food processing concepts are amazingly profitable and there are many , many more.

3. UK is second largest investor in Angola – and the US….
The UK is the second largest investor in Angola. This is interesting I would say, especially for the large African Diaspora in the UK. You will be able to follow those who started the journey of doing business with Portugal before you and it will be easier for you to find partners on the ground. Portuguese is the official language, and penetration of English language is one of the lowest in the world. Although some English is spoken in business circles language will remain a major barrier for many. Well, having said that The Chinese are the largest investor in Angola, followed by the UK, and France – hmm…it looks like there is a way around knowing Portugese after all. What about the US? Interestingly, the US, views Angola as one of it main partners on the continent; Angola is the second-largest trading partner of the United States in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly because of its petroleum exports. Having said that US-Angola relations face several constraints at the moment and Angola enjoys greater strategic links with China, Brazil, and Portugal.

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