Angola has long been a global player in the energy sector, with oil and gas accounting for the lion’s share of exports. Pro-business policies have helped attract new investment from companies such as TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil.
According to the International Energy Agency, Angola is on track to become southern Africa’s largest oil producer.
“We have the largest deepwater operation in the entire company,” said Melissa Bond, general manager, ExxonMobil Angola. “We find we have a very collaborative relationship and have been able to advance some significant opportunities.”
Angola is also leading a green energy transition as part of diversifying its economy.
“Somoil aims to become the leading integrated energy company, not only in Angola but also in Africa,” said Edson dos Santos, CEO of Somoil. “Renewable energies will play an important role for us.”
“One of them is solar energy. Angola has one of the best facilities in Africa. The second is hydroelectricity because there are many rivers in Angola.”
These rivers also contribute to the development of agriculture and tourism in Angola. We visit the Vale do Bero winery on the Bero River. In the agriculturally rich province of Namibe, around 80,000 bottles are produced each year.
Success is not only due to abundant water. Due to the favorable climate, there are two harvests a year.
The double harvest is also a big boon for other plants. Just ask the dragon fruit and strawberry kings of Angola.
Once a coffee producer with worldwide exports, Angola is currently making a comeback. Like on Fazenda Vissolela, in the province of Kwanza Sul.
Small farmers are also involved here, at Café Cazengo in the province of Kwanza Norte.
Angola is also making international efforts to develop so-called “diaspora tourism”. This is aimed at the descendants of Angolans, sold into slavery around the world by Portuguese colonizers over the centuries.
Central to this tourism is the Kwanza River corridor. … A route that begins at the spectacular Calandula Falls in eastern Angola and extends to the Atlantic coast.
The Tucker family of Virginia aims to develop diaspora tourism. Their ancestors, Antoney and Isabel, were among an estimated 6 million Angolans who were enslaved.
American jazz drummer Gregory Hutchinson has been to Angola on several occasions, both for concerts and commemorations. Among other things, he visited the Slavery Museum in Luanda.
Gregory Hutchinson, Jazz Drummer: “It’s been amazing for me to come here and learn so much. It’s jarring and has shown me there’s still so much to learn. So this is the start of a journey for me.”
