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SONANGOLNEWSpages 42-51

Coming homeAngolans are flooding back with apassion to help rebuild their country

LUANDA’S BANKING BOOM

AFRICA’S OIL RUSH

A STADIUM FOR THE FUTURE

UniversoSonangol’s International MagazineSPRING 2008

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Sonangol News

BriefingInside Sonangol

InterviewAntonio Orfão, president of Sonagás

Focus Runners and riders in the secondlicensing round

SPRING 2008 3

CONTENTS

Letter from the editor

Readers’ letters

Angola news

Coming back to the futureAngolan talent floods back

Opinion: David Brookshaw

Africa’s deepwater richesAll go in the Gulf of Guinea

Angolan beat that’s shaking the world The growth of kuduro

InsideTiger, tiger burning brightBanking on a secure future

Beauty against all oddsThe Miss Landmine pageant

Fever pitchAngola’s biggest-ever sporting project

Angola’s gentle giant Protecting the Palanca Negra

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Namibe

Huambo

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Luanda

Caxito Lucapa

Onjiva

Lubango

Saurimo

Cabinda

Menongue

Benguela

Ndalatando

MbanzaCongoSoyo

Malanje

Lobito

Zaire

Cabinda

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Luanda Malanje

Bengo

KwanzaNorte

Moxico

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Lunda Norte

Lunda SulKwanzaSul

Benguela

Huambo

Huila

Cuando CubangoCuneneNamibe

Following Angola’s agreementto honour debts with the ParisClub, Japan will providecredit to finance the reconstruction of the posts ofLobito and Namibe.

THE BIG PICTURE

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Work is starting this year onAngola’s most expensive con-struction project – the $8billion Liquefied Natural Gascomplex in Soyo. pp46-7

Brazil is to give $30million todevelop a 33,0000 hectareagricultural project in PungoAndongo, Malanje. Theland will produce maize andsugar cane.

The paving of 95km of roadbetween Munenga andKibala in Kwanza Sulhas been completed

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Congresso do MPLA, No 8-16 Caixa Postal 1316, Luanda

Republica de Angola

Sonangol USA (SONUSA) 1177 Enclave Parkway,Second Floor, Houston TX 77077

Sonangol UK Mereval House Brompton PlaceLondon SW3 1QE United Kingdom

Sonangol Asia 3 Temasek Avenue 31-04Centennial Tower Singapore 039190

www.sonangol.co.ao

The rehabilitation of the Ngove Dam on the Cunene River,and the installation of a hydro-electrical station, is due to start inearly 2008 and will last approximately two years. The dam wasbadly damaged during the war. It’s restoration will aid economicdevelopment of the provinces of Huambo and Bié.

Sonangol Department forCommunication & ImageDirectorJoão Rosa Santos

Corporate Communications Assistants Cristina de Novaes, Roberto Graça,Raimundo Vilares

Publisher Sheila O’Callaghan

EditorAlex Bellos

Art Directors Lisa PampilloniaDavid Gould

Sub EditorRon Gribble

Editorial & Design ConsultantRichard Addis

Advertising DesignBernd Wojtczack

Circulation ManagerMatthew Alexander

Group PresidentJohn Charles Gasser

Project ConsultantNathalie MacCarthy

This magazine is produced for Sonangol byImpact Media Custom Publishing. The viewsexpressed in the publication are not neces-sarily those of Sonangol or the publishers.Reproduction in whole or in part withoutprior permission is prohibited.

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

Impact Media Custom Publishing53 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4HSTel + 44 20 7812 6400Fax +44 20 7812 6413

[email protected]

Cover: Miraldina de Carvalho Ribeira, photo by José Silva Pinto.

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4 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

OVERVIEW

SPRING 2008 5

READER’S LETTERS

For Angola, 2008 will be a crucialyear. The country is taking giantstrides forward in the spheres of

politics, finance and industry. InSeptember, the first elections will be heldsince 1992. The year will also see theopening of the Luanda stock exchange, aswell as the country repaying its arrears tothe Paris Club. Reconstruction work inthe capital and the provinces continuesapace.

This year is also a big one forSonangol. For the first time since Angolajoined OPEC it has a quota – 1.9 millionbarrels per day – a limit that is expectedto be reached in the first half of the year.In March, the winners of the secondlicensing round will be known, openingup seven offshore and three onshoreblocks to exploration and production.

Work has started on the $8 billionAngola Liquefied Natural Gas plant inSoyo, the most expensive single construc-tion project in Angolan history. New wellsin already-operated blocks are expectedto come on line. And Sonangol has a new22-storey office on the Luanda seafront.

To reflect the great changes under-way in the country, and the progress andexpansion of Sonangol, Universo is alsoupdating. This is my first issue as editor.

In it I hope to publish stories that expressthe diversity and versatility of the nationas it faces the challenges of growth anddevelopment. When I visited Luanda forthe first time last year, I was struck by theamount of activity going on and the com-mitment of Angolans to rebuild. AsRaquel de Oliveira, one of the manyAngolans who has come home since theend of the war in 2002, told me: “Peopleare starting to believe in the country.”

Raquel was interviewed as part ofthe cover story on Angolans who havemoved back from abroad. The flow ofnationals returning home is one of themost obvious demonstrations of a newoptimism.

In this magazine there is more evi-dence of this self-confidence. We featurea report on the preparation for the 2010African Cup of Nations, which will be themost high-profile event ever held inAngola. Angolan authors are gainingincreasing international prominence. Astyle of electronic music that mixesAngolan rhythms and Western technol-ogy is being played on the dance floors ofEurope.

With the opening of a stockexchange, Angola’s financial sector isbecoming more sophisticated – which

will benefit the country in micro andmacroeconomic terms. More Angolansare opening bank accounts, and moreinternational investors are willing to lendmoney. Already inflation is at its lowestlevel for 16 years.

Yet it is only six years since the endof fighting, and the shadow of the war isstill present all over the country. Wereport on a controversial beauty competi-tion for women who have suffered brutalinjuries from landmines. The hope is tochange the perception of the womenfrom ‘victims’ to ‘survivors’.

From this issue, the corporate side ofSonangol’s activities will have its ownsection at the back of the magazine.Antonio Orfão, the president of Sonagás,is interviewed in what will be a regularslot where we speak to a prominent company executive. And we list the 81companies which have pre-qualified forthe second licensing round – proof, if anywere needed, of the vast global interest inAngola.

My aim with this issue of Universohas been to capture the dynamism of acountry accelerating into the future. Ihope you enjoy it.

A fresh start

Fast forwardDear SirI have just finished a documentary aboutLuanda’s National Music School, calledEscape from Luanda. I think it offers aninteresting insight into modern Angola.The first director of the school felt it wasenough for the students, all of whom hadsuffered badly during the war, to turn upat the school on a regular basis. It was atime of dealing with a terrible past by re-introducing some order, some education,some culture. To the director, the qualityof the learning was not as important.

The director who replaced her hadother thoughts; he believed that musicalstandards had to be improved. I wonderif this small change of emphasis in oneschool in Luanda represents where mod-ern Angola is positioned. Perhaps, justperhaps, the country has been able toreconcile itself with its past and is now ina position to move forward – to look notback but ahead. Phil Grabsky, England

Special relationshipDear SirI am so pleased to be in Luanda to repre-sent the United States. My wife Graceand I arrived here in November and wecan already tell that we are going to enjoygreatly our stay. We come to Angola at anhistoric moment as the nation furtherconsolidates peace and prepares for leg-islative elections in 2008, a sign ofsignificant progress after many decadesof war and devastation. This is an excit-ing time in Angola’s history, and I am gladto be here to do what I can to help thepeople of Angola harvest the fruits of thiswell-earned peace.

America’s support for Angola is evi-dent in many areas, most especially inthe petroleum sector. American compa-nies provide employment and trainingfor Angolans and have also invested in awide range of health, agriculture andother programmes. I am quite proud ofthe contributions that American businesscontinues to make to Angola’s growth andwell-being.

I am proud, as well, of the role of mygovernment in working with Angolancounterparts to tackle some of the obsta-

cles to development. We are committedto doing as much as we can to helpAngola halve the deaths from malariaamong children under five. We also arecommitted to the fight against HIV/Aids,and are supporting Angolan efforts toprevent the pandemic from taking roothere. Our bilateral relations also encom-pass strong educational and culturalexchanges. Angolans have studied in theUnited States through the FulbrightScholarship programme since 1998. Iplan to work hard to expand and deepenthese exchanges. Born and raised on adairy farm in the state of Iowa, I have aspecial interest in promoting economicdiversification through agricultural devel-opment, which will be a priority focus forme.

During our service in Angola, Graceand I are determined to visit all 18provinces. In reaching out to Angolansacross this great nation, I hope to creategreater understanding and stronger tiesbetween the people of Angola and thepeople of America. Dan Mozena

Ambassador, United States of America

Statue of libertyDear Sir:I herewith proposethe building of a statuein central Luanda ofthe great Angolanwriter and nationalist

José de Fontes Pereira (1823-1891).Fontes Pereira (above) was a lawyer, gov-

ernment official and journalist, who fromthe 1870s to 1890 analysed many keyproblems of colonial Angola: from theslave trade to bureaucratic inefficiency;from race relations to Portuguese migra-tion. His trenchant writing stylefomented controversy.

In 1890, when Portugal was forced togive up territorial claims in CentralAfrica, Fontes Pereira wrote an editorialin a Luanda newspaper which openlyattacked Portuguese rule. Boldly, heurged Angolans to replace Portugal withanother colonial power, England. Due towhat was deemed a treasonous opinionin the colonial press, Fontes Pereira losthis newspaper and government jobs anddied soon afterwards.

Fontes Pereira’s writings are a pre-cious legacy. In fact, his writingsrepresent an example of a modern anti-colonial written protest in Western andWest Central Africa, before there wereorganised nationalist parties. José deFontes Pereira of Luanda, indeed, was theFather of early Angolan nationalism. Astatue to his memory would be an appro-priate recognition of his courageouscontribution to Angolan national identity. Douglas L. Wheeler,

Professor of History Emeritus, Univ ofNew Hampshire

Escape from Luanda: DVD isavailalble at www.seventh-art.com

Letter from the editor

Alex Bellos

We welcome your opinions on the magazine,Angola and the oil industry. Please email [email protected]. Letters maybe edited for length. Please include name,address and phone [email protected]

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SPRING 2008 76 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

UPDATE

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240,000

30,000

number of monthly passengers esti-mated to use the Luanda railroad,between Musseques and Viana, oncenew carriages begin operating.

dollar price tag that state diamondcompany Endiama paid for MissAngola Micaela Reis’ gala dress fromthe Miss World tournament. Micaelawas runner-up in last year's competi-tion, held in China - the highestposition ever achieved by an Angolan ineither Miss World or Miss Universe.

the number ofAngolans registeredon the electoral roll

for the forthcoming elections.

number of hydroelectricdams planned for theKwanza River. The projectsare expected to be com-pleted by 2014.

Ricardo Lumengo (right), a former MPLAactivist, has become Switzerland’s first blackMember of Parliament. Lumengo, aged 45,fled Angola during the war 20 years ago andended up in Switzerland, where he wasgranted political asylum. After working as acleaner in a restaurant to pay his waythrough law school, he became active inlocal politics as a member of the SocialDemocrat party. He was elected to parlia-ment in October and was sworn in lastDecember.

8m

Angola's women's handball team are theonly African side to qualify for theOlympic Games in Beijing this year afterthey won the African Cup of Nations(CAN) in January. It was the sixth consec-utive victory at the CAN and ninth intotal. The team will be hoping to for agood performance at the Olympics,since they reached their highest everposition in the handball WorldChampionship last December. Angolabeat France, Croatia and Macedonia inthe opening round but lost in the quar-ter-finals to Germany. This year's CANwas held in Luanda.

Angola plans to open a car factory in aventure funded by Chinese firm CSGusing technology from Japan’s Nissan.The project, backed by Hong Kong’sChina International Fund, will producepick-ups, SUVs, compact cars and othervehicles at a factory in Viana, on the out-skirts of Luanda. Initial annual capacitywill be 5,000 vehicles but is expected toeventually rise to 30,000. The SUVPaladin will be among the Nissan-stylemodels produced.

Angolans will be going to the polls this yearfor the first time in 16 years. Legislative elec-tions will take place on 5-6 September.President José Eduardo dos Santosannounced the dates during his end of yearmessage in December. He emphasised thatthe elections must take pace in a climate ofpeace and harmony. Angola’s first generalelection was held September 1992, but thewar restarted shortly afterwards. Since theachievement of peace five years ago condi-tions have been created for thereintroduction of the ballot box.

EdiçõesNovembro,which pub-lishes theJornal deAngola and theJornal dosDesportos,inaugurated anew printingpress inDecember. Thiswill enable theJornal de Angola, the country’s only dailynewspaper, to increase circulation from15,000 to 60,000. Jornal dos Desportos, asports daily, will increase from 3,000 to10,000.

Angola’s three brewers Cuca, Nocal andEKA have signed contracts with theAngolan National Private InvestmentAgency to modernise and expand. Theresult will mean an increase in beer pro-duction from 770 hectolitres to 6,000hectolitres a month. Employees will triplefrom 2,500 to 7,500.

Swiss first

Press ahead

Poll position

Olympic hope

Beer cheer

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position of Angola inthe United Nations' e-

government rankings, up 31placessince 2005. The ranking measures web-site and telecommunicationsinfrastructure, and human resources.

1-4-2008 no April fool; Theday Lufthansa starts its weekly service to Luanda.

127

Luanda’s seafront and bay is getting a$2 billion makeover. The redevelop-ment will extend the coastal road, theMarginal, into the sea so that it willhave three lanes in either direction.New hotels, offices and hotels will bebuilt including a 37-storey and a 24-storey building, a convention centreand two car parks. The project willinclude landscaping of the public areasand renovation of some of the historiccolonial facades. One million cubicmetres of sand has already beendredged.

Bay watch

Angola news briefing

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Coming

COVER STORY

Angolans who fled the country during civil war are returninghome with a passion to help rebuild the country – and thenew vibrancy is also attracting their children who were bornor educated abroad. By Catherine Hamlin

During almost three decades ofcivil war, hundreds of thousandsof Angolans left the country.

Many fled, fearing for their safety. Somestayed, but sent their children to studyabroad. Now, in peacetime, Angolans arefinally coming home.

Since 2002, when the war ended, anestimated 460,000 refugees have reset-tled. Professional Angolans are alsoflooding back. Luanda is jam-packedwith recently repatriated men andwomen taking advantage of the newopportunities. “It’s hard here, but it’sexciting,” says Paula Morais, a 29-year-old businesswoman. “Angola is the landof opportunity,” adds bank worker YumaSolange dos Santos. “Everyone wants tocome here.”

Such opinions reflect a huge changesince the years of conflict. War broke outin Angola immediately after independ-ence in 1975. There was rationing, andfew schools and medical clinics. In orderto escape the fighting, many were forcedto abandon their homes and left on footfor neighbouring countries such as theDemocratic Republic of Congo, Zambiaand Namibia. For the middle classes, themain destination was the former colonialmaster Portugal. Others went elsewherein Europe, to South Africa and the US.

For the past six years, the countryhas slowly started to rebuild. Those com-ing back are playing a large part in thereconstruction. There are severalmotives for returning: for a start, it is nolonger dangerous and there is the �

From left to right:

Yuma Solange dos Santos, 30,bank worker and businesswomanYuma spent 15 years abroad, mostly inPortugal but also in London. On herreturn, she sent off her CV and wasoffered a job at the Banco de FomentoAngola. She had never worked in a bankbefore, but with a degree and profes-sional experience found it was notdifficult to get employment. In Portugal,she says, there are lots of qualified peo-ple and not so many jobs, but in Angolait is the other way round. Yuma cameback because she wanted to be with herfamily. In addition to the day job, she hasstarted a production company with hertwo younger sisters that makes commer-cials. Being back home has turned out tobe a good decision financially. “Here mylevel of income is higher than what itwould be in Portugal,” she says.

Paula Morais, 29, software enterprise advisor and businesswomanAfter living for 11 years in Lisbon, Paulacame back to Luanda in 2005. Sheworks part time for a software companyand is setting up her first shop, sellingsunglasses and watches. “It was hard

coming back at the beginning. Now I likeit and don’t want to leave. No one day islike the next.” In the short time that she hasbeen back, she says she has seen the citychange and has changed herself. “I havebecome more independent. You really getto know your limits. This is a dynamicplace. In Portugal nothing ever changes.”

Ilda Kuleba, 27, HIV programme coordinatorIlda was only two and a half when she leftAngola. The daughter of diplomats, shelived in Europe, Ethiopia and the US asher parents moved through tours of duty.Ilda has a degree in international relationsand a masters in reproductive and sexualhealth research. She returned to Luanda18months ago to co-ordinate USAID’s HIVprogramme. “I always wanted to comeback to do some sort of community work,”she says. She describes her experience asbeing “enlightening, frustrating and aneye-opener. It’s been good.” Her job is

rewarding – and what has been especiallysatisfying is that she is helping her country-folk. “It’s made coming home worth it,” shesays.

Raquel de Oliveira, 29, advertising executiveAt the age of 16, Raquel went to live inSouth Africa and then moved to England,where she stayed for five years. Shereturned to Luanda to be with her family in2002 and shortly afterwards, after a briefperiod of wondering what she wanted tocommit herself to, joined an advertisingcompany. She is committed to the country.“This is my home. It makes you want tofight for it.” The work environment, shesays, has been completely transformed inthe last few years – more rapidly than anyone can remember. “This is like virginterritory; everything is new. You can startbuilding up from the roots; that’s whatmakes the difference. People are starting tobelieve in the country.”

Miraldina de Carvalho Ribeira, 26,trainee lawyerAfter going to school in Luanda, Miraldinawent to Lisbon to study. She stayed sevenyears, returning just last year. “I knowloads of people who are working inPortugal, but they want to come homebecause there are more opportunities here.Things used to be more difficult here, butyou can really see the changes.”

Deisi Bravo da Rosa, 24, trainee lawyerDeisi was nine when her family moved toPretoria in South Africa. She stayed 14years, finishing school there and graduat-ing in law. First, her two sisters came backand then, last year, she decided that it wastime for her to return too. “I came backbecause of the opportunity of work,” shesays. “In South Africa it’s very difficult as aforeigner to get a good job. And the situa-tion here is a lot better than it was. I intendto stay. I am 100 per cent a patriot.”

“Angola is the landof opportunity.Everyone wants tocome here.”

back to thefuture

Home is where the heart is…

All images by José Silva Pinto

Staying put: each of these six womenlived outside the country for many years –now they are back


SPRING 2008 11

COVER STORY

10 SONANGOL UNIVERSO

chance to make money, but it is also amatter of national pride. “I have alwayshad this sense of purpose – that it wasimportant to come back,” says UlangaGaspar Martins, a 31-year-old lawyerwhose family left in 1989. “It is a missionto serve and contribute to Angolangrowth.”

As a result, the Angolan economy hasboomed. In just a few years, the capital,Luanda, has transformed from a quietocean-front city to a bustling metropolisin permanent traffic gridlock. Infrastruc-ture is still lacking, but jobs abound forAngolans with qualifications. For Martinsthe country is changing so fast there is notime to delay being part of it “My brotheris waiting for conditions to get betterbefore he comes back. And I have friendswho got used to the kind of life outside. Itell them – ‘The country won’t wait foryou’.”

As the economy grows, it is likelythat more and more Angolans will comehome. There is a shortage of skilled pro-fessionals and it is easier and morelucrative for companies to employAngolans rather than import foreign staff.The Angolan Industrial Association (AIA),which represents about 3,000 firms, hascreated a network for Angolans abroad

that aims to encourage them to return.“There are still many (skilled

Angolans) outside – maybe as many as30,000 or 40,000,” says José Severino, AIApresident. “Still, there are many morecoming than going.” Despite the offer ofa job, returning to Angola is not alwayseasy. There are many bureaucratic obsta-cles and the cost of living in Luanda isone of the highest in the world. “Theproblem in reintegrating is housing,” saysSeverino. “Accommodation costs are veryhigh, especially when you have to pay ayear’s rent up front.”

Another reason why Angola hasbecome more attractive as a place to livefor Angolans is to do with the changes inthe rest of the world. In Europe, Angolanshave to compete with increasing migrantlabour from North Africa and EasternEurope. And opportunities in Portugal,home to the largest Angolan communityin Europe, are fewer than in otherWestern European nations. With betterhousing options, believes Severino, theinflux of trained Angolans would rocketin years to come.

The return of academically-qualifiedAngolans is having an impact on the fab-ric of Angolan society by creating a new,cosmopolitan middle class. As they �

Paulo Muzuza, 34, ParamedicThe rainy season was just starting in1978 when we fled Angola. Mymother carried the two of us on a

journey, which took months, before reach-ing a refugee camp in Zambia. Ultimately,I ended up living in Zambia for almost 28years. I did primary, high school and evencollege in that country. I studied clinicalmedicine and then trained in psychosocialcounselling in Kenya.

I came back to my home country inSeptember 2004 because of the presenceof peace. It was not easy living as arefugee and I had always wanted to comehome and enjoy the privileges of being a“national”. With the little education I had, Iwas determined to come back and con-tribute to the reconstruction anddevelopment of the country. I must say that,in a short period of time, I can already seemy positive contribution. After a longperiod away from many family members, I

thought this was also a good opportunityto reunite with them, but it has not beeneasy.

The challenge has been trying to inte-grate into the existing environment with noPortuguese – that affected my efforts look-ing for a job. Getting employment is noteasy in Angola, even when you have theright qualifications. I would like to furthermy studies because Angola needs quali-fied human resources to spearhead thedevelopment of the country, but my effortshave not yet yielded results. I have hopethat one day I may go back to school.I am currently working for the UnitedNations Populations Fund as a focal per-son on adolescent sexual reproductivehealth and HIV prevention for young peo-ple. I think that being back in Angola I amable to achieve some of my goals.I have never voted in my life and so I haveregistered and am looking forward to exer-cising my right to choose the leader of my

The Angolan in me never died

choice. I can’t wait to help determine thefuture of my country through a democraticelectoral process.

During the time that I was outside, the“Angolan” in me has been alive throughand through. No one would be proud tobe a refugee forever, and I had hope thatone day I would be able to go back to mycountry. My parents used to say howAngola was beautiful, naturally gifted withminerals, water and wild fruits, and so Iwas always looking forward to being thereand seeing for myself. The Embassy inZambia at one point used to organise tripsto Angola for students just so that theycould stay connected to their homeland.Of course, temptations were there for oneto change citizenship just to have access tocertain services as a national, and I mustsay that many of my compatriots did makethat change unfortunately. Me – Iam proud to be home and proudto be an Angolan.

“I am currently workingfor the United NationsPopulations Fund as afocal person on adolescent sexualreproductive healthand HIV prevention foryoung people. I thinkthat being back inAngola I am able toachieve some of mygoals.”

Paulo Muzuza and family (top right)

Clockwise from left: Sangwa Muzuza, aged two,daughter; Jacquilina Mucamulegi, aged 30, wife;Palmira Miyombo, aged 14, sister’s daughter; Paulo,Esanjo Muzuza, aged four, daughter; Zango Palanga,aged five, nephew; Hiluka Luzia, aged 58, mother;Hiluka Muzuza, aged two weeks, daughter

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COVER STORY

Oldemiro Napoleão, 28,Telecommunications consultant

I was born in 1979. The wholefamily moved to Holland in 1983when Dad got a job in Rotterdam

with Angonav, the Angolan shippingcompany.

I went to the American InternationalSchool and that’s where I learnt English.But after a few years Dad wanted toreturn home so, in 1987, we came back.My siblings and I were not adaptingwell. Our Portuguese was gibberish. I’mthankful my teachers beat me so that Ilearnt to speak correctly!

It was difficult being back – it wasdark because of power problems, thefood was always the same, and the edu-cational and health conditions wererough. Our parents would assure us that“next weekend” things would get better.

By 1992 people were talking aboutthe approaching elections, saying: “Ifsomething is going to happen, it’s betterif you aren’t here.” So my siblings and Iwere packed up and sent to Portugal tostudy in Coimbra. I was there for threeyears, and that was when I really beganto become the person that I am today.

We came back in 1995, and that’swhen things really got bad. The kwanzawas devalued and the economy was indecline. My family was going bankrupt,and we kids started to rebel. The family

grow in number, the country becomesmore dynamic and the “peace dividend”becomes more evident.

The diversity of those coming back isalso helping to give Angola a new sense ofpositive identity. Adão “Dodó” Mirandawas born in what is now the DemocraticRepublic of Congo after his parents, whowere involved in the revolution againstthe Portuguese, fled Angola on foot in the1960s. He returned in the 1990s and isnow an acclaimed local musician. “Myfortune was that in our family we main-tained our Angolan identity. I always feltconnected,” he says.

In fact, the Angolan communitiesabroad have remained close-knit whichhas helped their reintegration now theyare returning home. In Portugal theAngolans kept their identity. Paula Moraisand Raquel de Oliveira, a 29-year-oldadvertising executive, became friendswithin the expat community in Lisbon.

They are both passionate aboutbuilding their lives in the new Angola.Paula believes she is part of a special gen-eration – the one that saw the war, butwill also see the peace. “I remember thiscity as a child. You could never leave it.Now I have the pleasure of seeing howthings are changing a lot. My generationall left to study abroad – Portugal, SouthAfrica and Brazil. I don’t think that willhappen so much again. They will nowstay here.”

Those who have lived outside arereturning with a fresh eye and a desire tobe part of the reconstruction. Whileaware of the immense challenges ahead,they also realise that the future of theircountry depends on them. �

decided to send us away again. SinceSouth Africa was emerging with Mandelanewly in power, it looked attractive. SoDad got together with two other familiesand sent all the kids to the Western Cape,though he went into debt for us to studythere.

We were 15 boys and girls betweeneight and 21 years of age in one house,chaperoned by only one adult. That’swhere I learnt to appreciate reading andpractice Aikido.

Returning to Luanda in 1998, I rebelledagainst the system and the family. I spent ayear doing nothing. Then I went toCatholic University but wanted to leave thecountry again. My brother and I were inPortugal, but ran off to Holland. We spentthree years there, planting tomatoes, wash-ing dishes, sleeping on floors and hangingout. I thought I was having fun, butrealised I was wasting my time.

One day, soon after the end of the warin 2002, I woke up on a cold rainy morn-ing in Groningen to a phone call from mymother. I said: “How is Angola?” and shepainted this picture of the warm sun, some-one’s wedding, my sister. I started crying.“What am I doing here?” I thought.

I came back in February of 2003 andit has been a roller-coaster ride ever since.I networked like crazy, hoping someonewould see I had potential and give me achance. The first job I landed was runninga Unitel representation at Luanda Airport. Iworked for a few non-governmental organ-isations. Then I started working with aSouth African computer outfit and, eventu-ally, with some partners, opened aninternet service provider called InternetTechnologies Angola.

From there I got picked up by MercurySystems Telecom, Sonangol’s telecommuni-cation arm. Sonangol has been a schoolfor me – I have learnt a lot about politics,about upstream and downstream. It hasopened doors all over. I am responsible forthe telecommunications for the liquefiednatural gas project.

In Angola, people are returningto a normal life. We can reach ourgoals in 15 or 20 years.

Sonangol changed my life

“Sonangol has been a schoolfor me – I have learnt a lotabout politics, aboutupstream and downstream. Ithas opened doors all over. Iam responsible for thetelecommunications for theliquefied natural gas project.”

SPRING 2008 13

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SPRING 2008 15

OPINION


Angolan literature is among theoldest of African literatures in anyEuropean language, dating as it

does from the mid-19th century, whenCreole journalists and poets began toengage with Angolan social and culturalreality, often inspired by the example ofBrazilian writers, whose country hadbecome independent in 1822.

While this period of literary activitywas stifled with the imposition of mod-ern colonial rule, Angolan literary voiceswere raised once again in 1948 in a move-ment that chose “Lets Discover Angola”as its slogan.

This growth of a cultural conscious-ness heralded and then accompanied theanti-colonial struggle, its most emblem-atic figure being Agostinho Neto, thepoet, guerrilla leader and later firstPresident of Angola. It was Neto whoappreciated the role of literature innation-building, one of the first institu-tions he sponsored being the AngolanWriters Union in 1975, which encouragedliterary activity by providing a meetingplace for writers and a venue for literaryevents, as well as subsidising publication.

For many years, its secretary wasLuandino Vieira, cult writer of the 1960s,

who had revolutionised the literary lan-guage of Angola by incorporating oralinfluences in his collection of stories,Luuanda, which won a prize in Portugalwhile its author was in a colonial jail.

Literature has continued to play animportant part in Angolan cultural life.

The author whose fiction seems to syn-thesise the changes which the countryhas undergone since the first days ofindependence is undoubtedly Pepetela,the literary sobriquet of Artur Pestana.Pepetela’s work reflects the trajectory hiscountry has followed, from the utopian

idealism of the 1970s through to the shiftin economic and social values from thelate 1980s onwards.

His first major international successwas the novel Mayombe, which has as itssetting the forest of Cabinda during theanti-colonial war. It had in fact been writ-ten during this campaign, in whichPepetela had participated actively, butwas first published in 1980.

It is as much a discourse on theproblems facing a newly independentAngola, in both terms of ethnicity andrevolutionary commitment, and the roleof the individual, as it is a novel aboutwar. But in its treatment of controversialissues, it achieved an almost iconic sta-tus, so much so that it was widely studiedin other African countries.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Pepetelawas to become his country’s most prolificand versatile writer of fiction and, in1997, he was only the second lusophoneAfrican writer to be awarded the CamõesPrize, the most prestigious literary acco-lade in the Portuguese-speaking world.By this time, his work ranged from satiresof the re-emerging urban bourgeoisie ofLuanda to a saga, Yaka, set in southernAngola, which covers the history of a

colonial family from the beginningof the 20th century through to1975, and the differing loyaltiesthat its members have with theland of their birth.

More recently, Pepetela hascontinued his satire of contempo-rary Angolan urban societythrough the genre of the detectivenovel. Indeed, his creation of thehapless Luanda gumshoe JaimeBunda, a cross between Columboand Inspector Clouseau, marks anew departure in lusophoneAfrican fiction.

The new millennium has wit-nessed the emergence of anexciting young author, Ondjaki,whose work has been received withacclaim in Portugal, and hasrecently been translated intoEnglish. His first international suc-cess was the novella O Assobiador(The Whistler), published in 2002,when the author was only 25.

It is a light-hearted but alsohaunting tale about the effect uponvillage life of a stranger, who canwhistle the most beautifulmelodies. It is a story about thepower of the spirit, about the importanceof dreams, but also about rejuvenationand the uplifting power of love, reflectingperhaps the experience of a country thathas just emerged from war.

Bom Dia Camaradas (Good Morning,Comrades), published in 2003, is a novelabout childhood and coming of age inLuanda during the 1980s, which not onlyevokes the secret world of children, butalso gives a unique insight into the life ofa pair of Cuban schoolteachers who arerecalled with affection by their pupils.

The return of peace to Angola after aquarter of a century of civil war, and thecountry’s slow progress towards multi-party democracy has been reflected inliterature. Ana Paula Tavares, the coun-try’s major female writer, not onlyexpresses in her poetry the plight ofwomen in war, but also pays homage tothe oral cultures of the rural peoples ofSouthern Angola, her native region.

Manuel Rui, another major fictionwriter and poet, also from Huambo, has

recently published poems in Portugueseand Umbundu, one of Angola’s ‘national’languages, under the title of Ombela. It israther as if peace has freed writers tobreak out of Luanda and rediscover thecountry in all its cultural variety.

The most international of Angolanwriters is undoubtedly José EduardoAgualusa. He was only 15 when he leftAngola in 1975, and although he hasreturned to the country recently, he haslived in Brazil as well as Portugal. His firstnovel, published in 1989 under the title AConjura (The Conspiracy), evoked theCreole nationalism of the early 20th cen-tury, and won the Sonangol literary prizeof the same year.

Of greater impact in Portugal, andsubsequently translated into English, washis epistolary novel Nação Crioula(Creole), set in Angola and Brazil duringthe 19th century, and the struggle for theabolition of slavery. Its main character isFradique Mendes, the cosmopolitandandy, correspondent and literary cre-

Found in translation, Angolan literature available in English

● Luandino Vieira; Luuanda● Pepetela; Mayombe, Yaka, Jaime Bunda:

Secret Agent

● Ondjaki; The Whistler, GoodMorning, Comrades!

● Ana Paula Tavares; I broughtflowers

● José Eduardo Agualusa;Creole, The Book of Chameleons

How Agostinho Neto and the cultural consciousness that heralded the anti-colonial strugglespawned a wealth of Angolan literature that helped to build a nation

Writers in war and peace

David Brookshaw

ation of the Portuguese novelist Eçade Queirós. Here, however, he isgiven a type of post-colonial re-incarnation as an ardentabolitionist and equally devotedlover of an Angolan slave woman,whose freedom he seeks. As thetitle suggests, Agualusa’s majorinterest is to exploit the culturalaffinities that exist between coastalAngola and seaboard Brazil, pre-cisely the author’s Creole world.

His more recent novel, OVendedor de Passados (The Book ofChameleons), is also set in Angolaand across the Atlantic, but has amore familiar satirical intent, whilealso examining the relationshipbetween fiction, memory and iden-tity. It won this year’s foreign fictionprize, awarded by the Englishnewspaper, The Independent.

Angolan literature has tradi-tionally been concerned withevoking the country’s social andcultural realities, but writers herehave always been open to theworld and, of course, to dialoguewith other lusophone literatures,especially that of Brazil, the vast

New-World country a mere hop acrossthe South Atlantic, where Angolan influ-ences are likewise deeply etched intoBrazilian cultural tradition. It is this cre-ative synergy between the expression oflocal tradition and modernity that givesAngolan literature its own particulardynamism. �

David Brookshaw is professor of Luso-Brazilian studies at Bristol university.

The new millennium has witnessed the

emergence of anexciting young

author, whose workhas been received

with acclaim

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Ondjaki


Africa’s deepwater richesWith output steadily climbing in Angola, new licensing rounds expected fromNigeria to Gabon and the tiny archipelago of São Tomé and Principe poised tojoin its club of exporters, the Gulf of Guinea has emerged as one of theworld’s petroleum hotspots. By Daniel Wood

�

Heading upstream:

fishermen pass anoil rig off the coast

of Nigeria.

GEORGE OSODI/AP/PA Photos


SPRING 2008 19

AFRICAN OIL


Reserve estimatesRepublic of Congo – 1.6 billion barrels (DOE)Gabon – 2 billion barrels (DOE)Cameroon – 0.4 billion barrels (DOE)

EQUATORIAL GUINEAProduction: 390,000 bpd Proven oil Reserves: 1.1 billion barrels (DOE)Benchmark crude: Zafiro (ExxonMobil)Things to watch in 2008: Extension of Punta Europa LNGplant expected to begin. Government expected to award sevennew oil blocks early in year.

NIGERIAProduction: Fell to around 2.1 million bpd at end-2007 due to ongoing violence in the Niger Delta. Production capacity estimated at 3 million bpd.Proven oil Reserves: 36 billion barrels (Department of Energy estimate, Jan 2007)Benchmark crude: Bonny Light Things to watch in 2008: New deepwater licensing roundexpected in first quarter; Chevron to launch $1.1 billion Agbamidevelopment early in the year, Nigeria’s largest deepwater project; Total sees start up of 180,000 bpd Akpo Field by year-end, in which China’s CNOOC holds stake.

Glistening limousines and newsports utility vehicles glide alongLibreville’s plush ocean-front

boulevard. At the InterContinental Hotel,looking out across the Atlantic rollers,dark-suited foreign businessmen discussinvestments, while in the futuristicFinance Ministry tower officials are final-ising a landmark $1 billion debt buyback.

Until a few years ago, Gabon, theGulf of Guinea’s most mature petroleumprovince, was facing the prospect ofdwindling oil revenues. But record priceshave changed all that, encouraging theextraction of oil deposits previously con-sidered uneconomic.

Production stabilised at around250,000 barrels a day (bpd) in 2007, andthe government is planning a new licens-ing round for 2008, hoping to takeadvantage of booming investor interestwith more than 30 deepwater offshoreblocks and some onshore acreageexpected to be on offer.

“If prices remain at current levels,this level of production could be main-tained for a dozen years,” says SergeFindji, managing director in Gabon forFrench oil company Maurel & Promwhich has just signed a new explorationdeal for the Kari Field. The company alsoexpects its 12,000-bpd Onal Field to comeon line in the fourth quarter.

The excitement in Gabon is mirroredin the rest of West Africa. This year willsee a string of new fields come on stream,from Angola to smaller producers such as Republic of Congo. Even countrieswith no history of oil exploration – war-ravaged Liberia and tiny Guinea-Bissau –hope to cash in on the boom with explo-ration tenders planned in 2008.

“There is significant interest acrossthe region, particularly in Angola,” saysNicholas Shaxson, petroleum expert forWest Africa at London-based instituteChatham House. “The new ultra-deepfields in Angola are at the forefront ofworld technology.”

With its easily-refined, low-sulphurcrude oil, West Africa has long attractedinterest from Western oil majors such asShell and ExxonMobil in Nigeria andTotal in Gabon, but regional politicalinstability and the difficulty of deepwater

exploration long relegated it to a mar-ginal position.

As the United States tries to reduceits reliance on oil from the volatileMiddle East, West Africa’s geographicalproximity to Atlantic seaboard refineriesmakes it strategically significant.

The Gulf of Guinea already providesaround 17 per cent of America’s oilimports and the National IntelligenceCouncil, a US-government think-tank,has forecast this will rise to 25 per cent by2015, eclipsing even the Persian Gulf.Fast-growing Asian economic giantsChina and India are jockeying for posi-tion.

“The size of the reserves here aresmaller than in the Middle East, but itremains easier for oil majors to gainaccess, even with growing competitionfrom China and India,” says Shaxson.

Angola has placed itself at the fore-front of this diversification, becoming thelargest supplier of oil to China’s boomingeconomy last year – shipping a record900,000 bpd in December.

In Equatorial Guinea, India’s Oil andNatural Gas Corporation (ONGC) wasamong the selected bidders in Septemberfor seven blocks off the island of Bioko.Talks over production-sharing agree-ments continue and Malabo, the capital,

hopes to award the blocks early in 2008.In February 2006, the China National

Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) – one ofthe Asian giant’s “big four” petroleumfirms – signed a deal for offshore acreagein Equato-Guinean waters, just a monthafter it paid $2.3 billion for a stake in theoil mining license (OML) 130 deepwaterfield in Nigeria, its first significant sallyinto Africa. The block’s giant Akpo Field isexpected to come on stream late thisyear.

“While most production is still oper-ated by established majors, Indian andChinese companies have establishedthemselves at the table,” says AnthonyGoldman, an independent West Africanoil consultant. “That process is going tocontinue this year.”

In Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil pro-ducer, foreign companies are pursuingmulti-billion dollar investments despiteattacks by insurgents in the Niger Delta,where kidnappings and bombingsresumed after the new President UmaruYar’Adua’s peace initiative unravelled lastyear.

Output ended 2007 at around 2.1million bpd – down from an average of2.45 million bpd the previous year, as vio-lence shut in production. The country’soutput capacity is estimated at around 3million bpd, two-thirds of which isonshore in the Delta.

After a quiet year for new develop-ments in 2007, Nigeria’s productionshould grow in 2008 as Chevron launchesits Agbami development, a $1.1 billionfloating production, storage and offload-ing (FPSO) vessel made by Korea’sDaewoo.

Peak production from the field, some70 miles offshore, is forecast at 250,000bpd by 2010, making it Nigeria’s largestdeepwater development.

Total also expects the 180,000 bpdAkpo Field to come on stream late in theyear, helping Nigeria towards its target ofraising production capacity to more than4 million bpd by 2010.

A new licensing round is tentativelyexpected for the first quarter of 2008, bar-ring political surprises, with thegovernment oil agency again expected tofavour investors willing to finance infra-

structure for the underdeveloped refiningsector.

Meanwhile, a question mark stillhangs over the joint development zonebetween the African oil giant and the tinyisland state of São Tomé. Some analystsbelieve the zone, created to defuse along-running dispute between the twoneighbours and 60 per cent controlled byNigeria, contains some 14 billion barrelsof oil. After a licensing round in 2004, theonly area to have so far generated com-mercial interest is Block 1, which is51-per cent operated by Chevron.

Despite a buzz of interest generatedby large oil developments in nearbyEquatorial Guinea, initial tests proveddisappointing, and two more wells wereplanned for late 2007 to check the viabil-ity of the finds. China’s Sinopec andCanada’s Addax are also expected to sinktest wells early in the new year on theiracreage.

“This year is going to be make-or-

break time for the joint developmentzone,” says Goldman.

In Angola the story is different, witha very attractive success rate for explo-ration and steadily increasingproduction. The country is set to reach itsOPEC quota of 1.9 million bpd, allocatedin December and effective from January,this year which may pose someheadaches for officials. “It will be inter-esting to see how they allocate the curbamong companies,” says Shaxson. “Withproduction rising fast, Angola would beeasily able to exceed that, and there arenew fields coming on stream.”

The largest of Angola’s upcomingfields is the Mondo development oper-ated by ExxonMobil as part of its giantKizomba complex in offshore Block 15near the Congolese border, with sweetcrude of about 30 degrees API and pro-duction of around 100,000 bpd.

Meanwhile, production from theBenguela Belize-Lobito Tomboco (BBLT)

development operated by Chevronshould reach its maximum of 200,000bpd after starting up in 2006. It is one ofthe US oil major’s “big five” projects inAngola, including a planned $8 billionliquefied natural gas (LNG) plant produc-ing 5-million-tonnes per year at Soyo inthe north of the country. Shareholdersinclude Sonangol, Total and BP.

With rising international demand forLNG, countries across the region arelooking for the means to harness the gasdeposits. Equatorial Guinea aims to startconstruction soon on additional trains atits 3.4-million-tonne per year PuntaEuropa LNG plant, operated by MarathonOil, having signed agreements withNigeria and Cameroon for additional gassupplies.

“If I were going to point to one majortheme this year, it would be the develop-ment of gas, with strong interest fromEurope as it looks to diversify its suppliesaway from Russia,” says Goldman. �

OIL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MADAGASCAR

SOUTH AFRICA

LESOTHO

N A M I B I A

B O T S W A N A

A N G O L A

ZIMBABWE MOZAMBIQUE

Z A M B I A

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICOF CONGO

TANZANIA

SWAZILAND

K E N Y AUGANDA

E T H I O P I A

S U D A NCHAD

CENTRAL AFRICANREPUBLIC

N I G E R I A

CAMEROON

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

G A B O N

CONGO

I V O R YC O A S T

GHANATOGO

BENIN

BURKINO FASO

M A L IM A U R I T A N I A

SENEGALGAMBIA

GUINEABISSAU G U I N E A

SIERRALEONE

LIBERIA

WESTERNSAHARA

M O R O C C O

A L G E R I AL I B Y A

TUNISIA

N I G E R

E G Y P T

S O M A L I A

Y E M E N

S A U D I

A R A B I A

ERITREA

DJIBOUTI

OMA

I R A Q I R A N

JORDAN

S Y R I A

ISRAEL

LEBANON

RWANDABURUNDI

MALAWI

QATARBAHRAIN

UNITED ARABEMIRATES

KUWAIT

CYPRUS

The Gulf of Guineaalready providesaround 17 per centof America’s oilimports and theNational IntelligenceCouncil has fore-cast this will rise to25% by 2015,eclipsing even thePersian Gulf.

ANGOLAProduction: Approaching 1.9 million bpd. Proven oil Reserves: 8 billion barrels (DOE)Benchmark crude: CabindaThings to watch in 2008: Exxon Mobil’s Mondo development, part of the giant Kizomba complex, due onstream. Chevron’s BBLT development to hit maximum output and construction of LNG plant continues.


SPRING 2008 21

MUSIC

The singer Tony Amado was recently performing a concert in thegrounds of a hotel in the south of Angola. The crowd asked him tosing some kuduro – the electronic musical style he invented in the

mid-1990s. But when he began, the crowd suddenly pushed forward. He losthis balance and fell off the back of the stage – splash! – into a swimmingpool.

“I was holding the mic and lead,” says Tony. “When I hit the water, I felt ahuge electric shock. I couldn’t move. No one could get in the water since theyalso got a shock. I thought my life was over. I said to myself: ‘I’m going to diesinging kuduro!’”

A couple of weeks later, Tony is sitting in a hotel in Luanda. He did notdie, although he is not quite back to full fitness. His body aches and hismuscles are stiff. “In the end, a fan jumped in and pulled me out,” he says.“The kid was very brave.”

For Tony, the anecdote shows how passionate young Angolans are aboutkuduro. The way he tells the story, revelling in his cartoonish antics, alsoreflects a deeper nature of the musical style – a fashion whose roots are bornout of slapstick and fun. �

Kuduro is the music of Angolan youth and it’s now being performed fromLondon to Istanbul. Alex Bellos investigates

The Angolan beat that’sshaking the world

Above: Cool and the

gang Puto Mira andHeroy of Os Vagabandaon the streets of Marcal.

Left: Bottoms up

Tony Amado. Picture byCarlos Moco

João

Rei

s


SPRING 2008 23

MUSIC


Like all dancemusic styles,kuduro is not justabout the music –it’s also about thedance. Kuduro hasdeveloped its ownunique moves that,again, borrow frominternational stylesyet are absolutelyAfrican.

Kuduro is the music of Angolanyouth. It’s the electronic beat-beat-beatthat you hear played on the blue andwhite candongueiro vans that are the onlypublic transport in the streets of Luanda.It’s what children listen to at parties andlearn to dance to. It’s what’s on the CDsthat are sold by the side of the road.

Now, after more than a decade ofpopularity at home, kuduro is spreadingaround the world. You can hear kuduro-influenced music in the nightclubs ofEurope. Originally limited to Lisbon, thestyle is now played from London toIstanbul. Much of this is thanks to FrenchDJ Frederic Galliano, who has released acompilation CD of kuduro tracks. It is alsodown to the Portuguese-Angolan outfitBuraka Som Sistema, whose kudurocrossover dance style gained many plau-dits last year; the London Observerdescribed them as one of a selection ofbands who are “proving that ‘world music’now sounds fresher than ever”.

So, what is kuduro? Galliano calls itthe “only original music and rhythm cre-ated by an African DJ”. The style iselectronic, with fast, percussive, heavybeats created by computer. The sound is

raw, almost punkish. There are someloops and samples used, although usuallykept to a minimum. Simple lyrics areadded on top, shouted in a playful way.The musical ingredients – voice and com-puter – make it inevitably similar to rapmusic produced all over the world. Yetkuduro has a very noticeable Africanrhythm to it, as well as softer-soundingPortuguese lyrics. Its closest musical rela-tion is baile funk, the electronic music ofthe favelas in Rio de Janeiro.

Like all dance music styles, kuduro isnot just about the music – it’s also aboutthe dance. Kuduro has developed its ownunique moves that, again, borrow frominternational styles yet are absolutelyAfrican. Watching an Angolan dancekuduro – with its hip-shaking, arm-sway-ing, body-popping crazy intensity – is likewatching the history of world dance dis-tilled into 30 seconds of manic energy.

And it all began with Tony Amado.Born 33 years ago in Malange, the son ofevangelical pastors, he learnt to sing andplay keyboard for performances atchurch services. He was also a gooddancer and, while still a teenager,became a dance instructor. “I would mix

a little of everything – traditional folkdances, carnival dances, a bit of MichaelJackson, underground house, breakdance and hip-hop,” he says. It was thismixture of the international together withthe Angolan that was the start of some-thing genuinely new.

For a while, Tony worked for theWorld Food Programme as a storekeeper.Then he moved to Luanda, where his tal-ent at dancing led to jobs as achoreographer for some well-knownsingers. He also started to write and withminimal equipment – a Yamaha electricorgan and a simple Boss electric drummachine – recorded some of his owncompositions. He was inspired by theinternational electronic music of the timeand wanted to find a way to play Africanrhythms with electronic beats.

His first track was called Leite de Boi(Cow’s Milk). Inspiration for the secondcame while watching a film starringBelgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme.“In the film, he was in a bar and wasdancing drunk,” remembers Tony. “It wasa very funny dance.” The chorus to Tony’snew song became “dança que dança quedança Van Damme” (dance, dance, dance

Van Damme), and he invented a parodyof the film star’s staggering, inebriateddance to go with it.

The track was a huge success and astyle was born. All that it needed was aname. In 1995, Tony wrote Amba CuDuro. Amba means “dance” inKimbundu, and cu duro means “toughbutt” in Portuguese. The phrase stuck,although the spelling was later changedto kuduro so that it did not cause offence.

Having become a star in Angola,Tony was invited to live in the US for ayear. He stayed in Boston, where helearnt about recording techniques andcarried on making kuduro. On his return,the scene was expanding and he workedwith Sebem, the biggest name of a newgeneration of kuduristas, who was to takethe popularity of the genre to new levels.

Kuduro was changing too. “In thebeginning, kuduro was quite violent,aggressive,” says Tony. “There was adance move in which you hit your headagainst the floor. There was also onewhere you jumped in the air and landedon your back. My knees are both dam-aged since there was also a move whereyou landed on your knees. It was all

about getting rid of the sense of revoltthat we had inside us. At the time wewere not valued by the establishment.Then the scene developed.”

Over the years, more and morekuduro bands have started up and thescene has established itself as the musicof choice for young Angolans, especiallythose who live in the outlying areas ofLuanda and the regions. Tony Amado, asthe elder statesman of the genre, has nowmoved on to other more commercialAngolan styles, but his reputation is stillas the king of kuduro – as the incident inthe swimming pool showed.

Os Vagabanda are one of kuduro’s mostrecent successes. Their song Vo Le Dá (I’llgive it to you) was a big hit last year. Eventhough Angola has no official recordindustry and Os Vagabanda’s tracks areonly available on pirate CDs, there isenough money in the scene to allowthem to travel all over the country. WhenI meet them, they are about to fly toMoxico to perform two shows to an esti-mated 15,000 people.

Os Vagabanda’s members are Luizdos Santos, or Heroy, who is 23, and �

Tomona: only 12 but one of the mostinfluential kuduro dancers in Angola

João Reis


INTERVIEW:

FREDERIC GALLIANO French DJ and international kuduro ambassador

What is special about kuduro?It is special because this is the first original electronic music from Africa. It is reallyauthentic, based on the traditional rhythm of Angolan percussion with electronicenergy.

Why is it original?This is not hip-hop or reggae. The reference and musical model are uniquely African.The vocals are originals too.

Where have you played kuduro and how do people react to the music?I have played kuduro all around the world in my DJ set, and the reaction is alwayspositive.

What do you like most about kuduro?I like this idea of real electronic music from Africa. I have been waiting for this for along time. This energy is musical, creative, social and political. This is what I like.And it is evolving. It is not a fixed style.Every year it is different.

What is the future for kuduro?There are two possibilities: either to stayghetto music without open audience. Orthere is a chance to integrate with themusic of Europe if there is a hit. For me,the future of DJ-produced music will bestarted in countries such as Brazil,Angola, India and other emergingnations.

Kuduro dancingis not aboutbeing sexy or“cool”, it’s aboutbeing playful,going mad, having fun.

MUSIC

Admiro Paulo Antonio, or Puto Mira, whois only 16. The singers met at a gig inKwanza Norte, an inland province. PutoMira was a dancer for another band whileHeroy was singing on his own, and theydecided to work together. My first reac-tion is that 16 seems awfully young to bein a band touring the country, but then Irealise that this is a very young scene. OsVagabanda’s main dancer is only 12!

“The young boys are the best dancers,”says Vagabanda manager Chamdo. “Justwatch and see.” Tomona, the 12 year oldwho invented the dance routine for Vo LeDá, gives me a demonstration.

We are in Marcal, a suburb ofLuanda, and our presence attracts lots ofattention from passers-by. Tomona wig-gles and shakes his legs, throws his armsaround, and aims little punches – its non-stop bouncy energy, all the time with agrinning smile and his tongue stickingout from behind his teeth.

Kuduro dancing is not about beingsexy or “cool”, it’s about being playful,going mad, having fun, being exuberantand letting it all hang out.

Almost as soon as he stops, a small,chubby boy who must be about six yearsold comes up and performs the identical

routine perfectly – instant proof, if anywere needed, that this is the dance of thestreets.

“Kuduro is what gets the kids going,”says Heroy. “It comes from adrenalin.”The music has now established its ownrules. There is an intro, where the twosingers “announce” the song with shout-outs and calls to arms. Then there is thesong itself, in which each of the singersrecite their verses and both cometogether for a chorus. The song ends withan “outro”, where the singers again makeshouted comments, bringing it to a closeand, explains Chamdo, “leaving some-thing in the air”.

Heroy says his lyrics are about whatis going on in his neighbourhood. Hewants to talk about reality, but usuallywith a little bit of comedy thrown in.Sometimes his lyrics urge youngsters togive up crime.

Once Heroy and Puto Mira have writ-ten some lyrics, they find a producer torecord them and put on a backing track.They use a friend, Laurindo Sena, orKobe, aged 20, who lives a few blocksaway. Kobe’s studio is a corrugated ironhut in his parent’s yard where he has asimple computer and a microphone.Kobe has downloaded basic samplingsoftware from the internet, which he usesto record the tracks – for which hecharges $25 each.

The equipment that Kobe uses isessentially the same as any aspiring pro-ducer will have in any other country inthe world, although it is much cruder. Inthis way, kuduro is as international as anyother rap or dance music style. Kobe isinfluenced by African rhythms, but alsoby US hip-hop and European techno. Themix is unique. What is powerful aboutkuduro is that it is a style that is notaping anything else – it is using what isavailable in the rest of the world andusing it for its own purposes. It’s an origi-nal sound.

Kuduro is “the voice of the people”,says Chamdo. It is a voice that, for thefirst time, puts an Angolan musical stylein the international dance music scene –while never forgetting that its roots arefirmly in Africa. �

Os Vagabanda: PutoMira, aged 16, andHeroy, aged 23.

João

Rei

s

Frédéric Galliano presents Kuduro Sound System is available from www.fcomshop.com

SPRING 2008 25


SPRING 2008 27

BANKING

Tiger, tiger burning bright

The banking sector in Angola isbooming. In 2006, the banks’ totalavailable credit almost doubled,

more than 2,000 jobs were created andmore than 100 branches were opened.Growth is now estimated at 70 per cent ayear.

Yet beyond the figures, deeperchanges are also underway: Luanda isabout to have its own stock exchange; thegovernment has declared its intent to geta sovereign risk rating; and Visa andMasterCard are arriving. In other words,the Angolan banking industry is becom-ing much more sophisticated.

Until recently, the country’s bankingsystem was underdeveloped and anti-quated. This was a result of the structureput in place by the Portuguese in colonialtimes, which then passed through yearsof Marxist-Leninism. It is only since theend of the war six years ago that realchanges have been seen. Of the 17 banksnow operating in Angola, ten of themhave opened their doors since 2002 andthey are dealing with larger and largersums.

“For the first time in Angola, we havesome banks that are about to reach a sizethat will put them in the Top 1,000 WorldBanks, as listed by The Banker,” says Paulde Sousa, senior partner of KPMGAngola. “That is very, very notable. It’s akey issue.” �

Angola’s financial sector is firing up to spearhead the march of modernisationin the country with a growth in banking jobs, branches, transparency and theopening of a stock exchange. By Alex Bellos

Glittering future:

Luanda at night

José

Silv

a Pi

nto



BANKING

SPRING 2008 29

As the financial sector grows, it isalso gaining more respectability. The cen-tral bank has been aggressively trying tomodernise the way local banks are run,realising that stability and solid growthdepend on the credibility of laws andinstitutions. And already, the Angolaneconomy has a lot more credibility.Fundamentals are improving. Inflation isdown from three figures five years agoand last year was 11.78 per cent, the low-est in 16 years.

Foreign currency reserves, depletedduring the war, are now $10.2 billion,according to Bloomberg. The countrynow has enough cash to honour itsnational obligations. In December, itagreed to pay its outstanding arrears tothe Paris Club, a significant breakthroughin regaining international respect, since itwill reopen lines of credit that will help inthe country’s reconstruction.

A major step forward in 2008 will bethe long-anticipated opening of theLuanda stock exchange. The equipmentis in place and the staff trained. At thetime of going to press, all that wasawaited was the date. Rui Miguêns deOliveira, the deputy governor of the cen-

tral bank, said the stock exchange wouldprovide a new source of capital andimprove transparency. On a micro level,it will also allow Angolans to invest inshares in national companies, increasingparticipation in the market.

For De Sousa, a turning point in thematurity of the country’s financial credi-bility came last year when thegovernment borrowed $1billion from asyndicate of local banks. “In the past,there was this whole mystery of the gov-

ernment borrowing against oil. Now yousee the government borrowing on com-mercial terms from local banks. That’s ahuge milestone. It’s the coming of age ofthe banking sector – the government isgoing to local banks and raising moneyagainst a sovereign guarantee.”

Angola, however, has not taken thetraditional path towards entering theglobal financial market. Usually, anemerging nation wanting to raise moneyapproaches the International MonetaryFund and, in return for the cash, agrees tostructural reforms. Instead, Angola raisedmoney from China in exchange for oil.

Yet for Angola to continue to growand attract outside investment it must, toa certain extent, play the game. Animportant signal that it is willing to do sois its declaration to get a sovereign riskrating. Without it, many institutions willnot do business with Angola and the onesthat do expect a greater return.

But applying for a risk rating is ask-ing for an independent party to make ajudgment on the internal workings of acountry – in Angola’s case, submitting itto a scrutiny that it has never previouslyallowed. De Sousa says that he has been

speaking to politicians about this for thelast two and half years. “The economicmembers of the government are veryeasy to persuade because they know theimportance of these things,” he says. Hebelieves that the fear of a bad rating isunfounded. “If you look in Africa, evenBurkina Faso and Mozambique have arating that is not terribly, terribly bad.”

De Sousa goes further and thinksthat Angola should issue a sovereignbond. Currently Ghana is the only Sub-Saharan country, with the exception ofSouth Africa, to have issued a sovereignbond.

With a risk rating and a stockexchange, Angola will be much moreattractive to investors because there willbe stronger and more transparent finan-cial instruments. In fact, in a countrywhose lack of transparency has oftenbeen criticised internationally, the bank-ing sector is in many ways the leadingforce of modernisation. Business andfinance can move much quicker thanpolitics.

The next stage of banking develop-ment in Angola will be diversification. At the moment, clients find it difficult todistinguish between the banks becausethey all offer the same type of product.Yet this diversification can only happen with the help of the legislativeauthorities.

“The banks should be offering moresophisticated products, but the govern-ment needs to create the accompanyinglegal framework,” says De Sousa. He addsthat new legal instruments for leasinghave been introduced but final negotia-tions are ongoing as to the fiscalimplications, which is delaying banksoffering these services.

From a consumer point of view, thegrowth in the banking sector means abetter service for customers. ATMs arenow an increasing sight in the countryand local banks are launching their ownVisa and MasterCard credit cards. Sinceonly an estimated 5 to 6 per cent ofAngolans have a bank account, theopportunity for market growth is, theo-retically, still vast. The Central Bank is

currently considering licence applica-tions for five new banks.

Yet there are challenges. Because ofthe heritage of Marxism in the 1970s and1980s, many Angolans do not have thecapitalist skills or understanding to knowhow to invest.

The government has made very sig-nificant investment incentives. For a$50,000 investment you will get eightyears’ corporate profits tax exemption inLuanda, or up to 15 years in theprovinces, but it needs financially-literatebusinessmen to take advantage of this.

Angola’s economy is growing atabout 20 per cent. If oil is excluded fromthe equation, then the other parts of theeconomy are growing at double this rate.A large market for investment is “importsubstitution” – creating ways to producegoods that are currently imported. Sincevery little is produced within Angola,there are great opportunities to be had. Ifmore investments keep coming in, andthe central bank continues its path ofgreater transparency, the future for bank-ing in Angola is very bright indeed. �

Angola’s economy is growing at about20 per cent. If oil isexcluded, then theother parts of theeconomy aregrowing at doublethis rate.

Pretty in pink:

Angola’s central bank

Total assets

Deposits

Credit

Billi

on K

wan

zas

2004 2005 2006Year

100

200

400

300

500

600

700

800

Sources: KPMG Angola banking survey 2007

Bank assets

Act

ive

ATM

mac

hine

s of

the

Mul

ticai

xa n

etw

ork

Number of active ATM machines

*esti

mat

e

Percentage share of market

BANCO AFRICANO DEINVESTIMENTOS 22

BIC 11 BANCO ESPÍRITOSANTO ANGOLA 9

Others 7

BANCO TOTTADE ANGOLA 431

49

85

150

325

485*

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

BANCO DEPOUPANÇA ECREDITO 20

BANCO DECOMÉRCIO EINDÚSTRIA 4

BANCO DEFOMENTO 23


When Norwegian theatre director Morten Traavik firsttravelled to Angola in 2003, he watched a group ofchildren put on a beauty pageant in the street near

where he was staying. What he saw challenged his preconcep-tions about beauty competitions.

“It was so different from all the sleaze, commercialism andthe sexism that you associate with them in our Western culture,”he says. “On the contrary, it was a feel-good experience – morelike a street party with the neighbourhood attending. The kidsorganised everything themselves, with girls from seven to 17parading up and down, going through all the regular motions ofa beauty contest with great earnestness and dedication. It wasvery inclusive – heart warming.”

The experience inspired Traavik, aged 36, to create a con-troversial and thought-provoking beauty contest of his own. Ifpageants are a much-loved part of Angolan culture that can beused to empower women, then why not use the genre to giveself-esteem to some of the local women who need it most? Witha $60,000 grant from the Norwegian Arts Council, he createdMiss Landmine, a beauty contest for Angolan women injured bylandmines.

The Miss Landmine gala will take place on April 4 inLuanda and feature representatives from ten provinces: Bié,Moxico, Cuando Cubango, Uige, Cunene, Benguela, Malanje,Kwanza Sul, Huila and Huambo. The contestants will be givenmarks by a panel of judges – although it is up to them to decidewhat criteria to use. The winner’s prize is a prosthetic limb fromNorway worth up to $18,000. One of Norway’s top orthopaedicengineers will be attending the event to take measurementsimmediately afterwards.

Miss Landmine has been criticised in some spheres as

demeaning to women, or as a freak show. Yet the pageant is part of a wider movement in the developing and underdevel-oped world of using beauty competitions to empower thedisenfranchised. In South America, Europe and other parts ofAfrica, beauty contests in women’s prisons are now a commonoccurrence.

Traavik says that those people who call Miss Landminedegrading are, in fact, showing how remote they are from under-standing local culture. The contest, he adds, also raisesawareness of the consequences of landmines.

Even though most international non-governmental organi-sations (NGOs) have not been willing to support the project, theAngolans have embraced it. The Angolan government’s NationalDemining and Humanitarian Assistance Commission has beenpositive since early in the planning stages and has providedfinancial and logistical support. Another sponsor is AkerKvaerner, the Norwegian oil-engineering company present inAngola.

However, there are dissonant voices. Zeca Agostinho,deputy programme manager of the Halo Trust in Luanda, saysthat he does not like the idea of Miss Landmine: “They are notstressing the beauty of the women; they are stressing the artifi-cial limbs, the deficiencies. To have a separate competition fordisabled women is discrimination because this means they arenot part of normal society. They should look into other ways ofempowering women.”

In order to find the contestants, Traavik travelled to threeprovinces and says that it was not difficult to find women will-ing to take part. “I did not need to persuade anyone. What I didhave to do was convince them was that it was actually true, thatwe were not joking.” �

Angolans have welcomed a beauty competition that they believe willgive women victims of war back their self-esteem and a chance toimprove their lives. By Alex Bellos

SPRING 2008 31

Beautyagainst all odds

All images © Miss Landmine 2008

Miss Cunene Severina Cuhiela, aged 26.



SPECIAL REPORT

SPRING 2008 33

Top left:Miss Cuanza Sul – Maria RestinoManuel, aged 25.In April 1994, Maria detonated a land-mine while farming in Chole-Chole, a smallvillage 40 minutes drive from Sumbe. Themine shattered her right leg. She waitedfor a day to be transported to the hospital.Today she earns about $50 a month as ashop assistant. She supports her motherand 4-year-old daughter, who live with herin a small mud house. Her father waskilled in the war.

Bottom left:Miss Benguela – Ana Diogo, aged 32.Ana has always been a farmer. In 1984she went to help collect firewood nearBenguela airport. “It was awful, my legwas smashed and aching a lot.” Ana, whohas three children, says the only thing sheknows how to do is agriculture but shecan’t do it because of her missing leg.

Miss MalanjeFilomena Domingos Da Costa, aged 33.

Staff at Norwegian People’s Aid,working in the other provinces, assem-bled the remaining contestants – whittleddown from about 50 who wanted to par-ticipate. “My instructions were that themain criteria should be that the womenwere comfortable with their disabilitiesand looks, and should be approximatelybetween 18 and 35,” says Traavik.

Last year, all ten women were flownto Luanda for a photoshoot, for whichthey were paid. Traavik flew from Oslowith a fashion photographer and a stylist– and a bag of dresses and bikinis hebought from American Apparel. The photographs, which will be used in aMiss Landmine magazine to be distrib-uted at the time of the gala, were taken sothat the women looked as glamorous as possible.

A consequence of Angola’s 27-yearcivil war is that it is considered one of themost mined countries in the world.

About 80,000 people were injured bylandmines during the war. According tolatest estimates, almost 2,000 communi-ties are affected in all 18 provinces.Cuando Cubango has the most peopleaffected, while there are more mine acci-dents in Moxico. One of the aims of theMiss Landmine pageant is to turn theemphasis from landmine “victim” tolandmine “survivor”.

Traavik originally planned the eventas an art project, rather than a philan-thropic one, although he says he nowsees things differently. He believes MissLandmine is both. “It’s a way of applyingand staging art ideas that reach outsidethe confines of the art environment. I amtrying to find a definition for the genre –maybe it is activism.”

As the Miss Landmine galaapproaches, its momentum is growing. Atravelling exhibition of the photographsin Europe has attracted international

attention and the Norwegian Ministry ofForeign Affairs is supporting the finalstages.

In response to his critics, Traaviksays that they do not understand thatMiss Landmine is a subversive projectthat is “hollowing out the concept ofbeauty pageants from within. It is also avery potent comment on the sentimentthat beauty pageants are superficial andsolely focused on physical looks.”

He adds: “I have been accused ofexploiting these women. But I think thatif you look at this as an exploitative proj-ect, you are maybe a little stuck in thepast. The criticism might have been truein the colonial period, but one of thethings I am trying to achieve is to over-come these stereotypes. Just because Iam white and male and come from awealthy country, does that automaticallymake me an exploiter of presumablypoor, black African women? Assumingthat the relationship is one of exploita-tion is, I find, incredibly condescendingto the women themselves. You areassuming they don’t know what’s good forthem.”

When Traavik sees the pictures of theMiss Landmine contestants he says hesees true beauty. “I see beautiful womenwho are proud, dignified and comfort-able with who they are. They radiate astrong joy of being encouraged to be sexyand funky and attractive and glamorous.Yet that feel-good factor is all the whileundermined by the tragedy of war. It is apicture of ambiguity, but where the forcesof life prevail.”

Traavik will chose judges for the galafrom a representative section of Angolansociety and NGOs. He says there will beno rules for the judges – so they candecide whether to judge for beauty,charisma, sympathy or whatever theychose. It is also possible to vote via theMiss Landmine website. At the time ofgoing to press, 7,000 people from 30countries had cast their votes based onthe photographs.

As a measure of the success of thecurrent project, Traavik is already plan-ning a second event – in Cambodia. MissLandmine, whatever the criticisms, lookslike she has a healthy future. �

Top right:Miss Huila – Paulina Vadi, aged 27.In1997 Paulina set off a landmine on theway to getting some fruit from her family’sfarm near Quipungo, three hours fromLubango. After the accident, Paula was takento the local hospital. The injury was so severethat they had to cut off her right leg. Paulinahas two sons. Her dream is to go back toschool, but she cannot do so because herschool documents were burned when Unitaattacked the town in 1997.

Bottom right:Miss Cuando Cubango – GenerosaCassinda, aged 30. From Menongue,Generosa was injured in 1989 when shewas tending fields. She has two children,aged eight and ten, and is a street and market vendor. She dreams of becoming aneconomist.

www.miss-landmine.org

“I see beautifulwomen who areproud, dignified andcomfortable withwho they are. They radiate astrong joy of beingencouraged to befunky and attractive and glamorous.”

Morten Traavik


SPRING 2008 35

FOOTBALL

Fever pitchAngola hopes that by hosting the Cup of Nations in 2010 and

presenting a showcase of new soccer stadiums and a modern tourism infrastructure will attract international attention

in the run up to the World Cup. By Alex Bellos

In June 2010 the soccer World Cup willbe held in Africa for the first time. Theevent, in South Africa, is the most

important tournament of the world’smost popular sport. Its TV audience willbe bigger than that of any sporting eventever held. All eyes will be on Africa in away they have never been before.

Five months earlier, in January 2010,Angola will also be putting itself on thesoccer map. The country will be hostingthe continent’s main tournament – theAfrican Cup of Nations – for the first time.The competition, which brings togetherthe 16 best national teams in Africa, willbe the largest event in the country’s history.

International sporting events aremore than just about sport. They areabout national identity and pride and area way of presenting a country’s culture tothe rest of the world. South Africa knowsthat in 2010 much more is at stake than afew good results on the pitch – hosting agood World Cup is a brilliant way ofshowing that it is a capable, competentand modern nation.

Likewise, hosting the Cup of Nations(known as the CAN, after its Frenchacronym) is more than about sport forAngola. It will be the most visible expres-sion of the country’s reconstruction since

the end of the civil war. Putting on a goodshow – with modern stadiums, a devel-oped tourism infrastructure and happyfans – will send a powerful message aboutAngola’s progress.

For Angola the stakes are high – notjust because the logistical challenges aregreater in a country with many other pri-orities, but because 2010 is a big year forsoccer in Africa. Its proximity to the WorldCup means that the CAN will attract moreinterest than any other year. �

Luanda’s new stadium in numbers

Completion date: October 2009Cost $200 millionArea of land 300haConcrete 100,000 cubic metresPrefab seating 35kmWorkers 2,300 (800 chinese

and 1,500 angolans)Power needed 5,000W

CapacityTotal 50,000Presidential VIP area 120VIP seating 2080Disabled seating 200Media seating 200

Centre stage: an artist’simpression of Luanda’snew stadium

Illus

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SPRING 2008 37

FOOTBALL


With less than two years to go, con-struction plans are only just underway. It has been decided that four new stadi-ums will be built: in Luanda, Benguela,Lubango and Cabinda. Final contractswere signed last December and work isdue to start in March. All are being builtby Chinese companies, and will involve a mixture of Chinese and Angolanlabourers.

Instead of refurbishing the nationalstadium at Cidadela in Luanda, Angola’scapital will gain a brand-new 50,000-seater stadium in the satellite town ofViana. The location will be near the uni-versity campus and the stadium designedto cater for athletics – with an eight-lanerunning track around the pitch.

Zang Di, head of the Shanghai UrbanConstruction Group, explained that thestadium will contain motifs of the two

most distinctive species of Angolan floraand fauna – the Palanca Negra antelopeand the Welwitschia mirabilis plant. Thecurved roof supports will be in the shapeof the palanca’s long horns.

The stadium will include restaurants,car parks and boutiques. AguinaldoJaime, the assistant minister in the primeminister’s office, said that the stadiumwould also have space dedicated tofuture real estate developments to attractinvestment and continue being viableafter the CAN.

In Benguela and Lubango, the stadi-ums will each hold 35,000 spectators andare being built by the SinoHydroCorporation. In Benguela the stadiumwill be in the Taka neighbourhood, and inLubango it will be in Tchioke. TheCabinda stadium will be slightly smaller,holding 25,000.

Augusto Silva, secretary-general ofthe Angolan Football Federation, saidthat two other stadiums would be builtfor participating teams to train in.

Organising a tournament like theCAN, of course, needs more than a fewstadiums. The transport and hotel infra-structure is not yet in place for an eventon this scale. Dinho Chingunji, theMinister of Tourism, is well aware of theproblem and hopes to double the num-ber of hotel rooms in Luanda to about5,000 by 2010. “Because of our history weare struggling with infrastructure fortourists,” he says. “We are encouragingprivate investors to make sure we accel-erate the building of infrastructure,especially accommodation.” He adds thatfour five-star hotels are already underconstruction.

Mr Chingunji hopes that Angola can

use the CAN to piggyback on the WorldCup. He believes that football fans mightcome to Angola to get a taste of whatSouth Africa will be like. “We are trying tocreate a relationship between CAN andthe Word Cup, and by doing this make it abigger event,” he says. He also hopes thatsome of the teams going to the WorldCup might use Angola as their prepara-tion base. All this depends on whetherthe infrastructure is ready for the CAN.“We’re trying to create conditions for vis-iting teams to come and have a few daysadaptation here. These teams alwaysattract international supporters.”

There is also a sporting dividend.The 2010 CAN comes at a time whenAngolan soccer is on the up. Putting onan event will increase interest and partic-ipation in a sport that has traditionallycome second to basketball. “The CAN will

The African Nation’s Cup, or Couped’Afrique des Nations, was first held in1957. Since 1968 it has been heldevery even year. Angola has only quali-fied four times – in 1996, 1998, 2006and 2008. Hosts since 2000 are:

2002 Mali2004 Tunisia2006 Egypt2008 Ghana2010 Angola2012 Gabon and Equatorial Guinea2014 Libya

Cabinda

Sir Alex Ferguson of ManchesterUnited poses with Manucho

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bring many benefits to Angolan football,”says Augusto Silva. “First in terms ofinfrastructure, but also because theyoung people will see their idols here. Ithink in a small space of time Angola willbecome a big power in African football.”

Even though in colonial times manyAngolan footballers played internation-ally for Portugal, progress duringindependence was slow after the nationalteam’s first match, a 1-0 victory againstpolitical ally Cuba in 1977. It was almosttwo decades before Angola qualified for amajor international competition, theCAN in 1996. They have qualified threemore times since then and – in what is amuch more difficult feat – reached theWorld Cup in 2006, although they wereknocked out in the first round.

In December, striker ManuchoGonçalves was signed by Manchester

United, the first time an Angolan hasjoined a big club in one of Europe’s bigleagues. Silva believes he will be the firstof many. “The war was a factor in oursporting development, but now there ispeace we will grow,” he says. “I think thatwithin five years Angola will definitelyhave top-quality players who can play atthe top clubs in Europe.”

Together with the CAN, the AngolanFootball Federation is hoping to openfootball schools in each of the country’s18 provinces. It will cater for a total of3,000 boys between the ages of ten and16. Silva believes that this will be a greatstep forward, and bring a promisingfuture.

At present, Angola is not known forits soccer. From 2010, all that couldchange. �Additional reporting: Teixeira Candido

THE HISTORY OF THE CUP

Lubango

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SPRING 2008 39

Having survived the war, the mysterious GiantSable Antelope is a symbol of hope in Angola.But now conservationists and local shepherdsare trying to it protect from a new threat ofextinction. By Ramona Siddoway

Amurmur rippled through the group as someone called out:“They were here!” There was a surge of excitement as wegathered around the hardening mud. Still moist from the

previous night’s rainstorm, we were able to see the marks clearly–deep, indented, unmistakable – the footprints of the PalancaNegra.

The Giant Sable Antelope, or Palanca Negra, is more than justan animal in Angola. It is the heart and soul of the country; a sym-bol of independence, strength and dignity. The Angolan people arepassionate about an animal that for centuries was hidden and pro-tected by local tribesmen. Images of the Palanca are everywhere – asthe mascot of the national football team, in the logo of the nationalairline and in paintings and advertising.

Yet almost no one has seen a Palanca Negra in the wild. No oneknows exactly how many there are, but estimates range anywherefrom 100 to 300 in the entire country. So to see a footprint of thenational animal was exhilarating and moving. I knew I was privi-leged to witness what, until now, few had ever seen. Many fearedthat the animal had died out during Angola’s civil war, but to realizethat the Palanca has survived is a powerful metaphor for therestoration of hope in Angola as a whole.

I came here, to the Cangandala National Park in the province ofMalanje, with environmentalist Pedro Vaz Pinto. A scientist atLuanda’s Catholic University, Pinto has made it a personal missionto protect the Palanca Negra and assure its survival in the wild. It isa difficult, time-consuming job and he has introduced a programmewhich involves the local tribes.

As we made the bumpy nine-hour drive from Luanda, Pintoexplained: “It’s only logical to use the local villagers. I needed thehelp. They had the skills, they were close and, more importantly, �

gentleAngola’s

giants

© P

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naturepl/Pete Oxford


Before his death, Kataba was a respectedhunter from the Bola Cassaxe village thatat one time was situated inside theCangandala Park. According to the localvillagers, Kataba was a hero, responsiblefor saving their village.

In 1960, Portuguese officials travelledfrom village to village in search of thePalanca Negra in order to protect it. TheSoba of Kataba’s village denied the ani-mal was in the area. Angered, the officialschained and imprisoned the Soba’s entirefamily, refusing to release them until thewhereabouts of the Palanca was revealed.

During this time, Kataba was out hunt-ing when another tribesman came to warnhim that his family was in danger. By thetime he returned to the village, his familyhad been in chains for three days.

According to tribal legend, Katabadeclared: “If you release my family, I willlead you to the giant sable. If I fail tolocate the animal, you can cut off myhead!” Following the hunter, thePortuguese were led straight to a clearingwhere the extraordinary animals wereindeed grazing.

“Kataba arrived back in the village; acheer rose up and there was clapping ofgreat joy,” say the villagers, describing theevent. The prisoners were released andthe hunter became a hero. By 1963, thenational park was created with Kataba asits first game warden.

Vaz Pinto finds it interesting that thesite of the first salina in which he placedthe infrared cameras is the exact locationwhere the Palancas were found by Katabaon that fateful day.

Ram

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SPRING 2008 41

CONSERVATION


they wanted to be involved in protectingthe giant sable.”

In 1960, in an attempt to safeguardthe giant sable, the Portuguese govern-ment restricted access to a 630sq km areaof Cangandala Park and appointed a localtribesman called Kataba to be the park’sofficial game warden.

Kataba was a member of the Songotribe of about 15,000 people. A skilledhunter, he was revered by both thePortuguese and his own people for hisspecial gift of always knowing where tofind the animal. Kataba quickly gainedthe nickname Pastor das Palancas orShepherd of the Giant Sables. His legendand tradition of caring for the Palancacontinue to this day.

“When I first began this conserva-tion project in 2003, I was captivated bythe story of Kataba.” Vaz Pinto explains. “I worked with the government to rein-state the official status of these men andinstituted the shepherd programme inKataba’s memory.”

In the Songo social hierarchy, vil-lages are led by the Soba, the villageelder. Vaz Pinto allows the Soba to choose who will be officially deemed as a shepherd.

“The Soba knows his villagers. WhenI first came to the park, the Soba chosesix men to go with me. When I neededmore, he gave me more. This village feelsit’s their responsibility to protect thePalanca. The other villages don’t. I con-tinue to leave this responsibility [ofchoosing the shepherds] to the chief.”

Today there are 16 shepherds. Theirleader is João Kataba, the great-grandsonof the first Kataba and Great ChiefShepherd; a coincidence that does not gounnoticed and is a great sense of pridefor João and his family.

At one time there was a deep-seatedbelief among the Songo that the giantsable held a spiritual link to their ances-tors. Whether or not the currentgeneration maintains this tradition isuncertain, but the instinct to protect thePalanca is still strong.

“Kataba looks down on us and isglad we are continuing to protect thePalanca,” João said. “It is our duty.”

After we had set up camp, nine shep-

herds arrived to welcome us. Dressedmostly in the drab olive green indicativeof game wardens, some were wearingclean T-shirts in honour of the visitors.Not shy, every shepherd made a point ofshaking hands with each one of us. A fewof the shepherds had government-issuedAK47 rifles slung over their shoulders, areminder of the unfortunate reality ofpoachers and the need to protect thePalanca.

The next morning we followed VazPinto deeper into the park. We did notexpect to actually see any Palancas –observing this elusive creature is very difficult. We did, however, acquire moreproof that they exist than just the foot-print.

As part of this project Vaz Pinto hasset up a number of battery-powered cam-eras triggered by infrared beams. He hassix 35mm still cameras, two video cam-eras, and four digital stills spread out over

14 identified salinas. These are areasencrusted with salt and minerals, locatedat the base of abandoned termitemounds.

Roughly every three weeks, Vaz Pintomakes the trek from Luanda to check theequipment, change the batteries andprocess the dated recordings. Due to thesensitive nature of the infrared equip-ment, even the wind or heat can triggerthe beam and the camera will record avacant salt-lick. This is normal. But onthis trip, we would not leave emptyhanded. We were in for a special treat.

Back at the campsite, we gatheredround as Vaz Pinto began reviewing themost recent footage. We became very

excited as we saw three giant sable cowsemerge on the screen. They were visiblefor only a few minutes, but the video con-firmed the prints in the mud.

There is another threat, however, tothe giant sable. This new and most alarm-ing development is the creation of a newhybrid species. There are two species ofPalanca – the Palanca Negra and thePalanca Vermelha, or Roan Antelope.According to Vaz Pinto, a Roan bull is nowbreeding with the pure sable cows. Thiscross-fertilization has resulted in the birthof a new hybrid animal. Genetic rules sug-gest that these hybrids are most likelysterile and this inbred self- destructmechanism is now a real threat of extinc-tion for the Palanca.

Last spring, Vaz Pinto was able torecord evidence of two male calves. Hehas not been able to find them since.There are two possibilities – the hybridbull is chasing them away from the cowsor, in the worst case, they have fallen preyto poachers. Neither scenario bodes wellfor the Palanca.

On my last night in the park, I satwith the others around the campfire untillate into the evening, the euphoria of theweekend making it impossible to sleep.The next morning I was reluctant to leavethe park and the small sanctuary that Ihad briefly shared with the Palanca. As Idrove away, I wondered at the Palanca’sfuture. The animal had barely survived thewar. Was it going to survive the peace?

In Cangandala there are only 20 to 30animals left. Vaz Pinto believes that theremay be more Palanca in the Luando StrictNature Reserve, an area south of and big-ger than Cangandala. However, becauseVaz Pinto and his team have only beenable to conduct limited research in thereserve, this is merely a guess. He believesthat before he can even consider thePalanca as a self-sustaining species, hewould need to see the population stabilizeat around 1,500 animals.

Vaz Pinto and the shepherds areworking hard to overcome the obstaclesthat will allow the giant sable to thriveonce again. Much like their ancestors,these sentinel shepherds continue toguard and protect one of Angola’s greatesttreasures. �

“It’s only logical touse the local

villagers. I neededthe help. They had

the skills, theywere close and,

more importantly,they wanted to be

involved in protecting the

Giant Sable.”

The Palanca Negra is a large, rare sub-species of the common sable antelopeendemic to a small region in Angola.The most striking feature about this ani-mal is its massive, curving horns whichcan reach lengths of up to 165cm. Thebulls are black and the females are achestnut colour. Both sexes have white“eyebrows”, white cheek stripes, and awhite belly and rump patch.

There are two species of Palanca: thePalanca Negra or Sable Antelope andthe Palanca Vermelha or Roan Antelope.There are four races of Palanca Negra:the Palanca Negra Gigante or GiantSable (which is the most endangeredand rare); the Palanca Negra Vulgar(Common Sable); the Palanca Negra deKirk (Kirk’s Sable), and the PalancaNegra de Roosevelt (Roosevelt’s Sable).

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rary THE STORY OF KATABA

Family business – João Kataba, great grandson of the Great Chief Shepherd

A RARE SPECIES

Pedro Vaz Pinto


SPRING 2008 43

The great and the good of the UnitedStates oil community celebratedSonangol USA’s 10th anniversary at agala dinner attended by industry lead-ers from Angola, the UK, France,Singapore and other countries.

Baptista Sumbe, president ofSonangol USA, told the 500 guests atHouston’s JW Marriott Hotel inNovember: “I am so proud of my win-ning team. When we opened forbusiness ten years ago, we were facedwith many challenges. Now we countleading refineries among our clients,and this year we traded 73.4 millionbarrels of oil, achieving revenue of$4.82 billion.”

George Kirkland, executive vice-president of Chevron, upstream andgas, added: “We’ve been in Angola

Sonangol news briefing

Birthday tribute

Sonangol’s new head office is to be officially opened at a galaceremony in February. The 22-storey building is located onLuanda’s bay, metres away from the old office. The $100-mil-lion building is the most modern in Angola and includes ahelipad, gym, restaurant and three levels of parking. The newbuilding will enable Sonangol staff currently spread out indifferent offices to be based in the same place.

Gas Natural, Repsol, Galp, Eni and Exem have signed anagreement with Sonagás to create a consortium to prospectfor natural gas offshore in Angola. The project involves evalu-ating the gas reserves, making the necessary developmentinvestment and, if applicable, exporting the product as lique-fied natural gas. Sonagás will be the operator and have a 40per cent stake.

The Massambala-1onshore oil field inCabinda has a totalreserve of 170 millionbarrels of oil – five timesthe initial forecast of 33million barrels, it hasbeen announced. Thefield is operated by RocOil, which holds 60 percent of the block. The oildiscovered is heavy, vis-cous crude rather thanthe light petroleum usu-ally found in Angola andWestern Africa.

New HQ gala

Gas search

Heavy returns

Russian diamond monopoly Alrosa is part of a consor-tium given a licence for crude oil exploration by Angola’soil ministry. It is the first Russian company to be granteda licence. Alrosa, together with Sonangol and Dark Oil,will explore onshore deposits in the Lower Congo, UpperKwanza, Etosha, Okavango and Kassanje and will alsowork offshore. “Angola is one of the biggest oil suppliersin Africa. For the moment we’re only geographicallyexploring,” said an Alrosa spokesman. Alrosa is the sec-ond largest diamond producer after De Beers, providinga quarter of the world’s diamonds. It is already involvedin mining in the province of Lunda Sul.

Russian venture

since the Sixties – through the goodtimes and the bad. It’s a very importantcountry for us.”

Houston is a key link in theSonangol chain that spans the globe toprovide a round-the-clock tradingservice. It is also the headquarters ofSonangol Shipping, which operates afleet of Suezmax tankers totalling morethan 794,000 deadweight tons.

Sonangol’s US headquarters playsan important role in administering thewelfare of Angolan students attendingcourses at American universities andin supporting the officer cadets of theSonangol Maritime Training Scheme.In addition, it provides internationalexperience for the mother company’sgraduate trainees on secondment fromLuanda.

OVERVIEW

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SONANGOL NEWS

“We’ve been in Angola since the Sixties– through the good times and the bad.It’s a very important country for us.”

Baptista Sumbe (right),president of Sonangol

USA, and Elma Almeida,Sonangol USA's Employee

of the Year 2007

Baptista Sumbe, president of Sonangol USA


Angola kept up total oilproduction in 2007, pro-ducing an estimated 1.7million bpd and is oncourse for hitting its OPECquota of 1.9 bpd in 2008.Angola joined theOrganization of thePetroleum ExportingCountries last year and wasinitially exempt from quo-tas but this changed thisyear.

Oil continues to domi-nate the Angolan economy,contributing 90 per cent ofthe country’s exports and50 per cent of GDP, whichrepresents 80 per cent ofnational receipts.

And more money isflowing in every year.According to Sonangolchairman and chief execu-tive Manuel Vicente,investment in oil research,exploration and develop-ment in Angola could reach$66 billion between 2008and 2011.

Much of this money willbe used in the develop-ment of deep andultra-deep water conces-sions awarded in 2005 and2006.

The value of investmenthas been steadily increas-ing since deepwater drillingbegan almost two decadesago. In the 1990s, the totalvalue of investment in oilwas $15.5 billion. So far,$48.3 billion has alreadybeen invested this decade.



1.9m

240,000number of barrels a day produced atBP’s Grade Plutónio patform, whichstarted producing last year.

the total depth of the most recent oilwell discovered by Total in Block 32with its Alho-1 probe.

number of barrels per day set by OPECas quota for Angola in 2008.

4981mSPRING 2008 45

Sonangol’s Maritime Training Schemereceived international recognitionwhen Engineer Cadet Emanuel deCarvalho Afonso from Luanda receivedthe Scottish Vocational Qualification inMerchant Vessel Engineering at theBritish Marine Society annual court inLondon on October 10.

Cadet Carvalho Afonso receivedhis award and a cheque for $789 fromthe Royal Navy’s Assistant Chief ofNaval Staff, Rear Admiral A.M. Massey,CBE, at HMS President, in the shadowof Tower Bridge.

The young engineer, who is nowserving aboard the Sonangol Shippingcrude carrier M/T Kassange, has justcompleted his course at the GlasgowCollege of Nautical Studies where heproduced his winning presentation onTasks and Reports of Work AboardShips. Derek Robbie, head of NauticalStudies at Glasgow University,described the presentation as “confi-dent and articulate with excellentexplanations and descriptions of theprocedures involved”.

There are generally around 60 stu-

Top award

dent cadets on the $40,000 two-yearcourse, which involves spells atGlasgow and the Academy of MaritimeEducation in Chennai, India – as wellas six months at sea in one of theSonangol tankers. “We are expectingour first Angolan graduate to receivehis Masters Certificate within fouryears,” says Richard Speight, deputyand assistant principal at GlasgowCollege of Nautical Studies.

Carvalho Afonso was one of 35specially selected Angolan students atthe college, 19 of whom are training asdeck officers and 16 as engineers, aspart of Sonangol’s project to create thenucleus of an Angolan MercantileMarine.

“We are expect-ing our firstAngolan gradu-ate to receive hisMastersCertificate withinfour years”

Richard Speight, deputy and assistant principal at Glasgow College of Nautical Studies

It’s all go for Total in Block 17. The Frenchmajor has won an international engineer-ing award for its work on the Rosa Fieldand has finally awarded the key contractsfor development of the multibillion dollarPazflor Field.

The prize from the InternationalPetroleum Technology Conference inDubai was awarded for the $2.5millionintegration of the Rosa Field to the FPSOGirassol. Rosa is 15km away fromGirassol and is the first deepwater field ofits size to be tied back to such a remoteinstallation and in such water depths.The subsea installation consists of 64kmof insulated production flowlines and40km of water injection lines linking thefield to Girassol.

Meanwhile, Italian company Saipemis due to start drilling operations inPazflor in 2010 and hopes to get the firstoil out a year later. The deal – worthalmost $1 billion – will use the drillshipSaipem 12000 which is currently underconstruction in South Korea.

Total has also signed a $1.86 billioncontract with Technip, the leader in aconsortium with Norwegian firm Acergy,to supply the projects umbilical riser andflowline system. It is expected that

Total wins award Pazflor will produce 200,000 bpd whenit comes on line.

Technip’s share of the contract covers the engineering, procurement,fabrication and installation of over80km of production and water injec-tion rigid flowlines, conventionalflexible risers and integration production bundle risers. Technip willalso carry out the engineering, procure-ment and fabrication of over 60km ofumbilicals.

Acergy’s contract covers the engi-neering, procurement, fabrication andinstallation of 55km of water injectionlines, gas injection and gas export lines,umbilicals and over 20 rigid jumpers. Italso includes the installation of allmanifolds, three subsea separationunits with associated umbilicals andthe FPSO mooring lines, together withthe overall pre-commissioning. AllAcergy fabrication will be undertakenat the Sonamet yard in Lobito which isjointly owned by Sonangol and Acergy.

In another move, Total is in talks toassume control of two discoveries –Calulu and Muzongue – in Block 33.ExxonMobil previously operated Block33 but withdrew, leaving the other part-ners Sonangol, Galp, Falcon Oil and Nirto share out its stake.

ExxonMobil announced it has begunproduction from its massive KizombaC development in Block 15 –195kmfrom the Angolan coast in waters800m deep. The project started withone field, Mondo, producing about80,000 bpd and this is expected toincrease to a peak of 200,000 bpd bythe third quarter of the year when twomore fields – Saxi and Batuque – comeon stream.

Kizomba C has two FPSOs and 36wells, making it the company’s largestunderwater project in the world. TheUS major’s total investment in the

First of three

three fields – which have estimatedreserves of 600 million barrels – will beabout $2 billion. About three-quarters ofthat is being spent locally, includinglogistics and construction by Angolans.

ExxonMobil is the operator ofBlock 15, with 40 per cent. The otherpartners are BP (26.67 per cent), ENI(20 per cent) and StatoilHydro (13.33per cent).

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SONANGOL NEWS

7tankers being built for theAngola LNG project.

81companies on thepre-qualified list forthe second licensinground.

%90oil as percentage of total Angolanexports

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Q At what stage is the LNG project?A At the end of last year, we got all the necessary final approvalsfrom the Government, Sonangol and partners. The project wasofficially sanctioned in December with seven signatories – thePetroleum Minister, Sonangol, Angola LNG and the four projectsponsors Sonangol Gás Natural (also known as Sonagás),Chevron, Total and BP.

Q When will construction start?A In January 2007 Angola LNG signed an engineering and pro-curement contract with US company Bechtel,and in Decemberwe signed the construction contract with them. De facto con-struction activity is due to begin in 2008.

Q How long will it take to build?A The project will take four years. The plan is to start producingin early 2012. The construction of the plant is the most time-con-suming part, but other things need to be built too.

Q Such as?A Firstly, we need to put down the network of pipelines that willtake the gas from the blocks to the plant. We will start off with fivecontributing blocks – Cabinda, 14, 15, 17 and 18. These pipelineswill take less time to make than the plant, and will be paid for bythe blocks. Second, we need to build tankers to take the gas fromthe plant. We are having seven tankers built – four by a consor-tium including Mitsui/NYK/Teekay and three by SonangolShipping. These tankers will be chartered from third parties. Andfinally, a terminal in Pascagoula, Mississippi, will be built to takethe gas from the tankers. Construction is also due to start in 2008.At present, all of the gas will go to the US.

Q How big will the Soyo plant be?A It’s the most expensive project in Angola. It will cost more than$8 billion. The production train will produce 5.2 million tonnes ofLNG a year. It will be one of the best in the world. It won’t be thebiggest, but it’s a good start.

Q How many people will the project employ?A For the construction phase there will be about 7,000 jobs.About 60 per cent of the workers are Angolan, 2,000 from Soyo.Once up and running, it will employ 500 people directly.

Q How will the plant change Soyo?A At the moment, Soyo is a town with up to 100,000 people.Already it seems that all Angolan banks are in Soyo, in anticipa-tion of the plant. We hope the project has a positive effect; that it

will bring new jobs indirectly and that the plant staff will be inte-grated into the fabric of the town. We want the people who areworking in Soyo to live there with their families. You can seealready that houses are being built, and hotels. Constructioncompanies are also setting up there. I believe there is a plan tobuild a new airport too.

Q What has been your role in the LNG project? A I am a chemical engineer and I have worked for Sonangol for26 years. In late 2004, Sonagas was founded and I was made pres-ident when the staff was appointed the following year. I havebeen very involved in setting up the project, but it is not operatedby Sonagas. The project is being run by a new company, AngolaLNG, which has now five partners – Sonagas, Chevron, Eni, Totaland BP. Angola LNG has a board, and Sonagas provides the chair-man. From now, Sonagas’s role will be much more one ofaccompanying what is happening and we expect to be stronglyinvolved in areas such as promoting Angolanization, the use oflocal content and integration with the community.

Q How important is the project strategically?A It is very important. When the project started ten years ago,there was a lot of scepticism – that it wouldn’t result in anything,that it was a waste of time. Now the attitude has changed. This isthe project that has made Sonangol think more about natural gasas a new business and as a source of revenue. In fact, Sonangol,through different subsidiaries will fully participate in the entiregas value chain from production, processing, transportation tomarketing gas in the U.S.

Also, the project helped Sonangol think in a more regionalway, linking several blocks together and promoting the idea of anetwork of gas pipelines that will be used not only for the LNGplant but also for other projects. Finally, this project will also helppromote the use of natural gas for power generation as well as thestart of a petrochemical complex in the Soyo area.

Q Will all the Soyo gas go to the LNG plant? A No. Some will be used to generate electricity in Zaire province.And some we hope will be used in the petrochemical industries.We are carrying out preliminary research into the construction ofa secondary plant that will produce ammonia. It is all very excit-ing because this is a new future for gas in Angola. Sonangol isactively promoting the exploration of more gas to develop otherprojects. This is something we never did before.

The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant in Soyo will cost $8 billion – making it the country’s mostexpensive construction project, says Antonio Orfão, president of Sonangol Gás Natural.

Angola LNG is made up of Chevron (36.4 per cent), Sonagás (22.8 per cent), Total, Eni and BP (all 13.6 per cent)

SPRING 2008 47

INTERVIEW

Stepping on the gas



Companies from all four corners ofthe world are in the running foracreage in Angola’s second licens-

ing round. India, Russia, China, Brazil,Australia, Pakistan, Argentina and Nigeriaare all represented in the list of 81 com-panies that Sonangol has pre-qualified tobid, as well as the supermajors and otherAmerican and European firms.

The current round is for ten blocks:Cabinda Centro, KON 11 and KON 12onshore, and 9, 19, 20, 21, 46, 47 and 48offshore. It is only the second timeSonangol has had a licensing round – thefirst, announced in 2005, included sevenblocks: 1, 5, 6, 15, 17, 18, and 26.

Of the five supermajors in the list, BP,Chevron, ExxonMobil and Total arealready present in Angola. Shell used tobe here but sold its stake in Block 18 andpulled out of Block 16 – its place on thelist shows its desire to re-enter the field.

The supermajors are likely to bemost interested in operating the ultra-deep water blocks 46, 47 and 48. Theblocks, 200km due east of Soyo, havedepths of around 2,500m. These all haveproduction periods of 25 years andrequire the drilling of four wells each inthe initial phase of exploration.The list of bidders is noticeable for itsbreadth. Three Russian players –Gazprom, Lukoil and Sintezneftegaz – areincluded as well as ONGC Videsh fromIndia, Sinopec from China and Petrobrasfrom Brazil. Less well-known companies

include Ascom (Moldova), Mol(Hungary), Pluspetrol Resources(Argentina), Glencore (Switzerland),Aabar (Abu Dhabi), Stuart (Australia),Africa Oil Corporation (Canada) and theOil and Gas Development (Pakistan).

They will be competing against moreestablished names such as Galp, Gaz deFrance, Maersk, Marathon, StatoilHydroand Tullow Oil.

In addition to the 39 companiesqualified to bid for operator contracts, 42have qualified to bid for non-operatorcontracts. These include Inpex and Sojitzfrom Japan, Repsol YPF from Spain, RocOil from Australia, and SSI, the Sonangol-Sinopec joint venture.

Again, the field spreads wide.Runners and riders include Naftagaz(Russia), Namcor (Namibia), Amber(British Virgin Islands), Atlantic (Nigeria),Wexford (UK) and Wega (Norway).

“We are very pleased with the vol-ume of interest from around the world inour licensing round,” said a Sonangolspokesman. “The number and variety ofbids is a vote of confidence in Angola andin Sonangol. The next few years will bevery exciting for all of us working in thehydrocarbons sector in this country.”All the bidders are required to buy a datapackage before submitting offers. Pricesvary from $115,000 for KON 12 to$275,000 for blocks 9, 19, and 20. Thepackages are available until March 7. Bidswill be opened publicly on March 14.

Licensed to drillMore than 80 firms want to bid for ten blocks in Sonangol’s second licensing round. By Alex Bellos

Arnulf Husmo/Getty Images

“The number andvariety of bids is a

vote of confidencein Angola and in

Sonangol. The nextfew years will be

very exciting for allof us working in the

hydrocarbons sector in this

country.”



Aabar Addax AfrenAfrica Oil Ascom BP Burren Chevron Cobalt International ENI EssarEssoGalp

Gaz de FranceGazprom NetherlandsGlencoreInteroilLukoilMaerskMarathon InternaitonalMedexMOL HungarianNPCONGC VideshOil & Gas DevelopmentPerbras

PerencoPetro SAPetrobrasPluspetrol ResourcesShellSinopecSintezneftegazSomoilStarfishStatoilhydroStuartTotalTullow

ACRAmberAtlanticBanigorChamavoDikangaEsperazaExemFalcon OilGlobalGeocienciasGrupo GemaHBA

IberdrolaInpexKalungaLime RockLussadissuMirabilisMonumentalMurphyNaftagazNational PetroleumCompany ofNamibiaNedoil

Petro NortePetrogasPoliedroProdiamanRakRepsoilRoc OilServicabSHASojitzSpice GroupSSITap

TrafiguraUnderwaterUpiteWegaWexfordZimbo

Prequalified for Operator Pre qualified for Non-operator

OIL

Onshore blocks:

CABINDA CENTROArea: 1425 sq kmWells drilled: 33

Weighting of bid: Signature bonus 50 per cent,Work program 30 per cent, Contrubution for socialprojects 20 per cent

Contract period: 4 years initial exploration, 3 yearssubsequent exploration, production period 20 years.

Sonangol has 50 per cent participation on contrac-tor group.

KON 11Area: 1020 sq kmWells drilled: 47

Exploration of the block started in the late 1950sthat led two two major discoveries.



Angolan companies will make up 70 per cent of thecontractor group.

KON 12Area: 1024 sq kmWells drilled: 6

Exploration started in late 1950s leading to onemarginal discovery.



Angolan companies will make up 70 per cent of thecontractor group.

• Luanda

• Sumbe

• Lobito

• Cabinda

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21

20

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46

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47

48

Offshore blocks:

BLOCK 9Area: 4000 sq kmDepth: 50-1000mWells drilled: 7

Weighting of bid: Signature bonus 80 percent, Contrubution for social projects 20 percent

Contract period: 4 years initial exploration,3 years subsequent exploration, productionperiod 25 years.

Mimimum work program: Initial phase: todrill 3 wells, one being in pre-salt play, 100sq km of long offset seismic shot.

Subsequent phase: 2 wells, one being inpre-salt play.

Sonangol has 65 per cent participation ofthe contractor group and will be the opera-tor.

BLOCK 19Location: 100km northwest of LuandaDepth: 200-1,500mWells drilled: 1

Weighting of bid: Signature bonus 70 percent, Work program 10 per cent,Contrubution for social projects 20 per cent


Minimum work program: Initial phase: todrill 4 wells, one being in pre-salt play.1,500 sq km of long offset seismic shot


ExxonMobil has preferential rights and cantake 30 per cent operating stakes if it takesterms of the best proposal.

BLOCK 20Location: 125km west of Luanda Depth: 300-1,500mWells drilled: 2





ExxonMobil has preferential rights and cantake 30 per cent operating stakes if it takesterms of the best proposal.

Sonangol has 65 per cent participation onthe contractor group.

BLOCK 21Location: 200km southwest of Luanda Depth: 300-1,600mWells drilled: 2





Sonangol has 65 per cent participation onthe contractor group.

BLOCK 46Location: 200km west of Soyo Depth: 2,500mWells drilled: none















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