SU23-cover:Layout 1 10/8/09 18:07 Page 1 SONANGOL UNIVERSO Universo AUTUMN 2009 Joy of texts How mobile phones are changing Africa Crop ready The boom in Angolan farming Catch of the day Fishing on the Kwanza ISSUE 23 – AUTUMN 2009 INSIDE: oil and gas news SU23.contents.pp2-3:SU23 10/8/09 19:07 Page 2 CONTENTS 6 30 Universo is the international Photolibrary magazine of Sonangol Board Members Manuel Vicente (President), Anabela Fonseca, Mateus de Brito, Fernando Roberto, Francisco de Lemos Sonangol Department for Communication & Image Director João Rosa Santos Corporate Communications Assistants Letter from the editor Nadiejda Santos, Lúcio Santos, Cristina Novaes, José Mota, ay before Angola was known as Beatriz Silva, Paula Almeida, a country rich in hydrocarbons, www.FlyCastaway.com/Gerhard Laubscher Sandra Teixeira, Marta Sousa W it was known for its fertile arable land and lush climate. It is remarkable to 18 38 Publisher Kamene M Traça think that Angola used to be the fourth iStockphoto Sheila O’Callaghan biggest producer of coffee in the world, Editor with the areas around Kwanza Sul espe- 24 Alex Bellos cially productive. However, farming was Art Director difficult during the civil war. David Gould Now there is peace, the agricultural Sub Editor sector is growing fast. In this issue we have Ron Gribble a special report on the government’s plans Advertising Design to become self-sufficient by 2012. Angola Bernd Wojtczack needs to diversify from its reliance on Circulation Manager petrol and diamonds to avoid being so Matthew Alexander vulnerable to fluctuations in the interna- Project Consultants tional commodities markets. 8 JOY TESSMAN Nathalie MacCarthy Another natural resource is fish. Kamene M Traça Mauro Perillo Angolan waters have lots of fish. Big fish. Group President The country has great potential as a tourist 4 National content in A SPECIAL REPORT ON 18 Upwardly mobile John Charles Gasser destination for attracting sports fisherman Angola AGRICULTURE IN ANGOLA How the mobile phone industry is Sonangol News Universo is produced by Impact Media – and, as we report, is already catching the booming in Angola, and how new Custom Publishing. The views expressed in eye of international anglers who come 5 Readers’ letters 8 Green shoots communications technology is 36 Sonangol the publication are not necessarily those of here for the threadfin, dorado and tarpon. A ten-page feature about the state of helping Africa news briefing Sonangol or the publishers. Reproduction in Meanwhile, Sonangol is pushing 6 Angola news briefing farming in Angola and government whole or in part without prior permission is ahead on many fronts. It recently an- President dos Santos attends plans to become self-sufficient in 24 Origin of the species 38 Order and progress prohibited. nounced a sponsorship deal for a new type the G8 summit in Italy; Angola’s food by 2012. Millions of dollars are The San – or bushmen – of Angola An interview with Vicente This magazine is distributed to a closed of motor racing called Superleague For- stock market to open soon; being invested in the agricultural are the focus of an amazing study Inácio, QHSE manager circulation. To receive a free copy: mula, which means its logo will be seen by Portuguese coach to run sector by the Angolan government, as of genetic data [email protected] sports fans around the world. On a domes- national football team; Russian well as by the US, China and Israel. 42 Lab fab Circulation: 17,000 tic note, a state-of-the-art laboratory has president visits Angola; Trienal Angola’s climate, rainfall and soil gives 28 Click clique A peek at Sonangol’s new opened in Luanda. And as Angola’s presi- de Luanda art event to take it excellent potential for crops includ- A film project on the San by laboratory dency of Opec heads into the second half place next year; new airline for ing potatoes, maize and pineapples Namibian Richard Pakleppa of its one-year term, the price of a barrel of domestic flights staffed by 44 Top of the league oil is back to a respectable level. Across the British Airways pilots Sonangol is sponsoring Super- 53 Chandos Place, 14 Coffee: a special brew 30 Gotcha! London WC2N 4HS board, the view looks good. The aromatic beans are making a Angola is a paradise for sports league Formula, a new sport Tel + 44 20 7812 6400 7 Figured out comeback fisherman looking to catch huge mixing cars and football Fax +44 20 7812 6413 A snapshot of Angola in fish such as tarpon, dorado, [email protected] numbers 16 Bananas: the yellow road Atlantic threadfin, Crevalle 50 The Big Picture Cover: Kamene M Traça Plantation plans jack, sailfin and blue marlin Angola’s rivers 2 SONANGOL UNIVERSO AUTUMN 2009 3 SU23.editor-letters.pp4-5:SU23 10/8/09 19:08 Page 4 EDITORIAL READERS’ LETTERS National content in Angola British support ended, our bilateral trade and invest- facilitated visits to the UK by Angolan Dear Sir ment relationship with Angola has grown companies looking to meet potential In June, I joined many colleagues and at an extraordinary rate. This growth is British investors. A statement by Sonangol’s Negotiations Directorate members of the Angolan community to reflected in the staggering volume of the In fields ranging from sports and celebrate the birthday of our Queen, UK’s foreign direct investment in Angola leisure to hydrocarbon exploration, the ngola is the second-biggest oil Angolan oil industry will need to deal with making it crucial and urgent for Elizabeth II. This occasion was special – the UK being the second-largest in- UK is participating in the reconstruction producer in sub-Saharan Africa in order to reach acceptable national Angola to train engineers en masse in for us since it coincided with the visit vestor in Angola with total investments and development of Angola. My country A after Nigeria, having the capacity content results is the shortage of a skilled all the different subjects and technical of our Minister for Africa, Lord Malloch- valued at over $12 billion. Presently, the is a willing partner, supporting Angola’s to produce 2.1 million barrels per day and technically-educated Angolan specialties. Brown, a living symbol of our commit- balance of trade is heavily in Angola’s efforts to rebuild and diversify its (bpd). Restrictions imposed by Opec, workforce. In fact, the existing Angolan The country also needs to invest in ment to strengthening the history of favour with Angolan exports to the UK up economy and British companies have which it joined in 2007, limits its produc- educational institutions have not been the construction of technological and friendship and co-operation between by an astounding 285 per cent in 2008. the experience and ability to respond to tion to an average of 1.6 million bpd. able to meet the labour demands of the scientific research institutes and to the UK and Angola. I believe Angola will certainly con- the exacting demands of these require- In 2008, the Angolan oil and gas in- oil industry in either quantity or quality. encourage, through incentives and/or The UK is keen to broaden and tinue to attract British investment. In ments. It is my desire to see increased en- dustry, which contributes around 83 per This problem calls for an integrated obligations, the engineering companies deepen our relationship with Angola. 2008 our government renewed export gagement with Angolan interlocutors on cent of the country’s gross domestic prod- solution from both the petroleum and the to transfer part of their operations to This includes supporting the Angolan credit cover worth more than $70 million international issues that affect both uct, registered investments of about $5.4 education sectors, a solution that must Angola and to create centres of excellence. government’s plans for economic diversi- for Angola. I have also seen in the last of our countries. billion in oil exploration, development first determine the long-term needs, and With regards to Angola’s industrial fication, and developing co-operation in couple of years several British trade dele- Pat Phillips projects and production activities. second ensure that the conditions are in and manufacturing capacity, its develop- areas of shared interest and concern. gations visiting the country – and many British Ambassador However, Angola’s success story in place to turn out sufficient numbers of ment and expansion should be based on In the seven years since the civil war more intend to come. Likewise, we have Luanda becoming a major oil producer is under- trained Angolan workers with the right oil and gas industry projects scheduled for mined by the poor national content qualifications. One way to achieve this ob- the medium and long term, as the existing Houston, Texas results that it has achieved in the past 30 jective is to promote co-operation be- yards and logistic bases need to continue Valentim Amões, Prodiaman, Prodoil years. This has led to an oil and gas indus- tween educational institutions and the to improve and expand to meet the de- and Test Angola. try dominated by foreign companies, a major players of the oil industry. mands for goods, services and space. Kudissanga will host the high percentage of expatriate workers The development of local suppliers The industrial business opportunities second annual conference and jobs fair (particularly in technical and supervisory is another issue. Limited technical capac- are many and varied as most of the mate- in Houston, Texas, in April 2010. The roles) and a reduced number of Angolan ity, lack of information about business rials and equipment are manufactured number of Angolans formally educated suppliers of goods and services capable of opportunities and bids procedures, and assembled outside Angola.