SONANGOL UNIVERSO
Universo SEPTEMBER 2011
Holding our tongues ISSUE 31 – SEPTEMBER 2011
STEPS IN THE KINDRED RIGHT DIRECTION: SPIRITS: Angola’s modern dance delights and surprises
Scotland’s many-sided relationship with Angola
SUPER SATELLITE CITY:
Luanda’s Kilamba project promises better lifestyles
INSIDE:
oil and gas news
Universo is the international magazine of Sonangol
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Board Members Manuel Vicente (President), Anabela Fonseca, Mateus de Brito, Fernando Roberto, Francisco de Lemos, Baptista Sumbe, Sebastião Gaspar Martins
O
ur first feature in this September edition surveys Angola’s surprisingly close relationship with Scotland in the UK. Mutual familiarity, originally in the field of oil and gas, has expanded in several directions, higher education being one of them. Universo examines not only what each nation offers in material terms but also looks at the warmth and respect generated by knowledge sharing, training and social contacts. The importance of diamond mining is well known within Angola, but what happens to these diamonds once they are exported is often only vaguely understood. In our second leading article, we trace the journey of a diamond from the final consumer back to the mine, on the way providing a fascinating guide to buying a diamond engagement ring. Angola’s indigenous languages are the subject of our third feature. Here we examine initiatives to rescue and preserve these often-neglected forms of communication. Our final major story also deals with the preservation of Angola’s cultural heritage, this time focusing on the work of the country’s Contemporary Dance Company. The CDC is making heroic efforts to draw attention to Angola’s rich dance culture by using humour and surprise, while also embracing change and inclusion in its performances.
Sonangol Department for Communication & Image Director João Rosa Santos
Corporate Communications Assistants Nadiejda Santos, Lúcio Santos, José Mota, Beatriz Silva, Paula Almeida, Sandra Teixeira, Marta Sousa
Publisher
Sheila O’Callaghan
Editor
John Kolodziejski
Art Director Tony Hill
Sub Editor Ron Gribble
Circulation Manager Matthew Alexander
Project Consultants Nathalie MacCarthy Mauro Perillo
Group President
John Charles Gasser
John Kolodziejski, Editor
This magazine is distributed to a closed circulation. To receive a free copy: circulation@universo-magazine.com Circulation: 17,000
Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation
Universo is produced by Impact Media Custom Publishing. The views expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of Sonangol or the publishers. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior permission is prohibited.
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The Universo team while in Luanda stay at: www.hotelrouxinol.com
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Eric Lafforgue
Cover: Eric Lafforgue
Karl Bruninx
Davenport House 16 Pepper Street, London E14 9RP Tel + 44 20 7510 9595 Fax +44 20 7510 9596 sonangol@impact-media.com
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ANGOLA NEWS BRIEFING Angola marks its presence at New York fashion event; Germany’s leader visits Luanda; latest Angola growth data; Luanda jazz festival on song; 2010 oil revenue buoyant; Benguela Railway on track
5 FIGURED OUT A rundown of Angola’s latest big numbers
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Malocha
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Rui Tavares
CONTENTS
32 STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Angola’s contemporary dance scene is blessed with dynamic choreography and scenic vitality along with determined company leadership. What is the present and future for this wide-ranging format in Angola?
40 SONANGOL NEWS BRIEFING Oil output rises; Sonangol wins Filda and environmental prizes; LNG plant progress; African
KINDRED SPIRITS Scotland and Angola, linked for decades because of a shared interest in oil and gas production, have become more closely united thanks to the interchange of personnel, knowledge and a taste for whisky
16 FROM ANGOLA TO ANTWERP WITH LOVE The bulk of Angola’s gemstone-quality diamonds are traded in Europe. We follow a diamond’s journey from the jeweller’s shop counter in Belgium all the way back to Angola’s mines
24 HOLDING OUR TONGUES Angola’s individual national languages have been stifled by the official lingua franca, Portuguese, and in many places have fallen into disuse, but moves are afoot to conserve them, not least because they represent a cultural storage-box of our heritage
refiners meet in Luanda; Angoflex to double output
42 INDUSTRIAL REBIRTH One area of focused industrial development is the impressive greenfield condominium at Viana’s Special Economic Zone or ZEE in its Portuguese acronym. We look at the progress made to date
48 WELCOME TO SUPER SATELLITE CITY In probably the largest suburban development scheme under way in Africa, Kilamba city has been officially opened with a view to reducing the housing shortage and easing the pressure on Luanda’s central areas
SEPTEMBER 2011 3
Angola news briefing
All show images Simon Deiner / SDR Photo
After a fashion
Angolan fashion designer Nadir Tati presented her latest collection at New York’s Africa Fashion Week in July. Describing her 30-piece Force of Africa collection, she said: “In this work I’ve tried to reflect the African man and the African woman in the context of the modern world, but without forgetting our history and culture, and above all the identity of our continent.” Tati, who has put on catwalk shows in Angola, Portugal, Spain, Mozambique, South Africa and Mexico, was among 21 African designers taking part in Africa Fashion Week.
Merkel in Luanda
Growing strong
Angela Merkel became the first German Chancellor to visit Angola, her stay of two days reciprocating a state visit President José Eduardo dos Santos made in February 2009. During her visit to Luanda, a bilateral commission was created to oversee partnerships in areas including politics, science, education and culture. A credit line worth $1.7 billion has been set up to promote German investment in Angola, part of which is expected to fund German companies developing new hydropower projects. President dos Santos said that he hoped German investors would be attracted to Angola, especially as it had implemented new laws to support investment and to fight corruption. In the first three months of 2011, trade between Germany and Angola rose 22% compared to the same period last year.
Angola has been tipped to become the world’s thirdfastest growing economy in 2012. The IMF predicts that the country’s GDP will swell by 10.5%, exceeded only by those of Niger (15.4%) and Iraq (12.6%), and nearly double the average for sub-Saharan Africa. During 2011, Angola’s economy is expected to grow by 7.5%, up from the 1.6% recorded in 2010. Inflation is likely to remain at around 14% but will fall to 12% in 2012. Meanwhile, the country’s sovereign debt rating has been raised, boosting confidence ahead of the upcoming debut dollar bond sale. Angola is now rated BB- by ratings agencies Standard & Poor’s and Fitch, and Ba3 by Moody’s Investors Service.
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Figured out
Oil revenue up Angola’s oil exports netted the country $48.63 billion in 2010, a rise of 24% compared to the figure of $39.27 billion posted in 2009, according to the Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA). China, which in 2007 overtook the United States to become the main destination for Angolan oil, acquired $20.82 billion worth last year of the black gold, two and a half times the $8.81 billion imported by the US in the same period. In 2009, China imported oil from Angola worth $15.11 billion and US bought almost half that at $7.47 billion. According to estimates for 2010 published by the central bank, India was in third place with Angolan oil purchases of $4.91 billion. Fourth and fifth places were taken by Canada ($2.83 billion) and Taiwan ($2.32 billion).
On track Test trips are now being made between Lobito and Huambo along the Benguela Railway with a view to reopening that section of the line shortly. The railway aims to reach Luau in Moxico by the end of 2012. So far, more than 800 kilometres of new track have been laid. There are 64 stations along the Caminho de Ferro de Benguela (CFB), which was built in 1929 and stretches a total of 1,344km. The long-term plan is to link the Atlantic port of Lobito with Zambia, which in turn has rail connections to Mozambique on the Indian Ocean. The reconstruction work has been done through a Chinese credit line and the China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation.
kwanza $21.4 Angola’s 2011 budget expenditure
billion value of Angola’s foreign reserves in June
20.9 million new population estimate for Angola
10 million
Jazz for you
carats 650 of diamonds to be mined in Angola during 2011
Justyna Sanko
American singer Macy Gray headlined the third Luanda International Jazz Festival, performing alongside a host of top acts from around the world. They included South Africa’s acclaimed Sibongile Khumalo, Cape Verdean singer Mayra Andrade, jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, Senegal’s Ismael Lo, Portugal’s Rui Veloso and Gonzalo Rubalcaba from Cuba. A number of Angolan artists also played at the annual three-day event staged at Luanda’s Cine Atlântico. Among them were Banda Maravilha and saxophonist Simmons Massini. There were also DJ sets from Angola’s Ricardo Alves, US/South African outfit Liquideep, and Black Coffee, also from South Africa.
4.38 trillion
companies took part in the 2011 Luanda International Fair (Filda)
55%
of Angolans live in urban areas
8.5%
of Angola will be designated conservation zones in 2012
ANGOLA-SCOTLAND
KINDRED
SPIRITS
Angola’s ties with Scotland have multiplied over the last 30 years. Scottish oil sector workers heading to the African nation now pass a counter-flow of Angolans travelling to Scotland for educational training. Universo highlights the bonds in this business relationship k
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SEPTEMBER 2011 7
ANGOLA-SCOTLAND
Knowledge economy Scotland is renowned worldwide for its whisky, lakes known as ‘lochs’ one of which boasts the fabled Loch Ness Monster, beautiful mountainous scenery, and its emblematic bagpipes, and the historic kilt, a tartan skirt, now worn by men primarily on formal occasions. Scotland also has a reputation for its first-class educational system and quality engineering that underpinned its long-held position as the world’s leading shipbuilder. The country is also the birthplace of a long line of famous inventors, such as James Watt, whose steam engine improvements contributed to the world’s first industrial revolution in Britain in the 18th century. Watt has since become a household
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Edinburgh Tattoo organisation
Edinburgh Tattoo organisation
T
he first Scot to delve deep into Angola was probably the explorer, missionary and tenacious antislavery campaigner Dr David Livingstone, who made the journey on foot from Luanda across the country and on to Africa’s eastern shores in the 1850s. In the days when explorers in Africa had all the celebrity and prestige of modern-day astronauts, taking risks with their safety and health, Angola’s interior was little known outside its then unmarked borders. Scotland’s and Angola’s awareness of each other has since developed in a way few could have imagined, even 50 years ago. Both countries in recent decades have developed large oil and gas sectors, with Angola now sending growing numbers of its brightest to Scotland to study at university level. As a constituent partner in the United Kingdom, which includes England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland has been governed from London since 1707. In recent years, however, Scotland has gained greater autonomy and is pressing for more decision-making powers for its own parliament Holyrood, re-established in the capital Edinburgh in 1999. Scottish Nationalists, who currently hold a majority at Holyrood, are now pushing firmly towards fuller independence.
Scotland has gained greater autonomy and is pressing for more decision-making powers name, having been honoured with the unit of electrical power named after him. Almost any electrical appliance anywhere in the world will specify how many ‘watts’ it consumes. Angola’s Capanda Dam is rated in megawatts. Scotland’s educational prowess existed well before its oil-drilling industry was developed in the adjacent, often wild, North Sea in the 1960s. Scottish universities are among the oldest in the world. St Andrews was founded in 1413, Glasgow University in the country’s largest city dates back to 1451, Aberdeen to 1494 and Edinburgh to 1582. Only two English universities are older in Britain: Oxford and Cambridge. Scotland also produced world-class philosophers during the 18th century with David Hume and the first writer on modern
economics, Adam Smith, in the forefront. Edinburgh University has long hosted a prestigious medical school, where Arthur Conan Doyle inspired by a lecturer there, developed the idea for his world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes.
On the radar While Scotland’s oil industry workers and specialist engineers have long been a fixture on Angola’s oil scene, Angolan students are becoming increasingly familiar figures on Scottish university campuses. The University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University in the same city figure clearly on the radar of modern Angolan students. Aberdeen is the centre of Britain’s North Sea oil industry, as well as the supply base and nursery for specialist oil
courtesy of Scottish Parliament
istockphoto
Salomáo Chissonde
Cardlane’s Martire with graduates in UK
Networking
Above: D ionísio Fonseca
Left: Holyrood, Edinburgh
industry companies. Here, expertise has been nurtured first ‘on the job’ and later academically in all aspects of the industry, ranging across drilling technology, production, geology, engineering, oil finance, taxation and law. London-based Cardlane Ltd is one of the main conduits for Angolan students heading towards Scotland. It is currently
to do specialist courses such as a masters degree in Oil and Gas Law. The main Scottish course providers for Cardlane clients are the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and International House Aberdeen (for English language tuition), but HeriotWatt University in Glasgow and Dundee University have also taken Angolan students. Cardlane has been working with Aberdeen for years, said Martire, and it has been very pleased with Angolan students. “I last visited the university in March and we were told our students have a good reputation as hard-working and creative people. Two of our students were offered PhD positions this year, after successfully completing their M.Eng degrees,” she explained. “When they arrive, they are very concerned about the cold weather and what cities like Aberdeen can offer in terms of facilities and things to do. However, after a couple of years, and the experience of studying in very advanced and modern institutions, the feedback they give us is very positive. They are so enthusiastic about the universities and Scotland in general that sometimes it gets hard to go back home after graduating.”
managing 23 students in Scotland, 21 of them in Aberdeen and one each in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Brazilian-born Verônica Martire is responsible for helping place Angolan students in Scottish universities. She said most of the students are doing oil-related engineering and geology courses, with Sonangol sometimes sending employees
Dionísio Fonseca, current head of Sonangol’s department for legal assistance and litigation, describes his time at Aberdeen University as an “excellent experience”. “Studying at Aberdeen allowed me not only to have a clear understanding of the oil and gas business, but also to value human relationships while increasing my networking opportunities with people from different cultural and social backgrounds.” Angolans used to their place in the sun frequently remark upon Scotland’s ofteninclement weather. “At the beginning it was difficult due to the weather, and also because the grey colour of Aberdeen [its buildings are made of grey granite] tends to make people feel depressed. However, by the time you focus on the goals that brought you there, it’s just a nice place to be,” Fonseca explained.
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ANGOLA-SCOTLAND
He added that his time at Aberdeen made him realise that the oil and gas business was not just about profit but also about human rights, environmental protection and sustainability of the people of each oil province.
Universities united Aberdeen University Petroleum and Economic Consultants (Aupec), has provided a bridge between the countries’ academic worlds over the last decade. Aupec works with Angola’s Ministry of Finance to strengthen oil tax administration. Training and education have been in the forefront of Aupec’s work. It has recruited and trained Angolans on behalf
of the government to undertake complex work on oil taxation. David Reading, Aupec’s director of economics and responsible for Angola, said Aupec’s work has paid off. “The Ministry of Finance now has a strong oil tax administration team composed entirely of highly trained Angolans,” he said. Aupec has also worked closely with Agostinho Neto University in Luanda, providing lecturers on international oil and gas taxation on its masters in Oil and Gas Law. Dionísio Fonseca, mentioned earlier, is also academic co-ordinator for the oil and gas post-graduation course at the Law School at Angola’s Agostinho Neto University. Aupec HQ
Oil expertise David Reading also works at the University of Aberdeen, specifically on its MSc for Oil and Gas Enterprise Management (OGEM). This one-year post-graduate course gives students a broad introduction to all aspects of the industry. Several Angolan students have already completed the course and more are expected to take up the programme in future. Aupec, in partnership with the university, plans to develop the OGEM programme so that it can be taught in flexible modules, giving students the option of spending less time away from their own country. Scotland’s role in developing North Sea oil includes employing large numbers of locals to work on and operate oil rigs in the tough environment of rough wintry seas. This same Scottish workforce is now a major presence worldwide and can be found aboard rigs in Angola’s much warmer and calmer southern Atlantic fields. Scotland’s long involvement in North Sea operations has meant a great
Oil equipment business ThinJack is a relatively recent addition to Angola’s portfolio of Scottish engineering service companies. Although it has been operating inside the country only since May 2011, ThinJack has already acquired a wealth of experience in adapting to local conditions and taken a proactive role in contributing to social development. Guy Bromby, the director of the industrious small Scottish company, was severely tested when he came down with typhus in Luanda. Thankfully, Bromby was able to benefit from Angola’s famously firm friendships. “I received fantastic support from friends and staff at the Skyna Hotel. When someone runs into real problems, the integrity and support of their friends is about the only thing that counts,” he said. ThinJack shares Scotland’s passion
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ThinJack’s Guy Bromby (right)
for education and is already trying to make a difference in Angola. The company is giving material support to a poor suburban Luanda school after Bromby made friends offshore with Kisuka Baltazar, a Sonangol
ThinJack
A Scottish company’s experience in Angola
logistics co-ordinator, who runs the charitable school project. Undoubtedly the efforts of ThinJack and its friends in Angola are strengthening the bonds between the two nations.
Mark Clydesdale
Scottish geography
Glenmorangie Tain
Cardhu, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Macallan
Skye Inverness
Castle Urquhart
Speyside (River Spey)
Dalwhinnie
Loch Ness
Aviemore
Bells
Fort William Aberfeldy
Dundee
Famous Grouse Crieff
St. Andrews Dunfermline
Glasgow Johnnie Walker
Town / city
Edinburgh White Horse
50 miles
SCOT LA ND istockphoto
50 Km
New Town, Edinburgh
Bottled whisky Christian Kostner
Islay
Whisky distillery
istockphoto
Jura
Salmon fishing
Wild salmon
Whisky in barrels
Twicepix
Oban
North Sea Oil & Gas fields
Blair Atholl Pitlochry
Dewars
Mull
Aberdeen
SEPTEMBER 2011 11
ANGOLA-SCOTLAND
Scottish attractions istockphoto
employed by Sonangol Shipping in 2000 and almost 200 have entered its programmes.
Specialist crews
Christian Kostner
Sonangol operates Suezmax-sized crude oil carriers and cabotage tankers, and new crude and LNG carriers are currently under construction. Glasgow College is helping to provide a pool of Angolan qualified specialists to crew these vessels. Glasgow has a long naval tradition, especially in shipbuilding, where it once accounted for almost a fifth of the world’s tonnage, including giant transatlantic liners such as the legendary Lusitania and Queen Mary. Visitors and students in Scotland know that the country has a host of attractions, not least its beautiful scenery, mountains and lonely lakes. Angolans spending long periods of time in Scotland, especially during the dark winters, sometimes remark on the depressing effects of the severe cold, snow and wet weather. But its water resources, usually freshly topped up with rainfall, have important economic benefits. Its purity is the basis
istockphoto
deal of oil engineering expertise has been accumulated, especially in the Aberdeen area, where a pool of more than 100 specialist engineering and service companies has grown up. Several of these firms have set up shop in Angolan ports connected to the oil industry. A recently published survey showed that Angola imported around $960 million worth of Scottish oil and gas sector goods and services in 2009, 24 per cent more than the previous year, making Angola Scotland’s third-largest market after the United States and Canada. Scotland’s oil and gas supply chain was worth a total of over $26 billion in 2009 with export markets absorbing just under $12 billion. Scotland is also involved in developing Angola’s naval capabilities. The City of Glasgow College’s nautical-studies department trains Angolan merchant seamen to operate oil tankers and offshore service vessels. The college is also providing consultancy services for building and staffing the new Angolan Maritime Training Centre now under way at Sumbe, 350km south of Luanda. Completion is scheduled for August 2012 when the centre will enroll its first annual intake of 250 residential students. Glasgow College first trained Angolans
Sumbe foundation stone
Christian Kostner
City of Glasgow College
Sumbe Maritime Training Centre
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Dichohecho
The name‘whisky’ means ‘water of life’ in Scotland’s indigenous, but rarely spoken, Gaelic language
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Vagawi
1
Cliff1066
Famous Scottish inventors
4
Psyberartist
3
1
Alexander Graham Bell........................... invented the telephone
2
John Logie Baird............................... pioneered TV transmission
3
John Loudon McAdam........................ invented tar-based roads
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Sir Alexander Fleming................................. discovered penicillin
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John Boyd Dunlop........................developed the pneumatic tyre
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ANGOLA-SCOTLAND
Glasgow has a long naval tradition, especially in shipbuilding, where it once accounted for almost a fifth of the world’s tonnage
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A second important Scottish export is salmon, a large silver-skinned leaping fish that only thrives in extremely clean waters. Scotland exported fresh, frozen and smoked salmon worth around $635 million in 2010. Most of the fish, 78,611 tons, was fresh salmon. Scotch and salmon also contribute to Scotland’s buoyant tourist trade by providing tours (and samplings) of whisky distilleries and fishing holidays. The biggest attractions, however, are the stunning natural scenery, the man-made castles and, as many Angolans have already discovered, the industrious and welcoming Scots themselves. p
Glasgow’s Science Centre
Glasgow Science Centre
for Scotland’s major export product, whisky, known as ‘Scotch’. In fact, the name ‘whisky’ means ‘water of life’ in Scotland’s indigenous, but rarely spoken, Gaelic language. Whisky exports brought in an amazing $5.5 billion in 2010. The main market was the United States, with France in second place. Angola is Africa’s second-largest market for whisky after South Africa; last year it imported over a quarter million litres worth around $3.2 million. Interestingly, Angola used to make its own whisky, Sbell, in Lobito in the 1970s. The factory building still proudly bears its name.
Eric Lafforgue
BAE Systems
Lobito’s old whisky plant
istockphoto
Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation
istockphoto Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation
Edinburgh Castle above the city
Ardifuir Salmon Farm
SEPTEMBER 2011 15
DIAMONDS
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FROM ANGOLA TO ANTWERP WITH LOVE Diamonds are Angola’s second-largest export earner after oil, but little attention is paid to where these globally desirable precious stones end up. Universo follows the diamond trail…k
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DIAMONDS
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As they examined the quality of the stones, Chris and Laura were impressed by the unpressured sales ambience at the shop as well as the amount of time the jeweller patiently dedicated to his customers. Other diamond buyers in Antwerp have indicated that consultations of two hours or more are not uncommon. Once the diamond was selected in line with Chris and Laura’s budget and choice of size, cut and colour, the dealer then presented them with a range of metal ring types. The couple opted for a platinum band over the more traditional white gold. The jeweller then explained the choices of setting for the stone and the types of clasps available to hold it in place. Chris placed his order and made a cash deposit, and was told the ring would be ready two weeks later.
Karl Bruninx
A
diamond ring bought by Chris Aspen for his bride-to-be Laura Mahood is a typical final destination that many Angolan gemstones share. A graduate in criminology and meticulous by nature, Chris took research into his diamond engagement ring very seriously, probably more than most jewellery purchasers. After all, a diamond ring represents a lifelong love token, is worn every day, and is a very expensive item. The main European marketplace, responsible for selling most of the world’s diamonds and over half of Angola’s output, is Antwerp in northwest Belgium, so naturally Chris, who lives in Bolton, England, focused his research there. But why go all the way to Antwerp when reputable jewellers have shops in most British town centres? Chris’s answer is that Antwerp diamonds represent better value for money and there is a much wider range of diamonds of known quality to choose from, guaranteed by an individually analysed and certified stone. Before the couple went to Antwerp to choose the diamond and ring setting, Chris and Laura consulted consumer websites to identify companies with positive ratings and long-established traditions in the industry. They also heeded tips on how to shop and which outlets and buying experiences to avoid. Online, the couple came across the Antwerp Diamond Jewellers Association and narrowed their choice down to five businesses, four of which were in the same street. The jeweller they decided to deal with was established in 1956 and has since operated from three consecutive shops in Antwerp’s diamond district, not far from the city’s iconic railway station. Joaillerie du Centre, a three generations family business, is run by Ludo De Cleyn assisted by his daughter Sophie. De Cleyn led the couple to a quiet area of the shop and, over an old wooden desk, produced his uncut stones from a small cloth pouch.
The couple were positive about their Antwerp diamond-buying experience
Kneel diamond
Tips on choosing a diamond • Do your homework in advance: use the Internet • Decide what you want in terms of size, clarity, cut and colour • Have a clear idea of how much you want to spend • Look at several well-established jewellers to gauge the market • Only buy a certified diamond
View of Antwerp
Antwerp – diamond city
Karl Bruninx
Belgium has been trading in diamonds for over 500 years and Antwerp is the world’s diamond centre. Antwerp handles over 80 per cent of the globe’s rough diamonds and half of its polished diamonds. The industry employs 30,000 people and contributes $29 billion a year to Belgium’s economy. The diamond district is concentrated in a square mile of the city and contains more than 1,800 firms including representatives of the world’s leading manufacturers and wholesalers, as well as mining companies. Antwerp also has four diamond exchanges to trade the gemstones. The city centre is 40 minutes from Brussels, the capital, by train.
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Certification
Diamond trading
Karl Bruninx
To ensure the integrity of a diamond, reputable sellers issue verifiable certificates. One widelyaccepted certificate is issued by the International Gemmological Institute, IGI. The IGI enables you to bring up on its website a full and detailed description of the diamond by entering the certificate’s unique number and the weight of the gemstone. The certificate contains information on colour, weight, clarity, cut grade and angles, polish, symmetry and measurements of all dimensions.
Most of Angola’s diamonds pass through Antwerp
AWDC
Karl Bruninx
The couple were positive about their Antwerp diamond-buying experience but admitted it involved a steep learning curve. “There’s a large concentration of diamond shops, and unless you do your research in advance, you would be daunted by the choice,” warned Laura.
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AWDC
DIAMONDS
Buyers beware Chris’s advice was not to spend too much time at the shops immediately outside Antwerp Central Station where most buyers arrive. “Buyers must beware here. There are some dealers selling a lot of glitter and uncertified diamonds.” Instead, Chris recommends heading a little further away from the station towards the area where the De Cleyns have their shop in Vestingstraat and where sellers provide a more discreet and relaxed shopping environment. Most of Angola’s diamonds pass through Antwerp, as around 80 per cent of its diamonds are gem quality. The rest are used for industrial purposes such as cutting, drilling and polishing.
Angola’s state-owned monopoly buyer of diamonds, the Sociedade de Comercialização de Diamantes de Angola (Sodiam), is closely connected to the international diamond market through its subsidiary in Antwerp, Sodiam Antuérpia. Sodiam is also a member of the Antwerp Diamond Club and registered on the Antwerp Diamond Exchange. Antwerp’s Angolan links also extend to specialist training. Sodiam sent 26 Angolan employees for instruction in classifying and valuing diamonds between 2004 and 2008.
Polished performance Sodiam was established in 1999 and is 99 per cent owned by Angola’s state diamond holding company Empresa Nacional de Diamante de Angola EP (Endiama). It is the exclusive buyer of diamonds produced industrially and on a small scale in Angola. Sodiam has responsibility for increasing the return on Angolan diamonds and promoting their image internationally, which it does
Endiama Endiama
Endiama
istockphoto
Girl’s best friend
not only in Antwerp but also through representatives in Israel, India, Dubai and China. As part of Sodiam’s value-adding efforts, the company participates in Fábrica de Lapidação SA, a diamond polishing joint venture in Luanda since 2005 (48% owned by Sodiam, 47% by Israel’s LLD and 5% by Projem). The company has trained local labour in this speciality and they made up 94 per cent of the 304-strong workforce at its Angola Polishing Diamonds (APD) facility at Talatona, Luanda, in 2010. The APD plant produced polished diamonds worth $54 million the previous year.
Glitter arty To add value to its diamonds and develop more skilled, high-salaried jobs in the sector, APD opened a jewellery workshop and is shortly planning to open a jewellery store in Luanda featuring Angolan gemstones. Selling locally-produced diamond jewellery will help diversify Angola’s economy at the high-value end, increase the pool of skilled labour and encourage hard currency spending domestically on these products. The jewellery workshops will be
located at the Talatona site where APD’s diamond-polishing plant is currently operating. Initially, expatriate experts will instruct local staff in conventional diamond setting and jewellery making. “During the first stage of jewellery making the aim will be to test the local market”, said Itay Kastel, finance director at the APD. The first jewellery products will probably be rings, necklaces, pendants, earrings, bracelets and brooches, he said. According to Kastel, Angolan gemstones have a reputation for high quality among international diamond
dealers, and specialists are able to identify Angolan rough stones before cutters start work on them. The quality reputation of Angolan gemstones bodes well for the country’s embryonic jewellery industry. Kastel told Universo that Angola’s jewellery sector, once established, would generate further skilled jobs. One area could be in the format of the new jewels produced, offering opportunities for budding young Angolan designers. This could be another Angolan differential if these designers draw on
SEPTEMBER 2011 21
DIAMONDS
Catoca: Angola’s biggest mine Courtesy Grupo Odebrecht
Angolan rough diamond sales 2004–2010 1.5
$0.785 $1.089 $1.209 $1.272 $1.211 $0.804 $0.956 billion billion billion billion billion billion billion
1
$ billion
0.5
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Source: Sodiam
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Brazuk Ltd
Endiama
Courtesy Grupo Odebrecht
Catoca: Angola’s biggest mine
Artisan miner receives his licence
their rich local traditions for inspiration. It is already a powerful selling point for Angolan painters and sculptors.
By far the largest mine is Catoca, which aims to be the world’s third largest by 2020. Catoca is owned by Endiama 32.8%, Alrosa SA 32.8%, Daumonty Finance 18% and Odebrecht Mining Services 16.4%.
Diamond mines Angola is the fourth-largest diamond producer in the world and is reputedly in the top three in terms of gemstone quality. Endiama manages the Angolan state’s shareholdings in the diamond sector. The majority of diamond mining in Angola is on an industrial basis. Angola produced a total of 8.55 million carats in 2010 and had estimated gem sales worth $956 million. Artisan mining accounted for around 6 per cent of Angolan sales that year.
Improving conditions Angola joined the Kimberley Process Certification scheme in 2000. The scheme was established to prevent ‘blood diamonds’ from being sold through the rough diamond market and to assure customers that when they bought a diamond they were not financing wars or human rights abuses. The process has achieved some success.
As part of further efforts to improve conditions for artisan diamond miners, the government has developed a plan to offer support and legal protection. Some Angolan mines are nearing commercial exhaustion but there are still diamonds to be had. It is not profitable for industrial companies to exploit them, so there is a niche for small mining operations, said Endiama spokesman António José Freitas. The government’s aim is to increase local incomes, cut unemployment and combat poverty, so it is encouraging the formation of small co-operatives with up to five members to work in one-hectare claim areas. The right to mine is restricted to Angolans over 18 years of age who have lived in the mining area for at least ten years. No foreign citizens are allowed in claim areas and it is forbidden to transfer a licence. Conditions include obligations to exploit all existing diamonds in the claim area and to sell them to Sodiam. The use of industrial equipment is banned and tools limited to basics such as hoes, machetes, shovels, picks and buckets. Artisans must also make good any damage to the environment. If gold is found, then the finder must report it to the authorities. Miners must also keep accounts and pay taxes, Freitas added. p
Angola’s largest producers of rough diamonds (in $ millions) 1 - Catoca ......................................$421
5
6
7
8
4
2 - Cuango ......................................$61 3 - Chitotolo ....................................$52 3
4 - Luo .............................................$27 5 - Camutwe ....................................$21 6 - Luminas ......................................$19 7 - SML ............................................$14
2
8 - Chimbongo, Camuanzanza and Cassanguidi mines together produced .......................$6 1
Source: Sodiam 2010
All information regarding Angolan diamond mining kindly provided by Endiama SEPTEMBER 2011 23
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ANGOLAN LANGUAGES
24 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
HOLDING OUR TONGUES While Portuguese is Angola’s official language, the country is host to a wealth of longer-rooted languages and dialects. Universo looks at efforts to preserve and breathe new life into them k
Two young Mwila girls, Southern Angola SEPTEMBER 2011 25
T
he version of Portuguese spoken by Angolans contains many words that would be totally alien to lusophones from Brazil, Portugal or even Mozambique. That is because many words used in Angola today come from its indigenous African languages, such as Kimbundu, Umbundu, Kikongo and Tchokwe. For instance, the blue-and-white mini-bus taxis you see all over Luanda are known as candongueiros. This comes from the Kimbundu word candonga, which means the black market. It is fused with the Portuguese suffix ‘eiro’, which means black marketeer. This name was given to the taxis because they were the means of transport for the vendors working at the city’s famous Roque Santeiro market. A similar example is zungueira, a word used to describe the female sellers
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Eric Lafforgue
Eric Lafforgue
Miss Caroline, Mudimba tribe, Combelo village, south Angola
Himba woman, south Angola / Namibian border
who roam the capital’s streets, offering everything from fish, fruit and vegetables to flip-flops and nail varnish. Zunga in Kimbundu means ‘continuous motion’, which sums up very well the fact that the zungueiras are always on the go in search of new customers.
Unique According to Angolan author and anthropologist António Tomás, people in Luanda often turn to Kimbundu when they want to describe new social phenomena. “People use Kimbundu when they are trying to relate to something they can’t adequately describe in Portuguese; I suppose something that is uniquely Angolan,” he explained. “It’s like Kimbundu is a storage resource for words when there is a new social phenomenon that needs a name.
“Another example is maka. It means so much more than the Portuguese word problema even though that is the literal translation. But maka is richer somehow; it seems to have a deeper meaning.” In Angola there are believed to be as many as 50 different dialects or languages (depending on how you classify a language). Most have Bantu origins, such as Kimbundu and Umbundu, while a tiny majority spoken in remote areas come from smaller groups such as the Khoisan. Kimbundu is traditionally spoken in the mid-north and coastal provinces of Luanda, Malange, Kwanza Norte and Bengo, while Umbundu is the main tongue for people from the central southern areas of Benguela, Huambo, Huíla and Bié. In the northern provinces of Zaire, Uíge and Cabinda, people speak mostly Kikongo, but also Lingala and Fiote,
Eric Lafforgue
Kimbundu words made into Angolan street slang Zungueira..................Female street seller Candongueiro........... Black market seller / illegal trader / taxi Maka.........................Trouble, problem, issue Bumba....................... Work, often conjugated as a verb in Portuguese as “estou a bumbar” (I am working) Kamba.......................Friend
Umbundu words and greetings Omwenyo wenda?...How’s life? Wenda ciwa..............It’s going well Ndapandula..............Thank you Sesa...........................Excuse me Ewa............................Yes Kavalamise po!.........Send them my regards!
Tchokwe Moyo (abbreviation of ‘Moyoenu’)......... Hi! Kanawa!....................Well
Married Mwila woman with Vilanda necklace, Huila area. The Mwila are part of the Nyaneka ethnic group
Tudo kanawa?.......... Everything okay? mixed with Portuguese
There are believed to be as many as 50 different dialects or languages
languages also used across the border by the Congolese. Tchokwe is spoken in the Lundas and southwards along and across the border with Zambia, while in the southernmost province of the country the dialect is known as Cuanhama, although it is sometimes also spelt Oshikwanyama or Kwanyama. However, unlike South Africa, where there are 11 official languages and where you are as likely to hear a politician speaking in isiZulu or Xhosa as you are in English or Afrikaans, in Angola African languages remain very much in the background. Writer António Tomás, who was born in 1973, grew up in urban Luanda and
while his parents came from Kimbunduspeaking backgrounds, they only spoke Portuguese at home. “I am part of that generation whose parents lived through the late colonial era of the 1960s when the Portuguese were trying to nationalise the country through language and trying to de-ethnicise people,” he told Universo. “They forced people to assimilate. They had to speak Portuguese if they wanted a job, and many people, including my parents, changed their names to be more Portuguese. It was only when I was 18 that I found out my father’s real name was Kutubiko.”
Tomás, who is currently at the final stages of his PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Columbia University in New York, said his first real exposure to Angolan languages – beyond his grandmother whose Kimbundu was always translated into Portuguese by his mother – was when he went to do his national service with the Army in the 1990s. “I was posted to Benguela and the people there came from the areas around where everyone spoke Umbundu more than Portuguese,” he recalled. “I had not come across that before. People my age in Luanda just didn’t speak Kimbundu, even if our parents did. “It was there, listening to people tell
SEPTEMBER 2011 27
ANGOLAN LANGUAGES
these wonderful folk stories in their own language, stories passed down generations from their grandparents’ grandparents, that I first began to be interested in language, culture and anthropology.” Tomás said he planned to learn more Kimbundu and Umbundu, and if possible some other Angolan languages too. “These languages are like a storage box for our cultures and we need to keep them alive to keep our culture alive. “If we don’t do something about it now, within 100 years Portuguese will be the
only language spoken in Angola. We need to urgently assert our differences and learn our languages to learn also our culture.” Benguela-based Gociate Patissa shares Tomás’s enthusiasm for Angolan languages. Fully bi-lingual in Umbundu and Portuguese, the 32-year-old writes a blog in and about his native tongue, translating poetry and excerpts of literature and exploring turns of phrase. “I love languages and I love to write,” he said. “And I think through my Umbundu I have a very rich cultural
heritage and I want to share that, so that is why I have made the blog. One day I would like to write a book.” Patissa, who studied linguistics at university and is also fluent in English, was born in the rural town of Monte Belo, moving to the coastal city of Lobito 100km away when he was seven. “When we got to the city, a lot of people didn’t speak Umbundu, but I think because my mother didn’t speak a lot of Portuguese we carried on speaking it at home and we still speak it today as adults,”
‘These languages are like a storage-box for our cultures and we need to keep them alive to keep our culture alive’
Eric Lafforgue
Mukubal woman wearing the Ompota headdress, Virie area
28 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
Valuing languages Speaking at a conference in Luanda earlier this year, Cornelio Caley, ViceMinister of Culture, said: “It is very important that we value our national languages because they allow us to appreciate our national culture. We have come only recently out of a system of colonisation during which our mother tongues were systematically neglected and linguistically altered.”
Miss Ines, Mudimba tribe
The vice-minister said it was sad that young Angolans were showing more interest in learning foreign languages, such as English and French, ahead of their own national languages, and he urged parents to pass on their knowledge to their children. In Tomás’s opinion, however, while speaking dialects at home will keep them alive, more needs to be done to bring national languages out of the domestic setting into the mainstream. “The Portuguese were really effective in how they created this taboo around our national languages and people had this real inferiority complex about using African dialects,” he said. “People would say it was a lower language, less useful and less versatile, and I remember at school that if you spoke Kimbundu you might be bullied or teachers would say it interfered with your Portuguese. “This has continued today and
Eric Lafforgue
he said. “There is still this shyness about speaking African languages in Angola and that comes from the colonial system, but we need to overcome this and be proud of our cultural roots.” This is a position backed by the government, which has already started pilot schemes teaching Umbundu, Kimbundu and Tchokwe in some primary schools and runs the National Language Institute to promote indigenous dialects.
Eric Lafforgue
Eric Lafforgue
Miss Mucaniama, Himba tribe, Hoba Haru village
Caconda girl
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ANGOLAN LANGUAGES
30 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
‘We are seeing more music with African lyrics and that is a good promotion of the language’ Eric Lafforgue
there is this understanding that African languages are for speaking at home, in private, not for use in public. This is very sad and when we lose these languages, no one will even notice.” Helping Angola preserve its many tongues is the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS), based in Cape Town, South Africa. Director Kwesi Kwaa Prah has been leading a project to produce a standard orthography (spelling system) for the country’s Bantu languages that, he said, are all quite similar. “If you are a Cuanhama speaker, you might not be able to speak Kimbundu, but you will be able to read it,” he explained. “What we are doing is rationalising the spelling structures to make one harmonised version so that you can then publish written forms of the languages. “It’s about economies of scale. If only 20,000 people are able to read a book, you will struggle to produce many books for that audience, but if five million can read it, then you will have more opportunities.” Professor Prah, a Ghanaian, whose organisation works across Africa, holds strong views about promoting national languages. He believes the colonial legacy of dominant European languages like Portuguese, English and French is holding back the continent’s development. “I don’t believe you can move forward through somebody else’s language,” he said. “Look at Germany, they speak German; look at Italy, they speak Italian. And now look at Asia, also once colonised but now speaking their own languages. Vietnam, for instance, used to be French but now people use Vietnamese, and Malaysia, formerly British and although many people do speak English, their first language is Malay. These are societies with growing economies and they are moving forward; Africa is still behind with this.” Professor Prah believes Angola still needs to shake what he sees as a neocolonialist reliance on Portuguese, and says more should be done to promote African languages that were intrinsically linked to national identity and culture. “If we do not protect our African languages, it is essentially ethnocide
Benguela woman
because our languages are part of our identity and our culture and it is through our culture and language that we define ourselves,” he added. Welcoming government support for the work CASAS does in Angola, Professor Prah said that he hoped the Angolan orthography guide would be ready by November and that it would open the door for more published works in indigenous Angolan languages and dialects. Blogger Gociate Patissa agreed that a lack of published works in African languages, beyond the Bible passages translated by early missionaries, means it is hard for people to learn or keep up their dialects. Dictionaries and grammar books,
he said, are hard to come by, and this puts many people off trying to learn. But he is encouraged by the growing number of musicians who are now using Umbundu and Kimbundu in their lyrics. “We are seeing more music with African lyrics, particularly artists from Huambo, Benguela and Lobito, and that is a good promotion of the language,” he said. “It’s an indicator that interest in our national languages is growing and I think that will help protect them in years to come.” Professor Prah agrees. “Africans are slowly starting to wake up to their national culture and languages and realising that they need to preserve this part of their identity to be able to develop,” he said.p
Eric Lafforgue
Mucubal girl, Virie area. Mucubal people are a subgroup of the Herero ethnic group Mucubal woman
Kikongo
Kimbundu
Umbundu
Tchokwé
Nganguela
Zemba Ovandonga
Eric Lafforgue
Oshikwanyama
Although many urban Angolans no longer speak African languages, if you travel outside the main cities and towns, you will find places where only these dialects are spoken. In order to provide a service to these people, whose total numbers are unclear, state broadcasters Televisão Pública de Angola and Rádio Nacional de Angola have several different news and information shows. Many government leaflets on health and civic issues, such as elections, are also translated into the main languages to ensure everyone in the country is kept informed. And following recent heavy rains and flooding, there are now plans for the national weather service INAMET (Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia e Geofísica’) to give flood and other weather warnings in local languages.
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ANGOLAN DANCE
STEPS 32 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
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Contemporary dance in Angola strives for innovation and modernity without losing sight of its precious African heritage. Universo looks at the stimulating endeavour of this art form k
IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION
SEPTEMBER 2011 33
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ANGOLAN DANCE
Flying performance
34 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
Traffic stopper
genuine article, having achieved a masters degree with a thesis on masks used by the Tchokwe people of north-east Angola, where dance and ritual performance are important components of communal life.
Authenticity Certain of her facts and the need to safeguard the intrinsic value of national dance, Marques is witheringly critical of synthetic, generic body movements passed off as ‘traditional’ by more populist dance groups. Emphasis on pelvic thrusts and movements, she argues, are an
Top Marques for effort
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T
he history of Angola’s contemporary dance since independence in 1975 is inextricably entwined with the work of Ana Clara Guerra Marques, dancer, choreographer and director of the Contemporary Dance Company (CDC). Marques belongs to a persistent, selfsacrificing breed, driven by an almost missionary zeal to promote contemporary dance in Angola. This she does while not only keeping dance rooted firmly in the rich soil of national tradition and culture, but also with an eye for originality and inclusion. Fortunately for the world of dance and Angola, Marques has the strong, stubborn personality required to push ahead and achieve her goals of raising dance’s public profile and professionalising its teaching, while making it more accessible to both audiences and participants. The erect, predictably well-postured Marques, describes her approach as promoting “patrimonial dance”. Implicit is the idea that Angolan dance is a valuable cultural asset well worth protecting and preserving. Marques is well placed and qualified to say what is, and what is not, the
outsider’s construction of what is African. Similarly, she has a critical eye on the authenticity of costumes used by some local dance groups. It would be a huge mistake to interpret Marques’s defence of Angolan heritage as that of a stick-in-the-mud opponent to change in dance. In fact, transformation and modernity are her hallmarks and Marques is constantly seeking new languages of dance. “Industrial companies like Sonangol do not limit themselves to the old ways of perception and doing things, they adopt
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Inspired innovation
Emphasis on pelvic thrusts and movements, she argues, are an outsider’s construction of what is African. new techniques. Likewise, dance should be as open to the new as other activities. A country’s culture cannot be limited – people see the new via the internet and these new currents cannot be ignored. We can’t stand still on the sidelines, we’re always learning,” she explained. A hallmark of Marques’s dance philosophy is to embrace the new and innovative. “I try to discomfort people and remove them from their comfort zone,” she said. Her work has included collaborations with artists and writers involving
unannounced performances at unusual venues, such as at bookstore signings, in exhibition areas and alongside sculptures.
Inspired An unusual and remarkably inspired moment came when Marques noted the elegant movements of a white-gloved Luanda traffic cop. She persuaded him to take a performance role, choreographed by her to show off his graceful movements. “I told him to do as you always do,” she said. In another performance, Marques’s taste for humour, innovation and delight
came together when a dancer performed in a duet with a flying toy helicopter, which he controlled. Marques worries over the reluctance of Angolans to treat dance with the seriousness it deserves and to support dance-teacher training. There is a tendency to see dance more as a recreation than an art form and a widespread, but erroneous, view that Africans are born with dancing skills, she argued. “Dance isn’t in the blood, there’s no specific gene. The problem is many Angolans don’t think they need to train,”
SEPTEMBER 2011 35
she added. However, Marques readily conceded that many Africans do in fact get an early start in developing motor skills, sometimes aided by being carried on their mother’s back as babies. Angolan children have the advantage, shared by the young of other famous dancing cultures such as Brazil, where a lack of restrictive clothing frees them for greater movement in their early years, unlike babies in colder climates. Both Angolans and Brazilians are also exposed to dance at an early age, taking part in communal or large family gatherings and parties. In many other cultures such communal events do not exist or are rare, or children are excluded from them.
Rui Tavares
Wheels in motion: Cemi Diamoneka
Discipline In Marques’s view dance is an area of knowledge, not just recreation, and training needs to be taken seriously. Classical training is essential because it is a universal discipline and serves as a foundation for all types of dance. She draws a parallel between theatrical dance and medicine. “Doctors are trained to deal with tropical diseases, but they are also qualified to deal with many others; likewise the professionally-trained can dance anywhere and can adopt new approaches,” she said. However, there is room for optimism in this area. The need for more dance training will be partly met by a May 2011 cooperation agreement with Cuba whereby some dance teachers from the
36 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
Shadow dancing
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ANGOLAN DANCE
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In step with tradition
In Africa there is no stigma against men dancing Caribbean will provide services in Angola. “There are cultural and physical affinities between Angola and Cuba. The cooperation deal is very good for Angola – the Cubans are great teachers,” said Marques. Eleven Angolans are currently completing advanced courses in dance, theatre and music on the Caribbean island. Cuba has not only played a key role in Angola’s recent history but also shares a common heritage which influences dance styles and rhythms. Substantial numbers of slaves sent to Cuba were Kongo people from areas that now include parts of modern-day Angola. The CDC has a fixed company of seven male dancers and four other staff including director and choreographer Marques. The dancers’ muscularity and energy bear a
similarity to those of Cuban dance troupes. Marques, who no longer dances in performances, said she opted for an all-male company because the type of movement she aimed for is best suited to men, which was in line with her deep attraction to Tchokwe culture.
Accomplishments “Africa has no prejudice against male dancers. Men dance naturally. In Tchokwe culture men wear the masks and as part of their reclusion [during a rite of passage] they are obliged to dance, which is one of the accomplishments to become a man. There is no stigma against men dancing, as in the West,” she explained. Cuba shares this view, despite its otherwise macho culture. Carlos Acosta,
the Cuban ballet dancer and member of England’s Royal Ballet, was originally forced into dance by his father who wanted to curtail his delinquency. Acosta has been compared to the great Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev. Marques shares Cuba’s view of dance and performance as a means to include the socially marginalised. In Cuba, dance has been used to help treat the physically disabled and mentally ill by giving them greater self-esteem and confidence. However, Britain’s Candoco Dance Company, which has a specialty in routines for the physically-disabled, together with the large number of Angolan limbless, were the main inspirations for Marques’s efforts in this area. Her embrace of social inclusion runs
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From masks to manhood
in tandem with her openness to the new. CDC’s wheelchair-using percussionist Cemi Diamoneka has been enlisted for performances both in and out of the chair, including a duet with a ballerina. “Our bodies are different but not better. He can do things we can’t,” Marques explained. “Since taking part in performances, Cemi has a different demeanour; he’s happier, less uncomfortable with his body and has grown in self-confidence.” Mounting shows has been a challenge and mainly a financial struggle, and when CDC takings are insufficient Marques has occasionally been forced to pay her dancers from her own salary for her work at the Ministry of Culture.
Sponsors
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CDC’s performances are supported by sponsorships ‘in kind’, whereby sponsors pay for printing posters and programmes, press coverage, free TV spots and set construction, but no cash is forthcoming. Marques is keen to attract sponsors so that her tireless crusade to promote dance bears more fruit. In return the sponsors could gain much in the way of kudos, associating with this progressive dance company as Angola’s place in the world broadens. The penniless CDC currently trains in a yard and is seeking a suitable studio in which to rehearse. The proposed use of a purposebuilt theatre at Camama in Luanda’s distant new Kilamba suburbs is not an ideal solution as this would be less accessible for the bulk of dancers and audiences. Marques said the company’s lack of a training venue was seriously handicapping development of dance in Angola. However, CDC has realised a great deal of its declared goals. It has succeeded in providing different vocabularies and new languages of dance while revitalising traditional and popular cultural roots. On the way, CDC has created powerful new aesthetics for Angolan dance that will contribute to the country’s cultural image around the globe.p
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Rite of passage
Sonangol news briefing African refiners meet
Luanda hosted the quarterly executive meeting of the African Refiners Association (ARA) on June 27. Sonangol EP administrator Anabela Fonseca, ARA’s current president, chaired the meeting attended by refinery leaders from across Africa, including Ana Joaquina Costa, president of Luanda’s refinery executive commission. The next ARA event will be a workshop on ‘The Challenges of Biofuels in Africa’ and will examine the question of food self-sustainability on the continent. Founded in 2006, the ARA has representatives from Angola, Egypt, Gabon, Sudan, Libya, Zambia, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Oil output rises Angola’s oil production rose to 1.65 million barrels per day in June from 1.58 million bpd in the previous month, said Oil Minister José Maria Botelho de Vasconcelos. The minister also said he expected output to rise even further in the final quarter of 2011. 40 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
Roaring success Sonangol won two Golden Lion prizes in July for its participation in the 28th Luanda International Fair (Filda). The trophies were awarded for the best oil and gas sector representative and best publicly-owned company at the fair. The awards were made by a jury chaired by Angola’s Trade Minister Idalina Valente. João Rosa Santos, Sonangol’s director for communication and image, said the recognition was an assurance, a motivation and an incentive for the group to continue to do more and better. Rosa Santos put Sonangol’s achievement in perspective, noting that there were a considerable number of domestic and foreign companies present at the fair.
Angoflex output
Angoflex, jointly owned by Sonangol and France’s Technip, plans to double steel-pipe output to 1,000 units a day over the next few months. Philippe Monti, Angoflex managing director, said the increase was aimed at meeting the greater needs of the oil sector. The company manufactures the pipeline sections from imported steel at its Barra do Dande facility north of Luanda.
Environmental fair prize Sonangol was recognised as having the ‘Best Participation’ in the First International Environmental Fair in Luanda in May. The company exhibited information at the fair relating to its Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QSSA) programme and its biodiversity policy. It also displayed absorbent barriers on its stand that are used to fight oil spills at sea.
NEWS
Russian oil congress Sonangol took part in Russia’s ninth Oil and Gas Congress in Moscow in late June. As part of its activities at the congress, Sonangol’s exhibition area saw a large number of visitors who were keen to know more about Angola. Severino Cardoso, Sonangol’s director for oil prospecting, told an audience that the company was determined to achieve a position of eminence in oil and gas exploration both in Africa and around the world. Despite difficulties along the way, he said, Sonangol had very positive results, and was increasingly global and well represented on almost all continents.
LNG progress Work on the $9 billion liquefied natural gas project at Soyo is now 85 per cent complete, Angola LNG chairman António Órfão revealed on July 22. The giant plant is on schedule to start up later this year and will have an initial capacity for 5,600 tonnes of LNG. Around 70 per cent of the 7,000 workers on site are Angolans, mainly from Zaire province where the LNG plant is under construction. The project was approved by the government in 2007. Sonangol has a 22.8% stake, Chevron 36.4% and BP, ENI and Total each hold 13.6%.
Cabinda boost
Sonangol, Chevron and their partners in Block 0 and 14 (Total, ENI and Galp) are setting up a business support centre to provide technical assistance for small and medium-sized companies in Cabinda province. The block partners, in tandem with the Ministry for Public Administration, Employment and Social Security, are backing the The National Professional Training Institute (Inafop) to provide management, marketing and accounting courses in Cabinda. The same block partners have also made investments in the Cabinda villages of Lucula-Zenze and Mandarim to build and equip health centres.
Angola Export Fair Sonangol took part in the Angola Export Fair held at the Talatona Convention Centre in Luanda in June. The event was part of the 18th general meeting of shareholders in the African Export and Import Bank (Afreximbank). The bank was created by African states to promote trade with countries inside and outside the continent. The meeting session was officially opened by Angola’s Trade Minister Idalina Valente, accompanied by Jean-Louis Ekra, Afreximbank president, and José Lima Massano, governor of Banco Nacional de Angola. Sonangol’s exhibition stand gave details of Angola’s crude oil exports, characteristics and markets, as well as information on its subsidiaries. The stand also explained the company’s policy of giving greater consideration to the environment and society. SEPTEMBER 2011 41
INDUSTRIAL
REBIRTH
Angola is focusing its economic expansion and job-creation efforts on industrial parks known as ZEEs. Universo checks out progress on the first one at Viana on Luanda’s eastern fringe k
42 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
NEWS
SEPTEMBER 2011 43
NEWS
Malocha Malocha Malocha
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President dos Santos said the aim of the industrial parks was to replace or reduce imports, stimulate domestic production and increase employment by creating a link between products from the factories and plans for hundreds of thousands of homes in Angola. “These (housing) projects need a million and a half doors, more than two million windows, large quantities of sanitary ware, ceramic tiles, cables and electric wiring, a range of electrical material, tools, paints and varnishes,” the president noted. “The idea of the Special Economic Zones is to develop industries that can offer close support to the government’s other programmes,” explained Eugénio Bravo da Rosa, the chief executive of Sonangol’s industrial investments arm, Sonangol Malocha
A
ngola’s economic diversification is currently enjoying a period of marked acceleration through the implanting in several provinces of Special Economic Zones or ZEEs (the Portuguese acronym). A ZEE is a purpose-built industrial condominium, supplied with power, telecommunications, storage, water supply and waste disposal facilities, along with other central support services. They also have the added advantage of having logistical infrastructure and occupying key locations. “A step forward on the long road to re-industrialise our country,” was how President José Eduardo dos Santos described the Luanda/Bengo ZEE at Viana during the official inauguration of the first eight industries there on May 27.
Investimentos Industriais (SIIND). In October 2010, SIIND was given the mission of promoting, developing and coordinating the management of Sonangol industrial projects at the Luanda/Bengo ZEE and served as a conduit for an estimated $50 million of government investment in the Viana site. Although there are only eight industries up and running at present, another six are expected to be operating by the end of 2011. A target of 53 industries has been set for start-up by the end of 2015, 11 more by 2012. Eventually a grand total of 73 industries will be installed in the zone. According to Bravo da Rosa, the aim is to provide more than 14,000 jobs in the 73 factories and generate several thousand other jobs indirectly related to the zone.
the ZEE is a new plant that is partially meeting Angola’s hefty demand for fibre optic cable. The Zee is also satisfying the nation’s need for fencing, which is of particular importance in protecting or marking hazardous areas, such as those yet to be de-mined. PVC pipes now produced at Viana can also be used in social-policy areas such as water supply, sewerage and drainage systems, which have a drastic impact on improving the country’s health and well-being.
ZEE format
infrastructure for this quadrant was installed by Brazilian multinational construction giant Grupo Odebrecht. The second quadrant is about 30 per cent complete and is being developed by Mota-Engil Angola. There is one factory on this site so far. The third quadrant houses the zone’s eighth industrial unit, while the fourth quadrant is still a greenfield site. The Luanda/Bengo ZEE is situated southeast of Luanda on the main highway leading towards Malange in the east and Huambo in the central highlands. Newly built wide highways also connect Viana to the coast north and south of Luanda, skirting the city’s urban area and its often gridlocked traffic. The new highways offer Viana easy access to coastal routes to the north and south and are also
Malocha
The Viana industrial zone is based on a circular-site plan divided into four quadrants. The first is 80 per cent complete and houses six factories. The
Possible new industry starts by December 2011 Malocha
Altogether, there are currently more than 2,000 employed in the industrial park including construction workers, security staff and those working in preparation for the start-up of new industries and other services. With the help of expatriate specialists, the ZEE project seeks to transfer technology to Angolans and train them as technicians, machine operators and assembly workers. “The greatest need is for know-how,” said Bravo da Rosa. Housing is not the only sector benefiting from the factories currently in production. Paint is being produced at Viana, and the factory can be upgraded for industrial applications, allowing it to supply the oil industry with anti-corrosion protective products. Another immediate dividend from
Metal roofing
Cartons
Tools
Plastics
Electroplating
Carpentry
PVC and polyethylene pipes
Copper and aluminium recycling
Large polyethylene pipes
Metalworking and mechanics
Mattresses
Medium and low voltage apparatus
Electric cables Source: SIIND Lda, July 2011 SEPTEMBER 2011 45
NEWS
part of a planning strategy to develop the city’s periphery. New residential areas are being completed along the new highways, providing better quality accommodation options for Viana’s growing workforce, notably at Kilamba (see p 48). Luanda Sul at the southern end of the new highway from Viana has upmarket residential areas and is also developing service industries. At the northern end of the highway from Viana, Luanda’s port and oil logistics complex Sonils may be accessed more easily.
Viana is also on the Luanda-Malange railway, reopened in 2010. This gives direct access to the port at Luanda. A short rail link into the Viana ZEE is planned, said Bravo da Rosa. SIIND is looking forward to the establishment of a ‘dry port’ at Viana so that logistic facilities can contribute to improving the efficiency of the industrial units, while at the same time raw materials and components can complete and speed up customs procedures securely near the ZEE site.
The objective was the speedy establishment of new business partners
Looking ahead The Sonangol subsidiary also plans to undertake a global roadshow to attract technology transfer and supplier partners to the Luanda/Bengo ZEE. Bravo da Rosa said Brazil, China and Portugal were some of the destinations being considered and the tour would be likely to start in September or October this year. “There have already been many signs of interest,” he revealed. The objective, he added, was the speedy establishment of new business partners. Preference would be given to those offering industrial knowledge and willing to contribute to job creation. Labour-intensive enterprises that created the most jobs for Angolans, combined with new technology industries such as fibre optic cables, were the aim.
Other projects There are other initiatives similar to the Luanda/Bengo ZEE that are being managed by bodies other than SIIND. These are the industrial hubs at Fútila, Cabinda province; Soyo in Zaire; Catumbela in Benguela; Matala and the mining and industrial district in Huíla province and the agro-industrial complex at Pungo Andongo, Malange.p
Mark Clydesdale
Malocha
Key location
46 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
Malocha
Companies operating in the Luanda/Bengo ZEE Induplastica LDA – plastics industry Sanitary and kitchen accessories and paint containers Capacity: 130 tons/month finished products Direct employees: 50, support staff 10
Malocha
Vedatela LDA – metal fencing Capacity: 37.5 tons/month razor wire 37.5 tons/month barbed wire 12,500 m2/month of steel netting 100,000 m2/month of welded steel netting 8,333 m2/month of wire mesh Direct employees: 116 per shift, support staff 10
Angolacabos LDA – fibre optic cables Fibre optic cables for telecommunications Capacity: 150km/month Direct employees: 90, support staff 10
Pipeline Angola LDA – PVC PVC and polyethylene pipes and joints in various diameters Capacity: 1,000 tons/month Direct employees: 90, support staff 10
Malocha
Mangotal LDA – metal towers Electricity and telecommunications pylons Capacity: 37 units/month Direct employees: 120, support staff 10
Pivangola LDA – irrigation rigs Range of farm irrigation equipment Capacity: 1,000 hectares/month Direct employees: 120, support staff 10
Indutive LDA – paints and varnishes Plastic and oil paints for homes and industry Capacity: 2.08 million litres/month Direct employees: 130, support staff 10
Matelectrica LDA – electrical material Low voltage electrical material Capacity: 3.6 million devices/year Direct employees: 156, support staff 10
Source: SIIND Lda SEPTEMBER 2011 47
WELCOME TO SUPER SATELLITE CITY A colossal housing project at Kilamba, near Luanda, hailed as a major step forward in supplying more and better-quality housing for the metropolis, has been formally opened k
48 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
NEWS
P
resident José Eduardo dos Santos officially unveiled the nucleus of the new city of Kilamba on July 11. Located on a greenfield site about 20 kilometres south from Luanda city centre, Kilamba will offer new residents swift access via a modern express highway to service and industrial employment hubs at Luanda Sul and Viana. “It’s the largest housing project ever built in Angola and is an outstanding example of social policy carried out in a country to solve the housing deficit,” said President dos Santos. Angolans had a right to “housing that meets a certain minimum standard of dignity and comfort”, he added. The new city not only helps address an acute housing shortage but also adopts large-scale urban planning measures for the first time in Luanda’s recent history. Kilamba boasts basic services such as water supply, sewage systems and electricity for all its residents. Residents will also have a range of administrative, commercial, schooling, policing, health, childcare and leisure services. “The creation of the city of Kilamba is a modern way to think about cities and face up to the constant growth of the country’s capital whose infrastructure cannot support the population of over five million it has today,” said the president. “This decentralisation will enable the pressure to be taken off the old centre of Luanda, meet the growing need for housing and give its inhabitants a better quality of life,” he added. As part of the first phase of Kilamba, there are 115 buildings with 3,180 apartments of varying size, 48 shops and 10 kilometres of access roads. The city’s construction, road infrastructure and services have been developed as a publicprivate partnership. It covers an area of 5,200 hectares and is within easy reach of the modernistic Luanda football stadium at Camama. President dos Santos said his aim was to make Luanda one of the “largest and most beautiful cities in the world”. He was presented with a symbolic key to the new city during the inauguration ceremony by Sonangol board president Manuel
Key project
The new city not only helps address an acute housing shortage but also adopts large-scale urban planning measures for the first time Vicente. The state oil company, through its property investment arm, Sonangol Imobiliária e Propriedades Lda (Sonip), has been given responsibility for managing and completing the Kilamba project.
Kilamba profile The first stage of Kilamba’s current construction covers 906 hectares and will eventually contain 20,002 apartments, 24 crèches, nine primary schools, eight secondary schools, four clinics, 12 health centres, three banks, and space reserved for a hospital, post offices, petrol, police and fire stations, as well as shops, car parks, churches and a cemetery. The idea is to decentralise cradle-tograve public welfare services and make
Kilamba largely self-contained. The new city’s water-supply plant will process 40,000 cubic metres a day, while its sewerage facility will treat 35,000 cubic metres a day of wastewater. A purpose-built electricity substation will ensure constant energy supplies. A public transport terminal is also to be built to serve the new city. When completed in October 2012, Kilamba will hold a population of 485,000 and boast a total of 710 buildings, including 123 apartment blocks with five floors and ground-floor shops. The project will also contain 160 blocks with nine floors, 68 with 11 floors and 58 with 13 storeys. The 595 buildings yet to be completed will have 16,822 apartments and will be served by another 198 shops.
SEPTEMBER 2011 49
NEWS
Official opening
Brazuk Ltd
Neighbouring soccer stadium
Kilamba’s Big Numbers
485,000 Population
20,002 Apartments
24 Crèches
12
Health centres
50 SONANGOL UNIVERSO
710 Buildings
9
Primary schools
4
Clinics
240 Shops
8
Secondary schools
3
Banks
Kilamba will go some way to relieving the pressure on traffic and services in Luanda’s central areas and will help stimulate other projects along the city’s peripheral highway ring. Easier commuter access to Viana’s industrial complex east of Luanda, to Luanda Sul in the south, and the extended port service area and the recently relocated Roque Santeiro market north of the city, will benefit Kilamba consumers. Its new residents will gain speedier access via the express highway to beaches north and south of Luanda and also to the rest of the country, avoiding Luanda’s frequently heavy traffic congestion. Kilamba-type projects are also planned in the other Angolan provinces of Zaire, Malange, Kuando-Kubango, Namibe, Huíla, Benguela and Lunda Sul.
Apartment sales According to state news agency Angop, sales of the apartments, land and commercial properties would begin in July with a target of 30,000 unit sales by December 2011. The minimum requirements to purchase a property at Kilamba include being an Angolan national, having permanent residency, not already owning a home and possessing a permanent or long-term work contract. Sales will be made under the auspices of the National Urban and Housing Programme. Banking and financial institutions will take part in credit and long-term finance operations as a means of selling homes. Banks likely to be participating are Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA), Banco Internacional de Crédito (BIC), Banco Africano de Investimentos (BAI) and Banco de Poupança e Crédito (BPC). To smooth the process for buyers, a one-stop housing services office known as Guiché Único do Imóvel (GUI) will be set up near new urban developments. The GUI will register property, provide documentation from a computerised system and guarantee judicial safeguards. Public notary offices will also be established near to new housing developments.p
Brazuk Ltd
Brazuk Ltd
Palms for new urban gardens
Homes for the future
SEPTEMBER 2011 51
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