Research and consulting in Angola
Country Overview:
IOA has provided research consulting services extensively in Angola on a wide range of topics across economic, political and social affairs. Our researchers have gained insights into this tropical country’s natural resources, which could have enriched its citizens but that have been squandered by 20 years of civil war, followed by decades of corrupt governance. Economic diversity was not pursued in the single-minded exploitation of oil reserves to enrich a small elite. However, those days are now past, and infrastructure building combined with improved social services are beginning to address the needs of the impoverished majority, although political signs indicate Angolans are growing weary of the long-ruling party.
IOA analysis has found that oil (representing 95% of exports) and gas (50% of GDP) will continue to drive the economy as new off-shore reserves are discovered. Efforts at economic diversification will draw investors to agriculture, fishing and tourism.
Key opportunities in Angola:
- Angola is Africa’s largest oil producer, with production slightly higher than Nigeria
- Large natural gas reserves are increasingly attractive to the West as it cuts gas purchases from Russia
- IOA research have documented how policy and investments seek to return the agricultural sector to the days when Angola was a major food exporter
Key concerns/risks in Angola:
- Two million Angolans are food insecure in 2023, according to IOA studies of the effects of an underdeveloped agriculture sector combined with global food inflation, with those effects on the population recorded
- Angola is still largely politically divided, and unity must be obtained for the nation’s mineral wealth and other resources to be effectively harnessed
- The tourism sector has never recovered from decades of civil war, and a tourism infrastructure upgrade is required along with an international marketing campaign
