• Angola receives 596 investment proposals worth $21.8 billion in five years
• About 80% of proposals came from Chinese investors
• Reforms and privatizations aim to attract foreign investment and boost economy

Angola has received 596 investment proposals worth an estimated $21.8 billion over the past five years, Arlindo das Chagas Rangel, chairman of the board of the Private Investment and Export Promotion Agency (AIPEX), said on Friday, March 6, at a conference in Portugal.

According to the Angola Press Agency (AngOP), 80% of these investment proposals came from Chinese investors.

The news agency also reported that Portuguese companies submitted 72 investment proposals worth $92.6 million, while no details were provided on the remaining investments.

Angola has introduced several reforms in recent years to attract foreign capital and improve the business climate. Since 2019, more than 100 state-owned enterprises have been privatized, creating new opportunities in the energy, transport and financial sectors.

According to the U.S. State Department, the privatization program has raised $1.1 billion and is expected to continue in 2026.

In November 2022, the Angolan government granted a 30-year concession for the Lobito Corridor to a consortium of Swiss, Portuguese and Belgian companies, beating a Chinese consortium.

The 1,300-kilometer railway line connects the Port of Lobito to the town of Luau, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The government has also adopted a new private investment law aimed at improving the investment framework. The legislation reduces minimum capital requirements, facilitates the repatriation of capital and removes the requirement that local investors hold a 35% stake.

Administrative procedures have also been simplified through the Single Window for Investment, alongside broader reforms intended to improve transparency and strengthen investor protection. Angola is one of Africa’s largest oil producers, and the sector remains the main destination for foreign direct investment.

Lydie Mobio