How does Harare fare against Luanda when it comes to prices? The price of a 2 litre cooking oil bottle in Harare is twice than in Luanda! The trend is the same when it comes to chicken. Economists may need to do a comparison of prices between Harare and one of the places known to be the most expensive in the world..Luanda! Our city may possibly have the highest prices in Africa!
We bring you part of an interview we carried out with one of our members based in Angola, Olivia Maguu Luamba. She lives in Angola and participated in the President’s address to the Zimbabwean community living in Angola last month.
How are living conditions in Angola?
Angola has a sub-tropical climate almost everywhere, with a cool and dry season from May to August, and a hot and rainy season, which runs from mid-September to April in the north-east, from mid-October to April in the centre, from November to March in the south, and from February to April in Luanda, while it’s almost non-existent on the southern coastline.The official language is Portuguese and is spoken throughout the country. There are some local languages, but these are mainly spoken outside of Luanda.The Angolan cuisine is a combination of Portuguese cuisine and west African cuisine. The traditional staple food is funge, which is basically sadza made from cassava flour. The cities close to the coastline eat a lot of fish.
How long have you been in Angola?
Almost ten years
Approximate Official Number of Zimbos living in Angola
About 500
What are the top business opportunities in Angola?
Agriculture, Mining and Tourism
Are there Zimbabweans doing business in Angola?
Yes (More information covered in our Investment Opportunities Book to be released next week)
Give us a break down of Rentals, Fuel Price, Cooking Oil and Chicken
We have a huge discrepancy between the official bank rate and the black rate e.g as I am answering these questions, the official rate is 1US$:202 AKZ while the black market rate is 1US$:400 AKZ . I will give the costs using the official and unofficial rate
Cooking oil $2.30 : $1.13
Petrol price $0.79 : $0.40
Chicken full $4.45: $2.25
Rent 3 bedroomed flat (kilamba) $396: $200
Rent 1 bedroomed flat (city) $1,250 : $625
Cost of air tickets from Harare to Luanda
Return flight TAAG – US$690
Tell us about top holiday destinations
Benguela has great beaches, Cabinda also has the Mayombe Rain Florest,
Can Zimbos find jobs in Angola?
Yes it is possible, although now it’s a bit harder than before. Its very easy for people in specialized fields e.g Agriculturalists as the agriculture sector is fast expanding.
How did you learn Portuguese?
I enrolled for formal classes and later learnt from the community
Advice to first time visitors to Angola
You need to have a lot of patience. Don’t come here with expectations that things work the same way as in Zim or South Africa. Angola is unique and has a unique way of doing things.
Do not miss our book on Investment opportunities for Zimbabweans in 2018. Possibly the best resource book on investment opportunities for Zimbabweans. The book is named Opportunities for Zimbabweans because it has a regional outlook and covers not only Zimbabwe but opportunities in neighboring countries and the world at large. It features;
Provides an analysis of Economic Recovery Opportunities focusing on Agriculture, Service Industry, Mining, Transport and Real Estate Sectors. It covers real life experiences of entrepreneurs, includes coverage of diasporans in Namibia, DRC, India, Canada and Angola. The last chapter covers resources on where to source funding, risks associated with investment and how to mitigate them.
