Business travel in Angola
Posted at 03:29 PM on 17 Jan 2012 under Angola
Angola is not an easy country to travel to if you are not the adventurous type – and I am not. Getting in to the country is the first hurdle. Obtaining a visa for Angola is pretty arduous, particularly if you don’t have a local partner to work with. It took me three weeks to get my Angolan visa and that was with all the assistance and support from our local client! It didn’t help that by the time I got there it had expired and I was held in immigration for 24 hours before being sent back to South Africa. Cue another four weeks for the next visa. On take two I made it safely through customs. Lesson learnt – always check your visa before leaving South African soil and of course your travel insurance!
Luanda was my destination and it is an interesting if somewhat derelict City. The road network is limited and traffic in the city is a challenge. A few kilometres can take hours to cover, that’s if you are lucky enough to get transport. It is critical to organize transportation prior to arrival. Official taxi services are very limited and there are numerous “hopefuls” lurking around the airport offering a taxi service for inflated prices in cars that are not road worthy. If you do not have a local partner/client/tour operator to collect you upon arrival, arrange for a shuttle to and from your hotel. It is expensive but safe and stress free.
Getting to meetings will require a car and driver unless you are within walking distance of your destination. I assumed I would take taxis between meetings once in Luanda. This was not really an option and a car and driver set me back by US$400 per day. I would recommend getting locally based clients/contacts to organize transportation as more affordable options do exist. Luanda is all about who you know and how connected you are. Good connections can reduce the stress and cost of a trip.
Be sure to make appointments with public and private sector bodies WELL in advance of your trip. It is a bureaucratic process that requires faxes, emails and reasons why you need a meeting. The confirmation of an appointment does not necessarily mean that the person you are meeting with will be available once you are there. Patience is critical for survival as well as alcoholic beverages if you can afford them.
Affordability is not a priority in Luanda, particularly when it comes to hotel accommodation. Quality hotels in the city are few and hoteliers are capitalizing on this. Rates for a basic, clean room range from US$380 to US$450. New hotel investment is pushing prices down and discounts can be negotiated based on volume. Service is very limited and a large majority of hotel employees speak only Portuguese which can be frustrating. Bring your Portuguese dictionary along.
I found travelling internally in Angola scary. The domestic airport is disorganized in comparison to the newly upgraded international airport. There are no automated systems and check in is required hours in advance of travel. I had a flight leaving at 9am and had to be at the airport by 4am. Perhaps my guide was over paranoid because we spent a very long time in the departure lounge. Take your passport with you when travelling domestically as it is checked at every airport at which you disembark. I would not attempt to fly locally without a guide or interpreter if you do not speak Portuguese. If I had a choice I would avoid flying internally altogether unless on Fly 540 or Sonangol. In my inexperienced view many of the other local airlines looked like they might not make it.
Medical facilities in Luanda/Angola are not of an international standard and ensuring you have adequate medical cover is essential for peace of mind. I was pregnant when I went to Luanda and completely paranoid about everything. Travelinsure travel insurance covered me for medical evacuations in case I experienced any emergency. Malaria tablets are recommended although I got by with Tabard. Yellow Fever certificates are a must and they are checked.
Angolan Kwanza is the local currency and can be drawn from any ATM. All ATMS are not reliable so take US Dollars or Euros with you just in case. Make sure to rid of those Kwanzas before leaving Angola and clearing immigration. It appears to be against the law to take Kwanza out of the country and it is literally confiscated once you are through customs. I discovered this through experience and was very annoyed to donate in excess of US$40 in Kwanza to the oil rich Angolan Government. The departure lounge accepts US dollars (not sure about Euros) so keep those handy. No credit or debit cards are accepted in the departure area (at least in the food and beverage area).
Luanda can be an enjoyable experience provided you are organized and probably a bit more adventurous than me. I like my comforts and I did not venture too far from my hotel so cannot comment knowledgably on the fun factors. Overall I did feel safe in Luanda and the Angolan people were nothing but friendly and helpful despite my non-existent Portuguese and their limited English. The City is not however for the faint hearted comfort seeker so get as much help as you can!
