Message from Ambassadors

Angola Open to Japanese
Investment
Rui Orlando Ferreira de Ceita da Silva Xavier
Ambassador of the Republic of Angola to Japan
Ambassador Xavier arrived in Japan on October 31, 2018 and presented his letter of credence
to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan on December 5, 2018. Prior to assuming his duties inJapan, Ambassador Xavier served in Portugal and Italy and has also held several positions
within the Ministry of External Relations of the Republic of Angola which he joined in 1987.

Brief Introduction Angola
Angola achieved its independence from Portugal in 1975,
however soon after, the country plunged into a civil warthat ended only in 2002. Since then Angola has maintained
political stability and has also been playing an importantrole in supporting peace and security in Africa, particularlyin the SADC and in the Great Lakes Region. Elections
were held on August 23, 2017 which saw a stabledemocratic transition and the election of H.E. JoãoManuel Gonçalves Lourenço, as the new President ofAngola. The 2017 elections marked the fourth time
Angolans went to the polls since the introduction ofmulti-party democracy in 1991.

H.E. President João Lourenço giving his inaugural address on
September 26, 2017. / Photo: Pedro Parente

Business Opportunities
Angola is a country located in southern Africa, one of themost dynamic regions of the continent. It is about threetimes the size of Japan, with a total area of 1,246,700km2
and a 1,650km long coastline rich in diverse marine life.
Angola has abundant natural resources, with significant
reserves of oil, diamonds, iron ore, manganese, copper,
gold, phosphates, marble, granite, quartz, uranium, zinc,among other valuable resources, many of which have yet
to be fully exploited.
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With an estimated GDP of USD 122.124 billion and a percapita income of USD 3,570 (World Bank indicators for2017) and ranked among the top six largest African
economies, Angola is an attractive market for Japanesebusiness as well as an ideal springboard for entry into thesurrounding markets within the SADC region andbeyond.
Still recovering from a nearly 30 years long anddevastating civil war, Angola is in a period ofreconstruction with strong demands for products, services
and investments, which, can be translated into business
opportunities for Japanese entrepreneurs. Besides theextractive sector, the country has tremendous potential inother sectors that need investments. The priority sectors
include agriculture, fishery, health, education, logistics,
industry, telecommunications & IT, tourism andconstruction.
To create a better business environment and to attract
investments, a Competition Law and a new Private
Investment Law were approved in May and June of
2018, respectively. The new Private Investment Law,among other things, reduces the minimum capitalrequirement, facilitates the repatriation of profit anddividends and eliminates the mandatory requirement of
having an Angolan partner for investments, excepts
those in sectors regulated by special legislation. Pleasecontact the Embassy for a copy of the Private Investment
Law.
Furthermore, new measures have been implemented to
expedite the issuance process of business and tourist
visas. Since March 2018, citizens from more than 50
countries, including Japan, can receive visas on arrival at
the airport in Angola.

From January 7 to 11 of this year, an inter-ministerialdelegation from Angola visited Japan. The delegation
included the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Transports
as well as the Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum.
During their stay in Tokyo, the Embassy co-organized an
Angola Investment Seminar with the Japan Bank forInternational Cooperation (JBIC) and the Japan Institutefor Overseas Investment (JOI).
At the event attended by more than 100 Japanese business,
the Minister of Finance presented an overview about thefinancial climate in Angola, highlighting the country’s
recent adoption of the Extended Fund Facility of the IMF
and its important role in Angola’s Macroeconomic

Stabilization Program and in the National Development
Plan (2018-2022), while the Minister of Transports andthe Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum madepresentations about business opportunities in theirrespective sectors.
One of the main priorities of the current government is tostrengthen the economic diplomacy as well as to focus on
the diversification of the Angolan economy, which will
enable the country to reduce the economy’s heavy
dependence on the oil sector and revitalize other importantsectors outside of the oil industry.
In his inaugural address, President Lourenço mentioned
Japan among Angola’s key strategic partners. Hence, wewould like to call on the Japanese private sector to assist
in the transformation of the Angolan economy throughincreased bilateral trade and investment. We, at the
Embassy, look forward to hearing from you.

Embassy of the Republic of Angola
2-10-24, Daizawa, Setagaya-ku 155-0032 Tokyo
Tel: 03-5430-7879
Angola Investment Seminar held on January 11th in Tokyo

WEB: http://www.angola.or.jp/

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