Angola’s Food Industry Grows but Faces Price and Productivity Challenges

The Minister of Industry and Trade, Rui Miguêns, argued that only an increase in production and productivity will make it possible to contain rising prices and ensure affordable food for a population growing at more than 3% per year.

Speaking on Tuesday, 26th, at the Viana Industrial Hub, the Angolan Minister of Industry and Trade stressed that stabilizing prices in the domestic market depends on boosting production and productivity.

At the meeting “Mission, Challenges, and Opportunities of the Food Industry in Angola”, the minister emphasized that only a more competitive industry can align food costs with the population’s purchasing power. “We must produce more, with higher quality, and at prices suited to the income levels of families,” he said.

The sector faces challenges proportional to demographic growth of around 3.3% per year and an import bill exceeding 30 billion dollars. However, Rui Miguêns noted that domestic production has shown sustainable growth, already allowing for self-sufficiency in some segments.

With 143 medium- and large-scale food processing units, the sector has become crucial for job creation, reducing imports, and strengthening food sovereignty.

The Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, who also attended the meeting, acknowledged that despite double-digit growth, the industry still depends on external factors. He therefore advocated greater integration of production chains and structured dialogue between the government and operators.

In this context, the creation of a specific association for the food industry was proposed, a suggestion that received support from the private sector.

Wanderley Ribeiro, president of the Angolan Agribusiness Association (AAPA), stated that organized structures are essential for effective communication with the government. Meanwhile, César Rasgado, president of the Wheat Flour Producers Association (AFPTA), recalled that Angola has already achieved self-sufficiency in flour production but needs to improve logistical efficiency and competitiveness.

The meeting reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering stronger public-private collaboration, attracting investment, and accelerating the modernization of the domestic industry.

The Paradox of Angola’s Food Industry

The debate on prices and productivity highlights a paradox within Angola’s food industry. While the country has achieved self-sufficiency in products such as wheat flour, it remains vulnerable to the volatility of external costs, including transport, energy, and fertilizers.

Institutionalizing the sector could facilitate input negotiations, protect common interests, and boost economies of scale. However, the real test will be reducing external dependence and ensuring price stability in a persistently inflationary environment.

In the Southern African region, Angola still lags behind key benchmarks in terms of food self-sufficiency. For example, Namibia reached 45% self-sufficiency for the first time in 15 years, thanks to strengthened local production and support from the World Food Programme. Angola, meanwhile, continues to import essential goods such as rice, palm oil, wheat flour, and chicken, amounting to around 2 billion dollars in food imports in 2023—13% of the country’s total imports.

Although Angola produces significant volumes of roots, tubers, fruits, and cereals (such as maize), this still falls short of meeting the needs of its population, which exceeds 30 million people.

In response, the government has set ambitious goals, such as achieving self-sufficiency in maize by 2030, raising production from 4.5 million to around 10 million tonnes per year and expanding the cultivated area from the current 5 to 7 million hectares.

This trajectory is not merely an agricultural plan. It is an economic and geopolitical resilience strategy. By reducing vulnerabilities related to imports and global inflation, Angola seeks to become less dependent on foreign currency, strengthen its domestic market, and position itself as an agro-industrial hub in Southern Africa. This ambition aims to attract investment and consolidate its regional standing, in line with the food security agenda promoted by the African Union.