Civil Engineering April 2021 | Vol 29 No 3

I nfrastruc ture Development The Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (C-BRTA) compiles country profile reports with a view to provide consolidated information on the economic competitiveness of a given country, regulatory and institutional environments, condition of transport infrastructure and business opportunities that prevail in countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In doing so, the C-BRTA fulfils its advisory role through dissemi- nating accurate information to key stakeholders in the cross-border environment, particularly cross-border road transport operators, traders, and regulatory authorities to advance regional trade, eco- nomic growth and development, and regional integration. FACTS ABOUT ANGOLA Q Q Angola is a member state of two African Regional Economic Communities: SADC and the Economic Community of Central African States. Q Q Angola is a vast country with a long coastline and central plateau. Located on the west coast of Southern Africa, Angola is endowed with a variety of natural resources including oil, gas, precious gems and metals. Q Q Currently, Angola ranks among the top three oil-producing countries in Africa, making it the largest and wealthiest of the Portuguese-speaking African states. Q Q The Angolan economy, which is the third largest in Sub- Saharan Africa, is dominated by the oil and gas industry. As an oil dependent country, Angola is characterised by a largely undiversified economy which is dictated by developments in the oil market. Q Q The oil and gas industry accounts for around 50% of the coun- try’s GDP and is its primary source of revenue. More than 70% of government revenue and 90% of Angola’s exports come from oil activities. Q Q Despite its potential, the agricultural sector is underdeveloped and not very productive, contributing to around 10% of GDP, while employing 50% of the population. Q Q Angola follows a liberal trade regime that provides low barriers to trade. Angola’s main global trading partners are China, India, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Q Q In 2019, only 2% of Angola’s exports and 8% of imports were to and from the rest of Africa. Intra-African exports amounted Etiyel Chibira Senior Manager: Research and Project Management Cross-Border Road Transport Agency etiyel.chibira@cbrta.co.za Helene Du Toit Senior Research Specialist Cross-Border Road Transport Agency helene.dutoit@cbrta.co.za Cross-border operations: tapping into opportunities in Angola Despite its rich natural resources, Angola’s economy remains heavily dependent on oil. However, opportunities exist to diversify the economy in areas such as agribusiness, manufacturing, energy, and logistics. Civil Engineering April 2021 51 Opportunities exist to develop Angola’s logistics industry