The Construction Sector in Angola

While Angola’s construction sector grew at 9% a year between 2006 and 2014 as the government focused on repairing and modernising the country’s infrastructure following the civil war, growth in the sector has since ground to a halt as many government projects dried up following the fall in the oil price. The oil price decline and coronavirus pandemic have dampened the growth outlook for construction. The pandemic has resulted in the cost of a bag of cement more than doubling in Angola, while construction materials, many of which are imported from China, have quickly sold out.

Diverse Players

The construction sector accounts for over 15.5% of the country’s GDP. While thousands of companies are involved and registered locally, there are few large local civil works companies, and the sector is dominated by Chinese, Brazilian and Portuguese companies. The key challenges that the sector faces include corruption and lack of planning and poor supervision of public works on state projects, as well as late payments from the government. Construction companies reported that their top challenges were difficulty obtaining materials, a fall in demand and access to finance. Government work accounts for the bulk of the sector’s work. However, a private market, including the provision of residential housing, is beginning to grow.

Report Coverage

This report focuses on The Construction Sector in Angola and includes country information and comprehensive information on the size and state of the sector, major players including international groups and projects underway and planned. There are profiles of 21 companies including Chinese construction and infrastructure companies such as China Machinery Engineering Corporation and China Road Bridge Corporation, Brazilian construction companies such as Odebrecht, and Portuguese players such as civil construction group Soares da Costa. Angolan companies profiled include Omatapalo and Engevia.