Why visit Angola? Stories of the People, Culture & History

Why visit Angola? First Impressions of People, Culture & History

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[00:00:09] Irene: Then they send through the kids and then they came holding our hands, and then we knew, now we were welcome and we could go into this circle of this community.

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The Angolan government wants more visitors to their country, not only to diversify the economy, but also because the country has so much to offer.

untry for a few days in June,: 2025

It's a really beautiful coincidence that this opportunity came along, shortly after Angola was mentioned in my last Rovos Rail episode.

The first voice you heard, was that of Irene Boaventura. She's one of three Angolans that I had the opportunity to chat to for this episode. You will meet her and Pepe and Richard, a little bit later.

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And that is exactly what I asked of two of my co-travelers. Anke Budde is a travel agent and co-organizer of the trip we were going on, and Susanne Layh is a travel journalist, and I wanted to hear from them, about their expectations of Angola before we boarded the flight.

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[00:01:51] André: What are your expectations of this country?

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It has lots of sites to see, and a varied nature and culture. And now I'm really excited, because what I do know already, is that it's still very unspoiled and that there's still little tourism infrastructure. That means, it's a country for explorers, for someone who wants to get to know Africa in its purest form. And yes, I'm prepared for anything and I'm looking forward to being surprised.

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[00:02:40] André: What are you expecting on this trip?

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[00:03:00] André: My own thoughts were pretty similar. Here's what I wrote down as my expectations, while I prepared for the trip and this podcast:

I expected a friendly country.

I thought that the capital city, Luanda, would have a visible, modern, wealthy part, but also a poorer part.

I expected a country that is determined to open up to tourism, but that not all of the infrastructure that we normally expect, is there yet; that it's still in development and being built.

I thought that the vibe in Luanda would be similar to cities in East Africa, but that it might feel and sound different, with maybe a Brazilian touch?

And my feeling was that the hotels would be functional, but not necessarily have much charm.

Let's see if Angola meets our expectations.

Before we dive in, here are some quick facts about the country.

Angola is the seventh largest country in Africa, and it's located just north of Namibia on the Atlantic Ocean.

It's about three and a half times the size of Germany, or California, and has a population of about 30 million people. Of that, about a third lives in the capital city. Angola has one of the youngest populations on the planet: about 70% are under 30 years old.

And even though the country has large oil reserves, about 50% of the population lives in poverty.

You pay for goods and services with a currency called the Kwanza. and it is so humid at the coast. I did not expect that.

But, I think we should start by rewinding the clock, to give you a brief history of the country.

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But Angola wasn't about to give up without a fight. Enter the legendary queen Nzinga: a fierce, clever, and fearless ruler who spent decades outsmarting, and out manoeuvring the Portuguese in the 17th century. She is still celebrated today as national hero, and symbol of resistance.

Despite her efforts, Portugal tightened its grip, and Angola officially became a colony.

of independence kicked off in: 1961

Unfortunately, it didn't come with peace though. The country plunged into a 27-year civil war, with global Cold War powers picking sides: the MPLA, backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba and UNITA supported by the US and South Africa.

It wasn't until: 2002

Today, Angola is rebuilding, and showing the world, that despite its complicated past, it's a country rich in culture, natural wonders, and resilience.

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Our trip started with a walking tour of Luanda. The ministry was so excited about our visit, that we were accompanied by photographers and press every day. We were even seen on national news on TV.

But there was a point when we politely had to ask the photographers to please step aside for a moment, so that we could take our own photographs of, in this case, a beautiful street. Luanda has some amazing street art, and we wanted to capture that, together with the ladies selling fried bananas and peanuts.

The city is a mix of colonial buildings, modern glass skyscrapers, and middle-class apartment blocks that could use a fresh coat of paint. There are massive SUVs and older style cars driving around, and there are young men helping you park your cars, as in so many cities in Africa. And there are countless kids with mobile shoeshine shops, offering to clean your shoes.

Each one of us in the group took time during the trip for a walk through the city, or a jog on the promenade. And we all had the feeling that our presence was completely uneventful for the citizens of the city. We felt very comfortable.

which the Portuguese built in: 1576

Now you're probably also wondering, "how are the hotels? What was the food like"? Simply put: the four star and five-star hotels in Luanda are very good. Most of them have had a focus on international business and are now opening up to the leisure and tourism business.

Food was delicious- we had excellent seafood, tasty meat dishes, and even an Ibiza style restaurant at the beach in Luanda one night.

What else did we see near Luanda?

We spent a little time at the National Slavery Museum, which was very moving. Slavery is a big part of the history of Angola, and any visit to the country should definitely include this museum.

Before Europeans arrived, various forms of slavery already existed in Angola, mainly as punishment or as part of war. But the arrival of the Portuguese in the late 15th century turned the region into a major hub for the transatlantic slave trade.

lly banned the slave trade in: 1836

The legacy of slavery remains a powerful and painful part of the country's history, which is visible at this National Slavery Museum, which is actually located at a site where the slave ships were loaded. The exhibits focus on the history of the slave trade, and you can see chains, shackles, and documents from that time, and stand in a room where enslaved people were baptized, before being shipped abroad. Baptism was mandatory for all slaves.

Our next stop was more positive: we drove a little further south to "Miradouro da Lua", or the Moon Viewpoint.

This is a surreal landscape of cliffs and canyons, that resemble the surface of the moon. Wind and rain eroded the soft limestone over time, to these spiky peaks and deep little troughs.

The photos that you can find online really don't do it justice, but we were very impressed. If you're there, I suggest you take a walk to the end of the viewing area, where you get a good overview of the size of this incredible landscape.

It's located along the coastal road south of Luanda, and there are so, so many baobabs en route. I have never seen so many of these majestic trees. It was just beautiful.

While we were in Luanda, we attended a workshop to get to know some colleagues from the tourism industry, who already organize tours and programs for visitors to Angola. It was exciting to learn more about the country, and what there is to see and experience.

One interesting conversation I had was with Pepe Hatewa.

Ola, Pepe.

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[00:10:33] André: If a client says to me, why should I visit Angola? What do you say?

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[00:10:52] André: You mentioned that there's a big difference between the people living in the city, and the people living in the countryside, the tribal people. Tell me about that.

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This is because of history. Now, here in Angola, at one point, the native people were forbidden to speak their native languages at school and in public places. So that very much brought things to the way it is today.

And looking at the tribes and the native people in the rural areas, in the villages, they hardly speak Portuguese. So it's the total opposite. They've been isolated for a very long time due to some of the main, you know, old and recent events in history, uh, such as slavery, colonialism.

fore Angola's Independence in: 1975

So, they have isolated themselves for such a long time, that a lot of them are in hard to reach places. So, today we have over 80 groups and sub-ethnic groups dispersed all over Angola.

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But now from my discussion with you, there really is a separation of the people who live in the city, speak Portuguese, seldom speak the dialects or the tribal languages, and the people in the countryside often don't speak Portuguese.

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I asked him, what are the three reasons someone should visit Lubango?

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The other reason is also the diversity of sightseeing that can take place. So, he's talking about the Fenda da Tundavala, he's talking about Serra de Leba, you know, and all other points that would definitely attract tourists to come.

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[00:13:51] Bruno for Richard: The main reason, is the opportunity to showcase their culture, because he believes that people that are not in close contact with their culture, don't really have dignity, you know?

So, that's the main advantage that they see from this festival. The main benefit.

People from outside, is basically getting in contact with a diversity of, uh, cultural showcase that takes place. Because they don't only showcase the culture from Lubango, from Huila specifically, they also show cultures from other provinces around the country.

So, it's a mixed experience that, uh, would definitely interest a tourist to take part in. And also, it's very authentic still, you know, because a lot of Angola is still unexplored. It's a diversity of cultural exposure. And obviously benefits not only the locals, but the people that visit the province as well.

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[00:14:43] Bruno for Richard: One of the main experiences that you have, is the cultural dance. It happens right in the beginning of the festival, and then throughout the festival there's a series of activities that take place, like fashion shows, there's car racing, obviously the diversity also, of other cultures that are showcased.

And he believes that every tourist that visits Lubango during this season, never feels outside from home, because, you know, the diversity of visitors makes people feel welcomed.

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[00:15:14] Bruno for Richard: So, he said in Lubango, the human warmth, the hospitality, basically.

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[00:15:25] Bruno: I would have to say that my favorite place in Angola, uh, would be "Quedas de Kalandula", which is in Malanje. So, it's basically the waterfall, the biggest waterfall that we have here.

It's an amazing sight to see, you know, it's unbelievable. I mean, before I went there physically, I saw a lot of videos, a lot of photographs of it, and I had kind of an idea of what it looked like. But once I went there, it was quite impressive. It's basically my favourite place to visit.

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The city of almost a million people, has a much more spacious field than Luanda. Instead of many high rises, it has wide roads, open spaces, and beautiful art deco buildings.

Christ the Redeemer, built in: 1957

We'll chat about the waterfall and other sightseeing that we did, in the next episode.

Right now, I want to take you back to Luanda, where I also met a young woman, who moved from South Africa back to Angola recently. I loved her energy, so please meet Irene Boa Ventura. Hello, Irene.

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[00:16:51] André: I consider myself very lucky that I did come here. Irene is, part South African. She is Angolan by birth, but, spent many years in South Africa, largely during the Civil War here. Mm-hmm. And got a lot of, tourism experience in South Africa in some amazing hotels, how do you like being back?

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So, I wanted to bring a little bit of that back here. Um, I mean, there's nothing like being in your own country and being in your own land and soil.

Working at the Intercontinental, opened up my eyes in terms of, who are the people that travel into Angola, who's coming to this country. I always had the dream of one day having my own startup in tourism. So, I think this project was organic, Ventura Afrika had to open.

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Give me three reasons why someone should visit Angola.

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Come for the culture and the people and come here to discover something that few people have discovered.

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What a lot of people don't know, is that those waters originate from Angola. And you organize tours into the region that is the source of the Okavango. Tell me about that.

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So, without the waters of Angola filtering down that space, there is no Delta.

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So, then I said to you, what is the excitement about visiting the source of the Okavango? Surely it would just be a little stream? And you showed me some photographs of these winding waterways. The photographs looked very similar to what we can see in Botswana. So, my question then is, why should I visit the source of the Okavango in Angola, when it is arguably easier to visit it in Botswana. Mm-hmm. But there must be a difference.

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Yeah. Discovering, perhaps bird species or plant species you've never seen before. I love it that you can also connect with the culture in this area, which is Huambo the people there, very nomad, they live in small little tribal villages and it's very rare to still find that authentic way of life, of living off the earth, living off the water. Just shows you the value that water and river plays to the people, and that we build communities around them.

Yeah. And that for me is different, as opposed to being down in the Botswana delta and perhaps seeing a big elephant down there. You should be curious to know where does, where's the flow of this water coming from?

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There is an interesting fact that you mentioned, that the Giant Sable Antelope was considered extinct, but it was rediscovered in Angola, mm-hmm, I think yes 10 years ago? Yes. It was rediscovered. And that can be seen in, in that area if you're lucky. Right?

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[00:21:13] André: I think we can both say, you don't go to Angola to visit the animals. there are many other neighbouring countries that are great for visiting animals.

The area of the source of the Okavango is an area that does not have a lot of tourism infrastructure. So, most of your clients that would visit it, would probably be on some kind of a camping expedition, or on a couple of days camping, in between hotel stays somewhere in the country. And you mentioned that, you would camp nearby some of the villages that are in that area.

How can I, as a visitor, experience this culture without offending anybody? Because, I can't just walk into the village and say, "Hey, hey, no, don't mind me. I'm just taking some photographs, you know? Thanks very much. Um, can your kids stand there for me? We, we can't do that. That's offensive. How would we experience your cultures through one of your tours?

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One big part of going into these villages is that you have to know the Soba. You know, you walk in and then you, you greet very humbly.

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[00:22:23] Irene: The Soba is an elder of that community, of that village. He represents the village. So, the first person you go and see is the Soba. He's considered, I won't say the king, but he's the authority in that area.

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[00:22:37] Irene: Yes, the chief. You go and you ask your blessings. You state your intentions, which is something we always do. We want to go in organically, we never want to enforce something that the community does not want. And even, for example, when we do, do the camping sites, we are not inside the village, but rather on the outskirts of the village where we are still protected and safe, uh, but just slightly on the outside of their space.

And then when they're ready, they then welcome us. I remember on my last trip, we camped outside; the next morning, the children came to come and fetch us.

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[00:23:12] Irene: Exactly. So, they send the children, after I'd, obviously I'd gone first and introduced myself and explained, that we had this, group of people with us.

Then they send through the kids, and then they came holding our hands, and then we knew, now we were welcome, and we could go into this circle of this community. And, you know, they don't speak English. They don't speak Portuguese; they do speak their own native language.

So, communication was not through words. It's me looking at you, and really just feeling and trying to read what you're trying to say with your eyes. Um, the way they would maybe touch you, or the way they would give you a gift and the way you would accept it, you know, with both hands and that passing of something you drink.

And that's really how we communicate with most of them. It was through just body language, and cultural exchange, that we get to experience their life and they get to open up, um, their community.

And, we go in these waterways with the fishermen. They feed us, we eat meal with them and we leave the world, more thankful to know that such quiet pristine space, exists where people are just kind and welcoming. They don't have much, but wow, do you take a lot back after that visit.

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[00:24:44] Irene: We always try and look at, what are some of the things that the community perhaps needs in this area?

We always communicate responsible tourism with our guests. So, sometimes when they find out that they're going to a village, in their itinerary, they actually think about the kids, do they need something? Should we bring something? So, we obviously try not to bring things that is too foreign to the community, and sometimes it's just taking something back, and that's already supporting.

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Some of our meal items, we get it from them, fresh milk that's been, drawn from a cow. We will buy a litre or two. Um, perhaps, seafood, they've just, uh, caught some fresh fish. And we go and get our substance for the timing that we are there. And, um, a responsible way of, giving back.

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[00:25:41] Irene: So my favourite place is where I went for the very first time, when I arrived in Luanda. It was the Namibe Desert.

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[00:25:54] Irene: Correct. It's one of the oldest deserts in the world. And I was fascinated with the ideas of seeing sand dunes next to the Atlantic Ocean. Yeah, I didn't understand that, so I wanted to see that.

So that being my very first trip, I will always love Namibe Province. The dunes, the ocean. It is just, my God, it's, I don't know if you guys have watched the movie "Dunes". If you thought that landscape was fantastic, come and see the dunes and the sand in Namibe province. You are completely as remote as you can be.

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[00:26:36] Irene: Thank you. Thank you so much.

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That said, there are some fascinating stories to do with animals though. Irene and I touched on the giant sable antelope- these large antelopes weigh about 220 to 240 kilograms and have massive horns that curve back, often well over a meter in length.

e was discovered in Angola in: 1914

Another impressive animal story is that of "Operation Noah's Ark".

About 70 kilometres from Luanda is the Kissama National Park. During the Civil War, most of the animals that did live there, died. Partly through natural causes, but also because people hunted them, ostensibly to feed their families.

When peace came to the country, Operation Noah's Ark relocated about 150 elephants and 150 other mammals from South Africa and Botswana to Kissama National Park. Via a road transport to the coast, a few days on a ship to Luanda, and then by road onto the park. Pretty cool, hey?

I want to end today's episode with a quick story about one of my favourite spots in Luanda: the "Palacio de Ferro", or the Iron Palace.

its way to Madagascar in the: 1890

Many believe it was designed by Gustav Eiffel. Yes, he of the famous tower. But recent research has shown that it may well have originated from Scotland. Regardless, it's a marvellous building, that was renovated a few years ago. I've put a link in the show notes that you can also see it.

I hope you've enjoyed episode one of our journey to Angola, where we met some interesting colleagues, and spoke about Angola's history, cultures, and the two largest cities.

In the next episode, we'll chat about what else there is to see in Angola and meet our guide and tour organizer, João.

If you want to see some photos of Angola, you can find them from my trip on my Instagram page, africa_with_andre. I've put the link to that in the show notes as well.

Please, give me a follow and let others know that might be interested in Angola.

Till the next time!