ANGOLA Trends and Developments Contributed by: José Miguel Oliveira, António Caxito Marques, Caio de Mello Ferreira and João Saiago Canjeque, VdA
the port into a modern, efficient and competitive port platform capable of contributing to the growth and diversification of the Angolan economy. The Port of Lobito is intrinsically linked to one of the largest infrastructure projects in Angola (and, the authors would say, currently in Africa), the Corridor of Lobito ( Corredor do Lobito ). The project aims to modernise Angola’s rail network and improve the con - nectivity between the Port of Lobito and landlocked countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. The Corridor of Lobito project includes the rehabilita - tion and modernisation of the Benguela railway, which runs from the coastal city of Benguela to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, passing through Lobito. The railway link will provide a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to road trans - port, reducing the costs and time of shipping freight and facilitating the export of a wide array of commodi - ties from the region, such as agricultural and mining products. The Corridor of Lobito has seen significant investments from the Angolan government, the African Development Bank and other international financial institutions. The project has already made significant progress, with the rehabilitation of over 1,300 km of railway track and the modernisation of multiple sta - tions along the route. The project is expected to cre - ate significant economic benefits, promoting regional trade and stimulating economic growth in Angola and neighbouring countries. It will also help to strengthen Angola’s position as a key player in the regional trans - portation network and improve the competitiveness of the country’s ports by expanding their hinterlands. The most recent projects related to the Corridor of Lobito are better described in the last section of this Trends and Developments article. Other Ports The Port of Namibe is another major port in Angola, serving the southern regions of the country and neigh - bouring countries. It specialises in handling mining, industrial and agricultural products. Angola also has several smaller ports, including the ports of Cabinda and Soyo, which are crucial for the
country’s oil industry, given Angola is one of Africa’s largest oil exporters. In December 2024, the National Maritime Agency (AMN – Agência Marítima Nacional ) opened public tenders to entities engaging with the supply of equipment in order to equip and provide with more resources the installations of the captaincy of the port of Soyo. In January 2025, the public con - tract was awarded to three different companies taking into consideration the financial and technical condi - tions set out in the public procurement tender. Despite facing significant challenges, such as opera - tional inefficiencies and a lack of skilled labour and equipment, the Angolan government aims to attract foreign investment in the shipping sector to meet the growing demand for cargo handling and transporta - tion, and increase the competitiveness of its ports in the region. IMSAS and Abuja MoU Commitments In November 2025, Angola underwent the Internation - al Maritime Organization Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS), which was conducted under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The primary objective of IMSAS is to promote the consist - ent and effective implementation of applicable IMO instruments and to assist Member States in enhanc - ing their capabilities, thereby improving overall perfor - mance and compliance with the instruments to which they are party. Ahead of the IMSAS, which took place in the first week of November, Angola undertook a series of pre - liminary assessments with the classification societies and other industry operators to identify and address potential regulatory and technical gaps. These assess - ments noted that Angola has not ratified eight of the 16 relevant IMO instruments. Still in this context, as a preparation for the IMSAS, the Angolan State held, in July 2025, a presentation relating to the achievements, challenges and oppor - tunities to the States that are parties to the memoran - dum of understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region (“Abuja MoU”). During the Abuja MoU meeting, Angola reported that, although it has attended the Port State Control Committee meet- ings regularly since 2021, it only began conducting
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