Mota-Engil’s chief executive Carlos Mota Santos said today that Portuguese companies should look at Angola in a structural and long-term way, not only in the infrastructure sector but also in others such as agri-food and pharmaceuticals.
The executive signalled that the company maintains and reinforces its confidence in the Angolan market, pointing to its winning bid in the privatisation tender for Luanda’s new international airport as a sign of that commitment.
“We are in the contract negotiation phase and expect to sign within the next few weeks,” the CEO said.
Asked about Portuguese companies’ investment in Angola, Mota Santos said this “is not an opportunistic market — it is a long-term one that requires commitment, capital investment and people development.”
“Any approach to Angola that is casuistic or based on the idea that it is only for a few years is wrong,” he argued, adding that in the infrastructure sector, “internationalisation must be viewed in a structural way with a business plan and financing.”
Portuguese companies — in infrastructure, but also in sectors such as agri-food, industrial, pharmaceuticals and services — “should look at Angola in a more structural and long-term way,” he said.
For Mota Santos, there is “a whole range of activities that are needed in Angola and it is a country with enormous potential for investment.”
Mota-Engil has been investing beyond its traditional sector, including in Cabinda in cocoa and cashew agriculture, as well as in carbon credits.
Delta Cafés CEO Rui Miguel Nabeiro, also on the panel, likewise argued that Angola “has very great potential,” particularly when viewed with a long-term perspective. In his view, “if it is true that Portugal will be a gateway for Angolan companies into Europe, the reverse is also true,” with Angola serving as a hub for exporting to other African markets.
