Speaking to the Lusa news agency, Valdomiro Minoru Dondo, entrepreneur with businesses in the sectors of transport, real estate, banking, mining, health, catering, drinks, pastry and information technology, said that "the economy decreased a little with the pandemic", which led to a reduction of at least 2000 jobs of the 5000 that he managed to create with his businesses.
Valdomiro Minoru Dondo, considered one of the most successful businessmen in Angola, said that Macon, an urban, interprovincial, and international transportation company, is a good example of the constraints caused by the covid-19 pandemic.
According to the businessman, Macon, in 2020, due to the restriction of the interprovincial operation, was limited to urban transport and had negative results, with a loss in turnover of 60 percent.
"At this moment, we await with a certain hope the reopening of transport to the provinces and we are hopeful that our activity, in a few months, will return to normality," he stressed.
The businessman mentioned that there was a need to reduce workers, but the policy is to "lay off as little as possible", informing that contracts with some of his staff were also suspended.
"The impact was not very big, because the cost for us to train the workforce, drivers, mechanics, is very high and we are resisting to lay off as little as possible," he explained.
Operations internationally, to neighboring Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, also in these markets covid-19 had its impact on the business, stressing that until then the operation was in a growth phase, keeping faith that the company will grow again.
Another major investment affected by the Angolan economic crisis is the Kinaxixi shopping center, an impressive project that began in 2008 and is still under construction.
According to Valdomiro Minoru Dondo, the schedule has been changed: "A shopping center like the Kinaxixi, which is a modern concept of living, working and leisure, is a construction that when it is finished will have more than 180 thousand square meters of built area".
The anchor of the project "is the shopping center, but with this fall in demand and the economy, we have resized the end of the construction, to two years from now", he added.
For Valdomiro Minoru Dondo, Angola has a natural vocation for many segments, mainly in agriculture and mining exploration, some of the last investments he has made.
"For agriculture we have sun, land and water, for mining we have all the riches of many minerals to be explored. So, wealth we have," he stressed.
Regarding mining, three years ago the Buco Zau and Lufo Mining Society started gold research in the province of Cabinda, in northern Angola, where it obtained two concessions, one of which is already out of the prospecting phase and should enter the production phase by the end of the year.
According to Valdomiro Minoru Dondo, these are mines with great potential and reserve, being attentive to other opportunities that may arise in this segment.
"In agriculture, we are in the research and production phase of beans and corn in the province of Cuando Cubango," he said, assuring that there has been no lack of government support for these initiatives.
The Angolan Government's bet to diversify the economy and to stop importing and become a producer "is certain", considered the businessman, recognizing that "a lot of things are already being produced in the country".
About what has hindered greater progress in achieving this goal of the government, the businessman, who lives in Luanda and in 2002 obtained Angolan nationality, said that there has been a lack of projects and investors.
"Investors, in practice, are not lacking, we have entities such as Deutsche Bank, the U.S. government's own development entity, the Development Finance Corporation (DFC), has financed and contributed with investments in large projects here in Angola, what is lacking is initiative from businessmen to go after these financing opportunities", he considered.
The businessman reiterated that there is a lack of initiative, good projects, which are required when one resorts to these entities.
"You have to present well-designed and well-made projects, but lately there have already been projects, our company has submitted projects to seek these funding opportunities," he said.
