Although observers point to Angola as the safest country in terms of health across sub-Saharan Africa, for APIEX President António Henriques da Silva, this comparison can only be made "with those who are closest, with similarities in terms of reality and the challenges they face", in which case it can be said that so far Angola has been successful.
"In a humble way, we can say that we have been able to do this because we have followed the guidelines that were given to the Government in an organized way. We took this seriously," António Henriques da Silva said in an interview with Euronews.
António Henriques da Silva said he was "very proud" of what Angola managed to achieve during the crisis, extending that feeling to the last two years, which, in his eyes, served to "put Angola back on track".
He also stressed that the country is trying to end its dependence on oil, praising the measures adopted by businessmen during this most difficult phase, so that their businesses could remain on their feet.
It was the case of Fazenda Girassol that had to change all its production and distribution models. According to Francisca dos Santos Daniel, responsible for the company's online platform, the team was forced to deal with online orders.
"During the pandemic, we got 4000 new customers," she said, adding that "10 million dollars were invested in the production of tropical fruits like bananas and papayas. The aim was to satisfy our national market, but also to be able to export".
According to the president of AIPEX, Angola has "about 53 million hectares of arable land. Of these, only 4 or 5 million are being used". "It's a huge potential. Not only for Angolans or entrepreneurs who are already in Angola, it is also an investment opportunity.
António Henriques da Silva also said he hopes that private investors will visit the country and see that Angola is "working hard to adjust the institutions and the way of execution to the benchmarks for projects and investments in the country and the economy".
