Angola, the Reluctant SADC Trader

The paper examines why Angola, SADC's second-largest economy, has remained outside the SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) despite signing the Protocol on Trade (PoT) in 2003. While the government of Angola (GoA) cites the need to rebuild its war-ravaged industry and protect 'infant industries' from cheap imports, the author argues that this protectionism is contradictory given Angola's openness to imports from China, Brazil, and Portugal. The analysis suggests that vested interests—specifically 'Empresários de Confiança' (trusted businessmen with political links)—benefit from existing high-cost import monopolies and may be discouraging the FTA. The document also critiques the SADC Secretariat for its lack of enforcement mechanisms to hold member states accountable for protocol violations.

• Angola has failed to implement the SADC Protocol on Trade (PoT) and join the Free Trade Area (FTA) despite formally acceding to the protocol in 2003 and the 2012 milestone for full implementation.
• The government of Angola justifies its exclusion from the FTA by claiming the country lacks the necessary 'conditions' due to the destruction of infrastructure and industry during a civil war that lasted from 1975 to 2002.
• Angola's trade is heavily concentrated in crude oil, which accounts for over 45% of its GDP and 90% of export revenues, making the country highly vulnerable to global commodity price shocks.
• There is a contradiction in Angola's protectionist stance toward SADC neighbours, as the country remains open to cheap imports from the rest of the world, particularly China, Portugal, and Brazil.
• The author argues that Angola's trade policy is influenced by 'Empresários de Confiança'—politically connected businessmen who profit from high-cost import monopolies and may resist the FTA to protect these rents.
• The SADC Secretariat is described as lacking the authority or will to enforce the Protocol on Trade, acting more as an 'enabler' than a regulatory body capable of holding member states accountable.
• Angola's reluctance to join the SADC FTA casts doubt on its likely participation in the 'Cape to Cairo' Tripartite FTA (TFTA), despite its formal involvement in negotiations.
• The government of Angola has considered increasing import duties from a maximum of 30% to 50% for domestically produced items like beer and construction materials to protect local industry.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2013). Angola, the Reluctant SADC Trader. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Occasional-Paper-152.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Angola, the Reluctant SADC Trader. 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Occasional-Paper-152.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Angola, the Reluctant SADC Trader |date=August 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Occasional-Paper-152.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2013angola, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Angola, the Reluctant SADC Trader}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Occasional-Paper-152.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }