info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
Angola's coastline stretches 1,600 kilometers and is served by numerous ports. The largest ports are Luanda, Lobito, Cabinda, Namibe, and Soyo (see map 1). The port of Cabinda serves the Cabinda enclave region and is heavily tied to off shore petrol operations and handling, as is Soyo. The port of Namibe is the most important fishing port in the country, while Lobito is a historical port that once served as a direct gateway to the Democratic Republic of Congo's Katanga region's copper exports (using the Benguela railway).
Within the country port system, Luanda occupies a dominant position with market shares of 78 percent and 83 percent of total cargo volumes and container volumes handled in 2015, respectively. Similar figures for Lobito, the nation's second busiest port, were 12 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Preliminary cargo traffic statistics obtained for Luanda port for 2017 indicate that freight volumes have resumed their growth with a year-on-year increase of nearly 10 percent. This first increase since 2014 still leaves Luanda's port traffic 45 percent below its last peak of 2014.
Angola does not have national shipping lines anymore. Two national companies, Angonave and Secil Maritima, still exist but do not operate or own any vessels and are in bankruptcy. Consequently, the nation's shipping market is dominated by three major regional players: Maersk (which also operates the Sogester terminal), MSC, and CMA.
The Angola port system operates on a landlord model. All ports activities are under the direct supervision of Ministry of Transport (Secretário de Estado para os sectores da Aviação Civil, Marítimo e Portuário). The Instituto Maritimo e Portuario de Angola under the Ministry of Transport regulates all activities related to shipping and ports activities.Luanda Port. EPL (Porto de Luanda EP, Luanda Port Authority) oversees the port activities. Port operations are split among five private/public operators:
Sogester,a joint venture between APMT (Maersk) and GEFI (Sociedade de Gestao e Participacaoes Financieras) ;
Unicargas, a SOE with minority shareholding of NDS manages a container and roll-on, rolloff terminal (that is, for vehicles shipping);
Soportos SA, under private Angolan ownership;
Multiterminais, is a shareholding between NDS Lda, Nile Dutch B.V., and Copinol. It manages the general cargo terminal;
Sonils, a full subsidiary of Sonangol, operates the oil terminal.
