The Welwitchia Mirabilis, species of plant unique to the Province of Namibe
Surface: 57. 091 Km2
Population: Nearly 255.000 inhabitants
Province City: City of Namibe
City Councils: Tombwa, Bibala, Virei e Kamucuio
Climate: Dry Tropical
Activity: Agriculture, Fishing and Mineral
 POPULATION HISTORY |
Diogo Cao was the first to discover the Province of Namibe in 1485. It was named Mocamedes and was the first district to be created in the South of Angola.
The local population started settling down in the Province in 1839, which still remains a native province where one can still find the Bochimane people with its original culture and traditions.
The organised exploitation of the region's resources began in 1849 with the arrival of the first Portuguese colonialists coming from Brazil.
The current population is composed of about 255,000 inhabitants scattered through the various municipalities that constitute the Province and its ethno-linguistic diversity.
| GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE |
The Province of Namibe lies on the southern coastline of Angola, surrounded by Benguela to the north, Huila to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and by Cunene river to the south. With a surface of 57, 091 km2 and an Atlantic Ocean coastline of 480 km, this Province embraces a panorama of desert , savannah and moonlight.
The City of Namibe, capital of the Province, situated in the X of the River Bero is the third most important port in Angola.
The climate in Namibe, which is considered to be the best on the Angolan coast, is tropical in the highlands, near the Province of Huila, dry in the entire desert of Namibe and damp on the coastline.
| INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES |
Among the incentives included in the Law on Foreign Investment, the government considers the following as significant:
 Agriculture |
With agricultural mechanization and underground water filtration, the Province could intensify the culture of grape trees, olive trees, sweet potatoes, melons, beans, lemon trees, etc. All these products are not only destined to the local market but also to exports. Not to mention the potential of the region to breed cattle, sheep and goats.
| Culture of olive trees |
Moving to an efficient agro-industry has therefore become one of the main targets of the local Government.
| INFRASTRUCTURES |
| Air Transportation |
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The airport is located 7 km away from the City of Namibe and links the region not only to Luanda, the capital, but also to other provinces. It enables modern aircraft to land and boasts of international standards.
| The Port |
Namibe is the third harbour in Angola and has the prerequisite to become one of the largest of all Western Africa.
It serves mainly for the export of fish as well as agricultural goods from Huila. It is both a commercial and fishing harbour.
The commercial port was completed in 1957 in order to ease the loading and unloading processes of goods and transportation of passengers. The Commercial port has the necessary infrastructure to manage long distance and local sea traffic. The port itself is served by 15km of railways linked to the 756km Mocamedes railway going from the coast to the east.
The mineral port was completed in 1967 and represents a world scale engineering achievement, destined for the loading of iron, gold and other minerals. It is also used for the unloading of fuels. It may be considered as one of the most important mineral ports in the world allowing any ship less than 150.000 tons to dock at any moment.
Road from the airport to the City of Namibe
There is a considerable need to rehabilitate the commercial and mineral ports of Namibe, Mocamedes railroad (CFM), roads and modernise the airport and telecommunications that link the Province to the rest of the country.
The Province has asphalt roads that link the capital to Tombwa, Lucira and Lubango. The harbour of Namibe is also included in a global dimension of economic development of southern Angola.
| Fishery sector |
Presently, most of the fish captured is salted and dried and the rest is frozen, or used for fish meal, oils and canned foods. There is a need for fishing boats, transformation industry of dried and salted fish, fish meal, oils, canned foods and freezing using modern techniques, as well as technical-professional training for the companies targeting the domestic and foreign markets.
| Industrial sector |
There is a need for concentrated tomato factories, comestible vegetal oil refineries, raw-material transformation industries and various products (food, drinks and shoes). There is also a need for civil engineering industry (cement, cal, ceramic, etc.), naval industry and investment in extraction and transformation of minerals such as marble, granite, phosphate, quartz and chalk among others.
| Tourism |
The Province of Namibe is one of the most privileged regions in the country, embracing the sea, desert and savannah, which constitute an amazing natural environment with a climate considered to be the best on the entire coastline of the country.
Between the cities of Namibe and Tombwa lives the Welwitchia Mirabilis, a plant species unique in the world, which looks like a giant octopus, symbol of the resistance and survival of the wildlife in the desert of Namibe.
Serra de Leba, better known as Morro de Chela, located between the City of Namibe and the City of Lubango is also considered to be another beauty that one may discover on his way to Namibe. The national park of Iona, about 200km from Namibe, seems more like a paradise for animals, where one can enjoy safaris, eco-tourism and bird-watching. |
