A friend of mine has received a job offer there for two years, I think he is crazy.

Any first hand info is welcome...
Thanks
L

If he is with an oil company, no problems.

Agriculture goverment exchange....
$5,000 x month

2 years...he don't know in what he is getting into...

I do a similar thing 15 years ago when I was 24 (he is 27) in Equatorial Guinea...but I was young and stupid

L

Tell him to watch out for land mines..by the tens of thousands...That is no joke...As a young boy I would read about the great hunting and huge lions Angola had to offer and now lots of mines...Very sad...

Mike

The place is lawless and whoever has the most guns takes what they want....the mining co's have to hire their own armies to fend off raiders...and as someone else said lots of lions and I would add very little game left...they say the Giant Sable (King Sable) has survived the civil war, but only a few left.

But, what a beautiful, rich and diverse country! I visited there just before the Portuguese pulled out. The most staggering views from the escarpment down to the coastal plains. Coffee and cotton down low, cattle ranching at the higher elevations. Lots of Mopane forest in the south. Wild rivers...the Cuanza, full of giant tarpon. Also great red snapper, kingfish in the estuaries. Fantastic fishing, as well in the surf.

The problem with this country is they have diamonds and oil...so there is money, corruption, guns, etc etc. Very communist govt but also very fat Swiss accounts for the top guys...

Luanda was a bit of a pit back then, I imagine it would be a hell hole now.

Didn't visit farther north than Luanda.

Talk with Vaughan Fulton who posts here, when I hunted with him a couple of years ago his wife was working for I think a international agency and spent a good amount of time in Angola. We had dinner with a young chap that was also working there and the conservation about conditions there did not sound enticing thus very high pay rates.

quote:

Originally posted by Lorenzo:
Agriculture goverment exchange....
$5,000 x month

2 years...he don't know in what he is getting into...

I do a similar thing 15 years ago when I was 24 (he is 27) in Equatorial Guinea...but I was young and stupid

L

Lets see....$120K or live to hunt another day???? I agree with you....he is crazy!

I have a good friend in Namibia that does some business in Angola. Parts of Angola IF you are in good with the local honcho are decent. There is some money being invested there (huge bottling plant for example). But it is an area-to-area thing and each honcho (general, war lord, whatever you want to call them) controls that sector.

Thanks everyone..
I am a little afraid of trying to convince him to stay because each one has to decide what really wants to do with its own life but if he ask me again I will show him your answers.
Thanks
L

$5.000 a month?? No way! To give you an idea, a typical meal in Luanda can cost between $75 and $100 for ONE! Traffic is chaotic. There is no such thing as secuty. Try INsecurity. But as said previously, that depends of where your friend is going. South is quieter and better.

While Angola is still rife with issues, it seems to be attracting SA business and quite a few (more adventurous) tourists and 4x4 enthusiasts. Superb fishing and there are already commerical fishing operations/camps being set up.

From what I hear/read, it certainly is no longer a 'no go zone' and has featured in a few SA travel magazines, but I think its all mainly in the South.

Oil companies will stuff the place up environmentally and ecologically in the north.

Yes, I instructed a Canadian dude on a kayak clinic in SA who had lived there for a while in Luanda and he said of all the places he lived in the world, Luanda the most expesive city he had lived in!
He payed something like US$2000 p/m for an average apartment. The owners know when corporate oil money is picking up the tab and as the companies have very specific places for their employees, the landlords just milk it. He wasn't allowed to drive, so had a driver for US$600 p/m - good money for a simple job in Angola!!!!

Old time bush rats I know says its a great place and are happy that it is 'opening up'. Land mines are and issue in many places.

David Lamb wrote a good chapter on the Portuguese approach in Angola and how they pulled out/cocked up and why (as one of a suite of reasons) it was worse off the than Moz (which was already not great!).

I would like to see it one these days. Coast line is cool apparently. An SA guy kayaked the length of its coast line a few years back.

Riaan Manser, a South African, cycled the perimeter of Africa (36 000km on his own) and said Angola was his favourite country to ride through, he said people were incredible and very friendly...check out www.africa365.co.za

Cheers

Lorenzo,

I'm with Kayaker on this one. A Norwegian acquaintance of mine has lived in Luanda for years (10?) and clearly enjoys it. His brother, whom I also know, is down there at least 5 times a year, and also has mainly positive things to say about the country. And they both get around, and are not just stuck in Luanda.

In addition to these two, I know of several people who have driven thru Angola on their way south or north along the west coast of Africa, and everyone of them that I know of have been suprised in a positive way. And have felt that it is far easier to both get around safely, and get in touch with locals (who are for the most part very friendly) compaired to quite a few other African countries further north.

I also seriously doubt that your friend will have problems with landmines, as they are mainly in areas where he most likely won't be spending time in. Unless he's there to clear mines with the "Norwegian Peoples Aid" or simular NGO!

All in all, I have a far more positive impression about Angola (from people who have actually been there recently!) than many other African countries I've been in.

I have checked this out extensivly as I had planned to drive thru Angola myself a couple of years ago. Until I found out that my little baby daughter was too much fun to leave for the 4-5 months I'd planned to use driving from south to north thru the continent alone...

So I'd say your friend is a lucky guy who should go and enjoy a couple of years in an unusual and upcoming country.