Kilamba: A Modern City In Angola's Capital Province

Kilamba, also known as Quilamba or Nova Cidade de Kilamba, is a neighbourhood in Angola, located around 30km from the capital city of Luanda. It is a large housing development site built by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC), a Chinese state-owned company, at a cost of US$3.5 billion. The project was financed through an oil-for-infrastructure deal with China and is one of several satellite cities being constructed by Chinese firms in Angola. Kilamba was designed to offer homes for a middle-class population, with plans to accommodate up to 500,000 residents. However, despite the hype, the neighbourhood initially struggled to attract inhabitants due to high property prices and a lack of infrastructure.

Kilamba is a neighbourhood in Angola, 30km from the capital Luanda

Kilamba, or Quilamba, is a neighbourhood in Angola, 30km from the capital Luanda. It is a large housing development site, built to serve as the administrative centre of Belas Municipality. The project was constructed by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC) and covers 30.5 square kilometres or 8.8 square kilometres, depending on the source. It is intended to eventually house more than 200,000 inhabitants across 750 apartment blocks, ranging from 5 to 13 floors. The development also includes around 100 commercial premises, 17 schools, and 24 daycare centres.

Kilamba was built to meet the housing demands of Angolans, most of whom previously lived in informal settlements. The project was financed by a Chinese credit line, repaid by the Angolan government with oil, at a cost of US$3.5 billion. Construction began in 2008, after President Jose Eduardo dos Santos pledged to build a million new homes in four years.

Initially, the apartments were priced between US$120,000 and US$200,000, which was unaffordable for most Angolans. As a result, many units remained unsold and the area was dubbed a ''ghost town''. However, after prices were reduced and a state-backed mortgage scheme was opened to all Angolans, demand increased. By 2015, the population of Kilamba had reached 80,000 inhabitants, and in 2019, the estimated population was 129,000.

It was built by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation

Quilamba (or Kilamba) is a neighbourhood in Angola, located 30km (18 miles) from Luanda, the country's capital city. It is being built by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC), a Chinese state-owned enterprise, as part of an exchange of Chinese construction materials and expertise for Angolan natural resources. The development of Quilamba began in 2008, after the conclusion of Angola's civil war in 2002, when the government started working on housing projects and satellite towns to meet the housing needs of its population, who had mostly lived in informal settlements.

The China International Trust and Investment Corporation designed and constructed Quilamba, which covers an area of 30.5 square kilometres. The neighbourhood is expected to eventually accommodate more than 200,000 people, featuring around 750 apartment blocks ranging from 5 to 13 floors. Additionally, Quilamba includes over 100 commercial premises, 17 schools, 24 daycare centres, and more than 240 stores to support the local economy. The project's cost is estimated at US$3.5 billion, financed by a Chinese credit line that the Angolan government repays with oil.

The construction of Quilamba was also aligned with President Jose Eduardo dos Santos' 2008 election pledge to build a million new homes in four years. Nova Cidade de Kilamba, or Kilamba New City, was envisioned as a self-contained development, offering affordable housing for half a million Angolans. The first phase, consisting of 3,800 apartments, was completed by CITIC within 18 months. Despite the initial slow uptake, legislative changes and price adjustments led to a surge in demand. As of 2024, Quilamba has become a desirable location for aspiring middle-class Angolans.

It was designed to house 200,000 people, but most of the buildings are empty

Kilamba, or Quilamba, is a brand-new Angolan housing development located 30km (18 miles) outside the capital city, Luanda. The project was built by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC) and financed by a Chinese credit line, which Angola is repaying with oil. The development is made up of 750 eight-storey apartment buildings, a dozen schools, and more than 100 retail units. It was designed to house 200,000 people but, as of 2012, most of the buildings were empty.

The project was intended to provide affordable housing for half a million Angolans. However, the high cost of the apartments and the lack of infrastructure in the area, such as roads, medical facilities, and schools, made it unaffordable and unattractive to potential residents. The monthly rental was originally set at US$600, and the smallest unit was priced at US$125,000. This put Kilamba out of reach for those seeking to leave the musseques (slums) of Luanda, where millions live in sprawling settlements.

In February 2013, the situation began to change when President dos Santos ordered that the apartments be made affordable and the state-backed mortgage scheme be opened to all Angolans. The smallest unit price dropped to US$70,000, and demand for the apartments surged, with hundreds of applicants queuing for days to submit their applications. By July 2015, Kilamba was home to 80,000 inhabitants, and the population continued to grow, reaching an estimated 129,000 in 2019.

Despite this increase in population, challenges remained for the new city. Traffic jams during rush hours, due to a lack of roads leading to Kilamba, caused significant inconvenience. Moreover, the absence of major medical facilities and schools on-site posed further difficulties for residents. These issues highlighted the need for better infrastructure and services to support the growing community.

The project was financed by a Chinese credit line, repaid by Angola with oil

Quilamba, also known as Kilamba, is an Angolan neighbourhood located 30km (18 miles) from Luanda, the capital city of Angola. It serves as the administrative centre of Belas Municipality and is a large housing development site. The project, which spans 5,000 hectares (12,355 acres), was built by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC), a Chinese state-owned enterprise, at a cost of US$3.5 billion.

The development includes about 750 apartment blocks ranging from 5 to 13 floors, over 100 commercial premises, 17 schools, 24 daycare centres, and more than 240 stores. The project was designed to offer homes for more than 200,000 inhabitants, making it one of the largest new-build projects on the African continent.

The construction of Quilamba was financed by a Chinese credit line, with Angola repaying the loan with oil. This arrangement is part of an exchange of Chinese construction materials and expertise for Angolan natural resources. The deal with China has contributed to the country's growing debt, estimated to be over $20 billion, with a significant portion owed to Chinese creditors. As a result, Angola has had less oil available for export to generate revenue for other areas such as oil sector development and healthcare.

The financing and repayment structure of the Quilamba project is part of a broader trend of oil-backed loans and pre-financed deals that Angola and other oil-producing countries have engaged in. While this approach can provide much-needed infrastructure and housing, it also carries the risk of reducing the country's revenue-generating capacity and contributing to long-term debt burdens.

The cost of apartments was reduced to attract buyers, with some success

Quilamba (or Kilamba) is a neighbourhood in Angola, serving as the administrative centre of Belas Municipality. It is located 30km (18 miles) from Luanda, the capital city of Angola.

The area is a large housing development site, built to accommodate the housing demands of Angolans who had largely lived in informal settlements following the country's civil war. The development was also part of an election pledge by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos in 2008 to build a million new homes in four years.

The Quilamba/Kilamba project was designed to include about 750 apartment blocks ranging from 5 to 13 floors, with a total of 20,000 flats. The initial asking prices for these apartments were between US$120,000 and US$200,000. However, these prices proved to be too high, and the apartments were largely unoccupied.

To address this issue, the government took several measures. Firstly, they introduced a heavily subsidised rental scheme with reduced interest rates. Secondly, they lowered the selling prices of the apartments, with the smallest units seeing a reduction from US$125,000 to US$70,000. This price reduction had a positive impact, as it made the apartments more affordable for a wider range of buyers, including professional-level civil servants.

The reduced prices, along with the rent-to-own scheme, attracted a significant number of buyers and led to a boom in demand. The population of Quilamba/Kilamba increased rapidly, from 40,000 residents in September 2013 to 80,000 in July 2015, and an estimated 129,000 inhabitants in 2019.

While the reduced prices did attract buyers, there were still some challenges and controversies. There were complaints about the management of the sales process, with long waiting lists and concerns about the capacity to make rental payments. Additionally, there were issues with the lack of public transport in the area, which increased the cost of living for residents. Despite these challenges, Quilamba/Kilamba has become a destination for aspiring middle-class Angolans, providing them with access to property ownership.

Frequently asked questions