Angola's Brain Drain: Why Are People Leaving?

Angola is a country in southwestern Africa with a population of over 37 million people. It is bordered by Namibia to the south, Zambia to the east, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the northeast. The country has a tropical climate and is rich in natural resources, including precious gems, metals, and petroleum. It is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but economic growth is highly uneven, with most of the nation's wealth concentrated in a disproportionately small part of the population.

Angola has a long history of conflict and political instability, dating back to the Kingdom of Kongo in the 14th century. The country was a Portuguese colony for centuries and gained independence in 1975 after a protracted anti-colonial struggle. However, competing movements continued to struggle for power, leading to a devastating civil war that lasted from 1975 to 2002.

Despite its economic growth and vast natural resources, Angola faces significant social and economic challenges. The country has a low standard of living, with most Angolans struggling to meet basic needs. The country also has a high level of income inequality, with wealth concentrated in the hands of a small elite. In addition, Angola has a history of human rights abuses, with state security forces implicated in summary executions, excessive use of force, and arbitrary detentions.

As a result of these factors, many people have left Angola in search of better economic opportunities, greater political stability, and improved human rights conditions. The country has also experienced high rates of internal displacement, with millions of people fleeing their homes due to conflict and insecurity.

Political instability and violence

Angola has been ruled by the same party, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), since its independence in 1975. The country has a long history of political instability and violence, with competing movements struggling for power since its independence. The country descended into a civil war in the same year, between the ruling MPLA, the insurgent National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and the militant organization National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA).

The MPLA, backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba, emerged victorious and has remained in power since. However, the country's political landscape has been marred by authoritarian controls, repression of political dissent, and human rights abuses. The MPLA has systematically repressed political dissent, with rights activists, journalists, and protesters frequently subjected to arbitrary arrests, physical assaults, and intimidation by security forces. The government has also imposed restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and the press, with state-owned media dominating the media landscape and engaging in censorship and pro-government propaganda.

The MPLA's control over the country's electoral processes has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of elections. The opposition has criticized amendments to election laws that centralize vote counting and fail to implement anti-fraud measures. The MPLA's dominance in parliament has allowed it to amend the constitution without the support of opposition parties, further consolidating its power.

Angola's political instability and violence have had significant impacts on the country's social and economic development. The civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 2002, resulted in widespread destruction, displacement, and loss of life. The country continues to deal with the aftermath of the conflict, including the proliferation of landmines, which pose dangers to civilians and restrict access to land for agricultural purposes.

Moreover, corruption and patronage have become entrenched in Angola's political and economic systems, with high-profile individuals from the previous administration implicated in corruption scandals. President João Lourenço, who took office in 2017, has made fighting corruption a priority, but some skeptics view these efforts as politically motivated.

The country also faces social and economic inequality, with much of its wealth concentrated in a disproportionately small part of the population. Most Angolans have a low standard of living, and the country struggles with high poverty rates, low life expectancy, and high infant mortality rates.

Poor infrastructure

Angola's infrastructure has been severely impacted by the country's extensive warfare, which has resulted in the destruction of roads, railways, and bridges, as well as the dilapidation of ports. The presence of millions of land mines has further hampered reconstruction efforts, endangering civilians and impeding the development of an extensive road network.

The transportation sector has arguably suffered the most from the war. Roads, railways, and bridges have been severely damaged, and more than 60% of the paved road network is in need of repair. The Angolan government estimates that it will take 10-15 years to restore the road network to its pre-war state, assuming the country achieves political stability and an end to the fighting. The road, railway, and bridge networks are vital for connecting major cities and facilitating the transportation of goods across the country.

Angola's power infrastructure is also in a state of disrepair, with unreliable power supplies and poor roads hindering economic growth. The country's power sector is among the least efficient in Africa due to a complex web of subsidies and operational deficiencies. Angola's water utilities struggle to meet the needs of a rapidly urbanizing population, with about 40% of urban residents relying on largely untreated water supplied by vendors. This has led to one of the highest rates of diarrheal disease in the world.

The Port of Luanda, Angola's main international gateway, suffers from serious congestion, with traffic diverting to Walvis Bay in Namibia due to lengthy delays and high prices. Efforts are underway to improve the port's efficiency, including the development of a dry port at Viana and the expansion of the port's container terminal.

Angola has prioritized the repair, expansion, and modernization of its infrastructure as a central element of post-civil war reconstruction and economic development. The country has made significant investments in its power sector, expanded its generation capacity, and embarked on a multibillion-dollar road rehabilitation program. However, challenges remain, including the need to upgrade electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, expand the urban water supply system, and improve efficiency at the Port of Luanda.

Lack of economic diversification

Angola's economy is heavily dependent on its oil and mineral resources, with 90% of its exports being crude oil. This has locked the country in a cycle of commodity dependence, excluding other sectors with high growth and employment potential. This dependence on oil has also led to a lack of economic diversification, with the oil sector being the primary, if not sole, economic sector. This lack of diversification has contributed to the uneven economic growth in Angola, with most of the nation's wealth concentrated in a disproportionately small part of the population.

The country's economic structure, closely tied to the exploitation of its rich petroleum resources, has led to a cycle of commodity dependence. This dependence has excluded other sectors with high growth and employment potential, such as agriculture and fisheries. Angola's most promising non-extractive sectors are highly climate-sensitive and are already under increased stress from climate variability. The country needs to invest in climate resilience and intensify efforts to diversify its economy to drive economic growth, create good jobs, and improve living conditions.

The European Union-UNCTAD Joint Programme for Angola: Train for Trade II has adopted a holistic, data-driven, and evidence-based approach to economic development. The programme aims to decrease Angola's dependency on the commodity-led growth model and diversify its exports and economy. It focuses on developing skills within the country's labour force and boosting productive capacities within various industrial sectors.

Angola has the potential to develop its agricultural sector, with fertile land and water resources. However, the farming sector has been neglected by the government, and transport and infrastructure challenges have further hindered its development. The World Bank estimates that "less than 3 per cent of Angola's abundant fertile land is cultivated", presenting a significant opportunity for economic diversification.

Angola also has the potential to increase its production of renewable energy, reduce gas flaring, and develop its fisheries sector. By tapping into these renewable resources and intensifying efforts to diversify its economy, Angola can drive economic growth, create decent jobs, and improve the living conditions of its citizens.

Poor living standards

Angola has a low standard of living, with a high poverty rate and a huge wealth gap between urban and rural areas. As of 2022, over 15.1 million people in Angola live in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at $1.90 US dollars daily. The number of poor people in the country has been following an upward trend. In 2016, there were around 10 million Angolans in extreme poverty. By 2026, it is expected to increase to 16.3 million.

Angola's economy is not diversified, with more than one-third of the economy coming from oil and over 90% of exports being oil. The economy is prone to contractions and inflations along with global fluctuations in oil prices. This has left the stability of the economy at the mercy of oil prices, which have been fluctuating rapidly, destabilising the economy.

Angola has a very low life expectancy and high infant mortality rates. The leading causes of death are preventable causes like diarrhoeal diseases, malaria, neonatal disorders and influenza.

A third of Angolans are illiterate, and very few individuals go on to college, leaving the economy stagnant with a brain drain and a lack of available employees for white-collar jobs.

Forty-four percent of Angolans do not have access to clean water, and few Angolans have access to electricity. In rural areas, only 6% of Angolans have access to electricity, while in urban areas, 34% of Angolans have electricity, leaving 3.4 million homes without power.

Angola's income inequality is one of the highest in the world at 28.9%. Poverty is highest in rural areas, where 94% of the population qualifies as poor. This is contrasted by the fact that only 29.9% of the urban population qualifies as poor.

Angola also suffers from food insecurity. In fact, 2.3 million Angolan citizens are food insecure, and over 1 million of those individuals are children under 5 years old.

Inequality and corruption

Angola has a long history of institutional corruption, with the country's government and public institutions having a long-standing issue with corruption. The country's former president, José Eduardo dos Santos, has been accused of creating one of the most corrupt countries in Africa. He has been accused of leveraging the country's oil wealth to accumulate a massive fortune for himself and his family, while much of the country's population lives in poverty.

Angola's economy is among the fastest-growing in the world, especially since the end of the civil war. However, economic growth is highly uneven, with most of the nation's wealth concentrated in a disproportionately small part of the population. Angola's Gini index is 0.55, indicating a high level of inequality. The 20% of the population with the highest incomes receive 59% of all incomes, while the poorest 20% receive only 3%. This high level of inequality presents grave challenges for poverty reduction and may undermine democratization and increase social conflict.

The country's political culture is highly militarized, and symbols from the military tradition are prominent during political meetings. The country's national flag is red and black with a yellow machete, a star, and a cogwheel segment. Angola's civil war is often explained in ethnic terms, with the different factions depending on support from different ethnic groups. However, many other factors, such as regional and religious differences, also play a role in the conflict.

The country's legal system is based on Portuguese law and customary law but is weak and fragmented, with courts operating in only 12 of more than 140 municipalities. The government has been accused of acting against freedom of expression and an independent press, and there have been reports of human rights abuses, including torture and unlawful executions, in areas controlled by rebel groups.

The country's economic problems are partly a result of almost continual armed conflict since 1961, although the highest level of destruction and socio-economic damage took place after independence in 1975, during the long years of civil war. However, high poverty rates and blatant social inequality chiefly stem from persistent authoritarianism, "neo-patrimonial" practices at all levels of the political, administrative, military, and economic structures, and pervasive corruption. The main beneficiaries are political, administrative, economic, and military power holders, who have accumulated (and continue to accumulate) enormous wealth.

There have been attempts to implement long-term social welfare programs and improve governance. In 2017, a new president, João Lourenço, was elected, and he has made fighting corruption a priority. He has removed many individuals associated with the previous administration from high-level positions and pledged to improve governance and reduce corruption. However, the pervasive culture of corruption and the entrenched interests in various sectors create significant barriers to reform.

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