Angola has about 30 million hectares of land available for agricultural activity, according to data presented by the Angolan government and reported by CNN Brasil. The government also estimates the country’s total agricultural potential at around 35 million hectares, with roughly 6 million hectares currently under cultivation. Only about 2% of the cultivated area is irrigated.
Brazilian businesspeople visiting Angola noted similarities between some Angolan regions and Brazil’s Cerrado in terms of soil, climate, topography, altitude and water availability. Angola currently produces approximately 3.3 million tonnes of maize per year and about 50 thousand tonnes of rice, while domestic demand for rice is estimated between 300 thousand and 350 thousand tonnes. The country also imports wheat and meat, especially chicken.
For Brazil, the opportunity goes beyond exporting commodities. João Doria Junior, co‑chairman of Lide and former governor of São Paulo, told CNN Brasil that the Angolan government wants Brazilian companies not only to export chicken and eggs but also to establish production units in Angolan territory. Brazil is the world’s leading producer and exporter of chicken meat and eggs.
Kátia Abreu, former Brazilian minister of agriculture, emphasized that a productive Brazilian presence could generate jobs and local development, and would create demand for Brazilian machinery, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation systems, storage and logistics services. She described this as an “export of the Brazilian agribusiness ecosystem.”
In 2024, Brazil exported US$ 347 million of agribusiness products to Angola, mainly beef and sugar, according to CNN Brasil. Expanding into productive investment could increase that value significantly.
Both Abreu and Doria highlighted legal security as a key challenge. In Angola, land belongs to the state and agricultural projects depend on concessions that can be revoked or expropriated. Abreu said long‑term private investment requires a stable environment where investors feel secure putting capital into projects that take years to scale.
Gianetti, an analyst cited by CNN Brasil, noted that Brazilian companies still struggle with productive internationalization, tending to export commodities rather than establish overseas operations. He said the shift toward local production, technology transfer and supply‑chain creation in Angola would require a change in Brazilian business culture.