As sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest economy, Angola benefits from high export revenues and an expanding natural gas sector. While an abundance of natural resources have made Angola one of the leading destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa, the country relies heavily on international assistance programmes for development initiatives. Despite positive economic indicators, the country suffers from poorly developed transport networks, high poverty rates and weak institutional capacity. Systemic bureaucratic corruption can be largely attrib- uted to the country’s stunted socio economic growth and ongoing need for international assistance.
The country’s transport infrastructure was negatively impacted by the country’s decades-long civil war, which ended in 2002. During this time significant damage to existing road, rail, port and aviation networks occurred, and development of power and sanitation capacities was limited. In the postwar period spanning 2002-2011, the government invested US$ 54.4 bn in redevelopment initiatives, including the rehabilitation of the country’s trans- port networks, along with the construction of new schools and hospitals. Projects carried out over this period include the reconstruction of major highways such as Benguela-Huambo, and the rehabilitation of the Luanda and Benguela railways.