Luanda — More than 130 European companies have expressed their intention to invest in Angola, within the framework of the 3rd Angola-European Union (EU) Business Forum, which takes place this Tuesday and Wednesday (May 5 and 6), in Luanda, as part of strengthening economic cooperation and operationalizing the Lobito Corridor, according to the European Union (EU) ambassador to the country, Rosário Bento Pais.
Under the motto "Global Gateway - From Dialogue to Concrete Investment", the 3rd Angola-European Union Business Forum aims to support the attraction of European investment to accelerate the development of the Lobito Corridor in the areas of agribusiness, transport, logistics and energy.
In statements to the press, regarding the event, the European diplomat said that the forum will bring together more than 900 participants, of which more than 200 companies are from Europe, with particular emphasis on representations from Germany, Belgium, France and Portugal.
"Technically, the forum began on March 16th, with meetings, clarification sessions on the business environment, and business-level discussions between various European and Angolan entities, where European businesses expressed interest in some companies investing in Angola," she emphasized.
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The diplomat clarified that the more than 130 companies interested in investing in Angola are outside the group of more than 1,500 European companies already operating in Angola, 1,250 of which are Portuguese.
Global Gateway and the Lobito Corridor
Regarding the "Global Gateway" strategy, the European Union Ambassador to Angola, Rosário Bento Pais, said that it has served as the main lever for investments in the country, mobilizing the so-called "Team Europe," which combines EU donations, loans from Member States, and private capital.
She clarified that the geographical focus of this initiative is the Lobito Corridor, which has already benefited from an investment of over two billion euros, of which 730 million euros correspond to direct support (donations) from the European Union to the three countries (Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)).
She emphasized that the action plan prioritizes investments in the sectors of "Agribusiness", to develop the value chains of tropical fruits, grains and vegetables, "Transport and Logistics", with a vision of modernizing the railway, road and port infrastructure" and the third priority is "Energy", promoting the expansion of the electricity grid to local populations and industries.
Rosário Bento Pais also added the continued commitment to vocational training, as she understands that Angola has a deficit in the most remote areas. "We will intensify the training of local technical labor," she said.
In this context, she explained that the initiative "Concrete Projects" emerges as one of the pillars of this new era of cooperation. The "Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement" is the first of its kind worldwide, in force since September 1, 2024.
She mentioned that the document aims to provide greater legal transparency and improve the business environment in Angola.
She highlighted that, in the logistics field, an investment of seven million euros was made in a platform in Caála (Huambo province), equipped with a cold chain, which has already enabled the first export of avocados to the European market in December 2023.
Additionally, the diplomat continued, an agricultural financing convention worth 50 million euros was signed in March 2024 to support "anchor farms" and microfinance for small farmers.
The ambassador emphasized that, currently, the management of the railway corridor is the responsibility of the LAR consortium (Portugal, Belgium and Switzerland), while the Port of Lobito is managed by AGL. (France).
Regarding the challenges and perspectives of the event, the European Union ambassador to Angola said that, despite optimism, the European private sector points to fundamental challenges for the sustainability of the projects.
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The 3rd Angola-EU Lobito Corridor Business Forum 2026 "From Dialogue to Concrete Investment" is a strategic platform designed to accelerate development in the agriculture, agro-industry, transport and logistics sectors along one of the most dynamic trade routes on the African continent.
The 2026 meeting focuses on transforming political dialogue into concrete projects and effectively mobilizing financing.
The event will bring together government leaders, global investors, companies from Angola and neighboring countries, along with the European Union, with a view to contributing to the shared ambition of strengthening sustainable and high-impact connectivity along the Lobito Corridor.
It will also support resilient value chains, regional integration and responsible investment, in line with Angola-EU cooperation priorities and the broader Global Gateway approach.
