Angola: Governments Should Prioritise Consumption of Locally Produced Goods - Minister

29 September 2026
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Calumbo — Mozambique's Minister of Transport and Logistics, João Jorge Matlombe, said on Tuesday in Icolo e Bengo that governments should be the first customers of locally produced goods in order to promote local development.

The Mozambican Minister of Transport made the remarks at the end of a visit to the facilities of the OPAIA Motors Group, accompanied by Angola's State Secretary for Land Transport, Jorge Bengue.

For the minister, the most important thing is for governments to have confidence in local producers, create favourable conditions and provide support to help them develop.

He said it was important for government officials to assume their responsibilities when industries are established and to continue making imports.

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In his view, governments must have the courage to prioritise the purchase of all types of vehicles assembled locally over imported ones, as this is the only way to develop local industry.

He said the sustainability of the industry depended on the State's commitment as the company's main partner at this stage of consolidation, continuing to honour that commitment through dedicated programmes.

He acknowledged that OPAIA Motors was also contributing to youth employment and livelihoods, as a large proportion of its workforce consists of young Angolans.

He said the industrialisation of the African continent was a challenge, and that what he had seen during the visit demonstrated the concrete steps Angola was currently taking to consolidate its industry and reduce the volume of imports of means of transport to meet the country's primary needs.

The minister added that, for the development of the African continent, it was important to begin establishing partnerships among African countries themselves in order to reduce foreign currency outflows.

For OPAIA Motors, Director-General José Moreira said the company was expanding its products regionally, starting with countries closest to Angola, with the current focus on entering the Mozambican market.

He said the visit had demonstrated OPAIA Motors' full capacity and the innovations it could offer both Angola and Mozambique.

The OPAIA Group's industrial vehicle assembly and sales complex was inaugurated on 20 January 2026 in the Special Economic Zone (ZEE), in Calumbo, Icolo e Bengo.

DJ/AJQ/DOJ

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