Changing Business and Investment Models in the Angola-China Nexus: Projects, Schools and Commerce

Zhou Jinyan 
Shanghai Academy of Global Governance & Area Studies (SAGGAS), 
Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)

“China’s role in Angola agriculture cooperation: From large-scale agricultural farm construction to market-oriented agricultural investment”

• The Sino-Angola relations are described by some observers with the simple narrative of “oil-for-infrastructure” model, which overlooks the China-Angola cooperation in livelihood areas, especially agriculture. Since 2009, with the credit line supported by China Development Bank and China Exim Bank, China has begun the construction of seven comprehensive agricultural projects in Angola. All seven farms are managed under a similar model based on a five-year contract signed by Chinese partner companies and the Angolan Ministry of Agriculture, represented by its state-owned enterprise Gesterra. Under the one-stop farm style, China not only constructs farms, irrigation facilities, grain drying, food storage, and processing plants, but also helps Angola train skilled personnel and farm managers. Taking the year of 2016 as a dividing line, China’s agricultural cooperation model with Angola is gradually changing. First, China’s agriculture projects in Angola are shifting from large-scale agricultural farm construction to market-oriented agricultural investment. Second, besides state-owned enterprises, there are increasingly more Chinese private enterprises seeking business opportunities in Angola’s agriculture, for example Jiangsu Jiangzhou Agriculture Scientific Development Company.

Zhou Jinyan is an Assistant Research Professor at Shanghai Academy of Global Governance & Area Studies (SAGGAS), Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). Her previous appointments include researcher at Institute of West Asian and African Studies (IWAAS), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), program manager at Heinrich Boell Stiftung and political analyst at the European Union Delegation to China. She holds a PhD in international relations from the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a M.A. degree of Peace and Security from Institute of Peace and Security Studies, Hamburg University and a bachelor degree in Law from Tongji University (Shanghai). Her recent research has focused primarily on the comparison of Chinese and European development cooperation with Africa and African development path. She wrote a book on China-Europe-Africa trilateral cooperation and has published extensively with peer-reviewed journals in Chinese. She has conducted field trip in Angola, Ethiopia and Tanzania and carried out professional travel in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Morocco, Germany and the United States.

Ermelinda Liberato
Agostinho Neto University, Angola

“Education, Technology, and Innovation: The Case of the First Chinese International School in Angola”

• This study sheds light on the innovative pedagogical practices implemented at the Fenda da Tundavala Private School Complex, the first Chinese international school in Angola. Situated in the Urban District of Zango, municipality of Viana, Luanda, the school accommodates up to two thousand students across primary, secondary, pre-university, and secondary polytechnic levels. Established in 2021, the institution stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts and cultural exchange between Angola and China. This work delves into the teaching methodologies employed, particularly addressing linguistic and cultural integration within the curriculum. Moreover, it explores how the establishment of such a school fosters closer ties between China and Angola, catalyzing cooperation in research, technology, and innovation, thereby paving the way for the development of more effective educational models.

Ermelinda Liberato is a professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Agostinho Neto University, in Luanda, Angola. She is a researcher at the Center for International Studies at ISCTE-IUL (CEI-IUL), formerly CEA. She has a PhD in African Studies from ISCTE-IUL, in Portugal, where she defended her doctoral thesis entitled "Education and Development in Angola: The Formation of Angolan Cadres in Portugal and Brazil" (2013). She has a master's degree in African Studies from the same university institution, with a dissertation entitled "Survival Strategies and Ways of Life in Poverty in Luanda" (2008). She has a degree in Translation from the Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies (ULHT). Her teaching and research interests include development issues, poverty and coping strategies, economics, migration, gender issues, education and staff training, as well as knowledge production in Africa.

Gilson Lázaro
Agostinho Neto University, Angola

“Enhancing Sociocultural Understanding: The Case of Chinese-Angolan Relations in Kilamba”

• This study delves into the intricate commerce dynamics between Angolan and Chinese traders within Kilamba, a city built in 2000 through a loan extended by China to the Angolan government. Employing exploratory ethnographic research, our endeavor seeks to illuminate the nuanced relationships between Angolans and Chinese beyond the scope of high-income, standard business transactions. Notably, existing literature on Chinese-African relations predominantly scrutinizes economic facets, prompting our pursuit to unveil the everyday interactions among Chinese traders, Angolan laborers, and Kilamba residents. Focusing on three key enterprises (Hx Zhong, ESG, AIMEIE & Home, Honyua) engaged in furnishing and construction material provision, our analysis delves into the intricacies of these interactions. Through this investigation, we aim to offer a comprehensive understanding of the socio-economic fabric woven between these distinct communities.

Gilson Lázaro is a sociologist and Associate Professor in the Sociology Department at Agostinho Neto University in Luanda, Angola, and an investigator at the Center for African Studies at the Catholic University of Angola. He is also a member of the Council for the Development of Research in the Social Sciences in Africa (CODESRIA) and a member of the fiscal council of the International Association of Social Sciences and Humanities in the Portuguese Language (AIPCSHLP). In addition, he is a member of the editorial teams of the journals Anthropology Southern Africa and Travessias. He teaches Rural Sociology, the Sociology of Everyday Life, and the Sociology of Communication and Media. His research and teaching interests are violence, reconciliation, urban and rural poverty, and the youth subculture of Hip-hop.

Cláudio Tomás
Agostinho Neto University, Angola

“Building a City: China and Three Generations of Immigration in Luanda”

• In this study, I delve into the integration of the Chinese community and its sociocultural dynamics with Angolans in Luanda. Over the past two decades, how have the Chinese adapted to the social and cultural landscape of Angola? Have daily interactions evolved over time, considering the presence of at least three generations of Chinese residing in Luanda? Through a blend of interviews and informal conversations, my research meticulously examines these sociocultural intersections within two focal points: the Hoje Ya Henda shopping center in the Municipality of Cazenga, and Cidade da China in the Urban District of Kikuxi, within the Municipality of Viana. By scrutinizing interactions between Chinese and Angolan individuals in these locales, this study unveils the shifts that have transpired in recent years and identifies pivotal strategies to enhance communication between these communities.

Cláudio Tomás is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Agostinho Neto University, in Luanda, Angola. He holds a PhD in African Studies from ISCTE-IUL, in Portugal. His teaching and research interests include political sociology, sociology of religion, sociology of conflict and peace.