Filled with flowering trees, Benguela is focusing on rebuilding its rail and port infrastructure

"The City of the Crimson Acacia", as Benguela is known in Angola, is the second largest city in the country. The town is full of acacia trees, covered by stunning red blooms. But it is not just beautiful: the province in which it is located, also named Benguela, has a huge diversity of infrastructure and resources, including the port of Lobito, one of the biggest commercial ports on Africa's Atlantic seaboard.

credit: Estanis Martin de Nicolas

The Lobito port was built in 1928 after the Portuguese colonial authorities granted a concession to an Englishman, Sir Robert Williams. Sir Robert constructed a railway leading from Lobito deep into the heart of the continent, and for several decades, millions of tons of copper and other minerals were transported by rail from mines in Zambia and Zaire to the port.

The railway is now almost completely defunct due to damage caused during the long years of civil war. The only part still functioning is a 20-mile stretch of track linking the cities of Benguela and Lobito. However, with improving prospects for peace, the rehabilitation of the railway has become a real possibility, even though it would require massive investment.

Similarly, the port requires significant investment, although it is functioning at present. The World Bank is currently funding a program to update the facility. The recent discovery of oil in the Lower Kwanza Basin, which includes Benguela, is likely to accelerate the process. A joint-venture company has been set up to build an oil refinery at Lobito, which would be capable of processing 150,000-200,000 barrels per day (bpd). A 24,500 acre site has already been identified for the refinery and supporting industries.

According to Benguela Governor Dumilde Rangel, "The port rehabilitation program, which is being executed by a German company, is linked to the recent oil discoveries. Once the refinery is completed, our aim is to transform Lobito into Angola's main oil port. Tankers could come into the port and load oil directly from the refinery thus eliminating Angola's current dependence on offshore oil loading."

The port is also key to large scale fishing, which is a major economic activity in the province – the total catch for 2001 was over 30,000 tons. A significant proportion of the fish were exported to Europe, after being processed in Lobito.

To a lesser extent, this could be replicated with agricultural produce. "Benguela is rich in terms of livestock, cereals and citrus fruits. We are hoping to build factories so that we can process these products locally and therefore increase their profitability," says the governor.

Another potential area for development is tourism. Like so many of Angola's coastal provinces, Benguela has superb beaches, including Kaota, Kaotinha, Baia Azul and Baia Farta. It also has splendid scuba diving and deep sea fishing opportunities. Tourism is already starting to take off in the province. In 2001, a number of Portuguese tour operators organised trips to Benguela. Visiting a local national park and exploring the beaches, the tourists were able to savor Benguela's famous air, perfumed by the acacia trees.

The province's potential is provoking interest from outsiders; all that remains is for the economy to bloom as profusely as the acacia flowers.