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TODAY'S BRIEFING
- GOVERNANCE — A Maka Angola investigation raises new questions about Finance Ministry appointments, procurement contracts and the handling of a criminal case.
- ECONOMY — Inflation falls to 8.43%, its lowest level in more than a decade, but food and education costs are still climbing.
- DIPLOMACY — João Lourenço is in Rome as Angola launches Josefa Sacko's campaign to lead the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.
- EDUCATION — More than 20,000 teachers are set to enter a promotion process following September's strike settlement.
- LAND RIGHTS — A year after its introduction, Angola's new land-administration platform is still operating only in Luanda.
AGT's children's fairs: Maka Angola traces questionable invoices and transfers to Portugal
A new two-part investigation by Maka Angola has raised detailed questions about contracts between Angola's General Tax Administration (AGT) and In Pressionante Kianda, a company hired to organise children's fairs and publicity campaigns.
The investigation describes invoices for three candyfloss (cotton candy) machines costing more than €8,000, although Kianda's former manager João dos Santos says he received only one. Maka Angola also reports that five invoices from associated Portuguese companies, totalling €662,231.82, were recorded by the company's former accountant without accompanying customs-clearance documentation.
The reporting follows a €352,618.84 bank transfer to Portugal in September 2024. According to documents examined by Maka Angola, the transfer was confirmed after dos Santos had asked Banco Caixa Angola to disregard previously signed authorisations for overseas payments. The beneficiary named in the bank confirmation was also different from the company identified on the supporting invoice.
The investigation further alleges that Kianda's Portuguese business associates were discussing opportunities with AGT before the Angolan company was incorporated in June 2023. Maka Angola says correspondence shows that Carla Castelo Trindade, a former university lecturer of then-AGT chairman José Leiria, helped prepare proposals and maintained contact with officials involved in awarding contracts.
Leiria was appointed secretary of state for tax affairs in September 2026. Bráulio Assis, another official named in Maka Angola's reporting, subsequently became head of his office. Carla has denied any connection with Kianda, while Maka Angola says Leiria, Finance Minister Vera Daves and several others did not respond to its questions. The alleged irregularities have not been established in court.
Sources: Maka Angola — Part I · Maka Angola — Part II
WHAT TO WATCH
Whether AGT, the Finance Ministry, Banco Caixa Angola or prosecutorial authorities address the specific invoices and transfer records, and whether any independent investigation establishes what goods and services were actually delivered.
Angola's inflation falls to 8.43% — but the cost of living keeps rising
Angola's annual inflation rate fell to 8.43% in September, down from 8.79% in August, according to figures from the National Statistics Institute (INE).
The latest reading is the lowest in more than a decade. A year earlier, annual inflation stood at 18.16%, meaning the pace of price increases has slowed substantially.
But lower inflation does not mean lower prices. Food and non-alcoholic beverages were 9.54% more expensive than a year earlier, while education costs rose 18.53%. Health, housing and utilities also recorded significant annual increases.
The distinction matters for households whose purchasing power has been eroded by years of high inflation. Prices are still increasing, just more slowly than before.
The more politically and economically consequential question is whether wages, employment and access to essential services can improve quickly enough for people to feel the benefits. Falling inflation creates better conditions for recovery; it does not, by itself, restore lost purchasing power.
WHAT TO WATCH
Whether inflation continues to ease through the final quarter of 2026, and whether slower price growth translates into changes in monetary policy, wage negotiations or household spending.
Lourenço backs Josefa Sacko's campaign to lead the FAO
President João Lourenço has arrived in Rome for the World Food Forum, where Angola is formally launching Josefa Sacko's candidacy for director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The campaign launch is scheduled for today, 12 October, at FAO headquarters, during an official reception organised by Angola. Foreign Minister Téte António is expected to present the candidacy, which Angola says has the endorsement of both the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union.
Sacko, Angola's ambassador to Italy, previously served as the African Union's commissioner responsible for agriculture, rural development, the blue economy and the environment. Her campaign priorities include strengthening family farming, improving food security, supporting women and young people, modernising agricultural production and mobilising climate-resilient investment.
The election for the next FAO director-general is expected in July 2027. Lourenço's visit also provides opportunities for bilateral diplomatic meetings alongside the food forum.
Sources: Jornal de Angola · Angolan government information service
A successful campaign would be a diplomatic achievement, but the domestic test remains whether Angola can improve agricultural productivity, rural infrastructure and the links between producers and markets — themes explored in last week's Angola Briefing: Angola Beyond Luanda.
Which governments publicly endorse Sacko following the Rome launch, whether other candidacies emerge, and how Angola builds support ahead of the July 2027 election.
More than 20,000 teachers move towards promotion after strike settlement
Angola's Ministry of Education has announced that registration and document screening for the promotion of more than 20,000 teachers will take place between 19 October and 6 November.
The process implements a commitment made to the National Teachers' Union, SINPROF, under the agreement that brought September's teachers' strike to an end.
Provincial education offices have been instructed to establish technical committees to check applicants' documentation. Each committee is to include a SINPROF representative, giving the union a role in monitoring implementation.
The initial phase covers teachers and administrative staff recruited in 2017 and 2018. Those recruited in 2019 and 2020 are expected to have their categories updated in the first quarter of 2027. Applicants must have spent at least five uninterrupted years in their current category and received a positive performance assessment over that period.
The announcement begins an administrative process; it does not mean all the promotions have already been approved or implemented.
Sources: Novo Jornal
