Doing Business In (Insert Country Name Here)

expected to be completed by the end of 2008. Major roads have been cleared oflandmines and are in the process of rebuilding/repaving. Some parts of the interior areonly accessible by air. Some local companies have networks of rural distributors, butmany firms opt to reach rural markets through wholesale arrangements with localentrepreneurs. The Angolan mail system does not function to international standards.Packages and correspondence are generally sent through courier services. DHL is themost widely used international courier service in Angola, with offices in Luanda and fiveprovincial cities.Electronic CommerceReturn to topLimited access to the Internet and to credit cards and an inefficient mail system inhibitthe growth of electronic commerce in Angola. Angola had an estimated 130,000 Internetusers in 2006, equivalent to 1.3 percent of the population. Since the end of the war,computer usage has increased, but most Angolans still lack access to the Internet andelectronic commerce. A number of Internet cafes operate in Luanda and several majorprovincial cities; high speed Internet is available in major cities. Twelve Angolancompanies currently provide Internet service, and several Angolan companies arelicensed to sell computers. There are no business to business websites currentlyavailable.Trade Promotion and AdvertisingReturn to topAngola has one government-owned television network with two channels and severalA.M. and F.M. radio stations, as well as a government-run daily newspaper. A vocalalternative press publishes on a weekly basis in Luanda and accepts advertising. SeeWeb Resources at the end of this chapter for contact information. Billboard advertisingis also common. Building and maintaining a good reputation for the company and/orproduct is key due to substantial reliance on customer referrals.PricingReturn to topAfter years of triple-digit inflation during the civil war, the economy has stabilized theexchange rate between 80 and 81 Kwanzas since 2005. Prices are commonly listed inboth dollars and kwanza but show relative stability reflecting the lowered inflation rate.However, the cost of doing business in exceptionally high in Angola and must beincluded in market pricing calculations. Prices on consumer goods and professionalservices are relatively high and real estate prices are some of the highest in the world.The sales tax varies between 2 and 30 percent depending on the type of merchandise.Sales Service/Customer SupportReturn to top2/13/2007