When you think of the most expensive cities in the world for expats, the usual suspects that come to mind are places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Zurich. Certainly not Luanda. Yet, this capital city of Angola trumps them all. For years, the city drew attention for its bloody civil war that racked the country from the advent of its independence from Portugal in 1975 until 2002. Now, it is scrambling to rebuild its infrastructure at an astounding pace. But, St. Tropez it is not. Just beneath the skyline of construction cranes, shiny new shopping malls, hi-rise luxury hotels, office buildings, and conspicuous consumption is staggering poverty in shanty towns with litter-strewn streets, filthy lagoons, and rickety shacks.
And in this city of contrasts, with their 15-year plan to reform the face of Luanda, a tourist might believe it could happen, passing by the curvaceous sweep of the city’s harbor-side Marginal Bay. Just don’t look too closely. The city still has some historical and colonial structures standing, including the magnificent, ornate steel and wrought iron filigree Iron Palace, built in the 1890’s. Though it is believed to have been designed and built by Gustave Eiffel, of the world-famous icon in Paris and the Statue of Liberty in New York, it’s true history is surrounded with mystery, as no official record of it is known to exist.
Just behind the Marginal in the old district of Baixa, with its remnants of distinctly Portuguese cobblestone sidewalks, is nestled the Church of Our Lady of Remedies, built from 1651 to 1670, later left to ruin, and restored in 1897. The National Anthropology Museum is housed in a beautiful pink colonial building which contains artifacts from the country’s rich tribal history.
At the top of the hill dividing the city lies the historic Fort of San Miguel with views overlooking, to one side, the opulent, progressive, crane-filled, modern and glossy downtown, and on the other, the mudlands of the slums, sprawling for miles along the low coastline, enclosed by crude fencing, as if to pretend it does not exist.
In stark contrast, in the opulent Cidade Alta (or upper town), are lavish homes and government buildings including the Presidential Palace, and Ministries of Defense, Immigration, Justice, and Health. Ironically, photography is strictly forbidden in this exclusive area that occupies a lofty position above the city and is heavily guarded by police.
And, no matter where you are in the city, it is difficult to miss the obelisk-like landmark that towers above the massive low structure that is the Agostinho Neto Mausoleum, dedicated to Angola’s first president, and where his body still lies in state. This vast, spacious building has a viewing stand to survey the troops, and is surrounded by manicured lawns.
This oil-rich country, with its police-dominated corruption and brutal crackdowns on public protest, is looking forward to massive future double-digit annual growth. And Luanda wants to show the world its stunning rebirth, promoting tourism and touting progressive construction, flowing oil, and ostentation. But, in a country who’s flag features a machete, and with two-thirds of Luanda’s five-plus million residents living in poverty and squalor, this is a city in denial.