Transformation is a long word on the African continent. Almost as long as Angola’s civil war, which raged from independence from Portugal in 1975 until April 2002’s peace deal between the government and Unita (the Union for the Total Independence of Angola). It was the February 2002 death of Unita leader Jonas Savimbi that heralded hope.
“Jonas Savimbi stole just about everything,” wrote Jeremy Harding of the UK’s LRB recently. “His greatest wish was to take possession of Angola—as a feudal grandee, a Naipaulian Big Man, who would stride out of the bush, fully empowered by elections or force majeure—and preside over the capital Luanda, the decadent enemy heartland of half-castes, Marxists, philanderers and oil-profiteers. [H]e robbed Angolan peasants of just about everything—He—pilfered and cannibalised greater reputations to advance or tweak his own—Ingenuity, coupled with immense reserves of courage, cruelty and amour propre, was the ingredient that allowed him to continue his ‘armed struggle’ in Angola for so long, and to turn the country into one of the unhappiest on earth.”
The effects of the war are still widespread. Fighting crippled the country, killed 500,000 and saw a third of the population, estimated at 14 million, displaced. A 27-year-long war meant a collapsed infrastructure – parts of the country are impassable, riddled with landmines: there are 86,000 disabled landmine victims – this in a country where a child dies of a preventable disease every three minutes. Bottom line is that most Angolans still don’t have access to basic services or sustainable incomes.
Still, with Savimbi gone there’s reason to be optimistic. “Angola is really starting to take shape,” says Sharon Penhallrick, consulting media director at Ogilvy Africa and MD of SPC Communications. “Last year, the Angolan economy grew 13.2% due to oil activity, with the commercial and services sectors also growing.” Inflation has (relatively) decreased and investor confidence is up. The country is resource-rich, with its petroleum industry the backbone of the economy, contributing about 60% to GDP and enabling positive real GDP growth rates since 1994. Then there are the diamonds. Prior to 1975 the country was the world’s fourth largest diamond producer. That’s not to mention iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite and uranium. Further, Angola’s climate makes it one of the region’s potentially rich agricultural countries.
This new era is bringing change and opportunity in the media environment. In television, the state-owned TPA (Televisao Publica de Angola), covering the provincial capitals in Portuguese and the local languages, enjoys a viewership of one million. DStv is the only other player in the market, but an increasingly popular one because of the soaps on the Portuguese offering Globo TV. “Key to the country moving forward,” explains Joao de Melo, MD of Ogilvy Africa’s affiliate in Angola, Movimento, “is the matter of media deregulation. The state is still the main media owner and so the privatisation of television is imperative. But we’re very positive – there is a new law under discussion in parliament at the moment.”
Due to the economic boost, the communication market grew substantially in 2004 with a 25% increase in television advertising compared with 2003. “Although a medium secondary to radio,” says Penhallrick, “TV offers high urban reach, with 43% penetration – and growth is expected with improving electrification and cheaper televisions. It is targeted – through programming and day-part selection, impactful as well as aspirational and offers regional flexibility. The audio-visual aspect is highly effective and even if there are only two players in the market, there is an increase in programme-providers and an improvement in content.”
As Angola’s most effective medium, radio reaches 80% of the population with three national, four Luandan and 21 provincial stations. It certainly eclipses print media, which is hampered by a literacy rate of 30%. “Radio is highly effective in both urban and rural areas and is a targeted, relevant and personal medium,” says Penhallrick. “[It] offers a high degree of awareness – especially with programme sponsorships relevant to the brand and target market.”
In print, there has been an increase in the number of magazines, now standing at ten. “That’s because there are three more social magazines on the shelves, Talentos, Vidas, and Caras de Melo. Also, a new socialite publication Anna Maria has been recently launched. There are currently nine newspapers in circulation and though there are limited accurate circulation figures available, opportunities abound for this extremely authoritative and informative medium.”
In outdoor, the number of billboard companies – currently standing at six – is on the increase. “There are two new local companies in the mix, Miltriaga and Media Viva, the latter specialising in bus advertising,” says de Melo. South African outdoor players are competing in Angola, with Clear Channel already in and Primedia preparing to start operations. Says Penhallrick: “Despite the high level of clutter in Luanda – plans are underway to implement a director plan for the city – outdoor is a tactical and effective reminder medium, offering high impact at strategic points and the reinforcing of other media. We’re also seeing improved production quality and more innovation in this area.”
Penhallrick adds that in this country it’s about the unconventional. “There is no traditional sense of conventional media, only ‘what works’, and it is vital to use innovative ways to connect with the consumer and create hype, resulting in an optimisation of ‘word-of-mouth’ – the most informal and effective means of advertising in Africa.
“For an African country that has experienced such instability, the only constant is change. Angola’s political, economic, social, language – Angolans speak Portuguese, but most of the global advertising is English – and gender issues affect its marketing, advertising and media context. Which means we have to approach that context creatively and at the most personal level.”
De Melo agrees that communication is key. This translates into a range of experiential approaches to bring a brand to life, important because nearly half of the population is under 21.
Movimento has utilised “human billboards”, for example, a concept unique to Lusophone Africa (Mozambique and Angola), where billboards are carried by “circulating salesmen” who arrange product sampling. “Aeroadvertising”, a concept new to Angola, is a high-impact banner used to create hype for upcoming events. “Both have been well received by the market,” says de Melo, “and one-to-one advertising also works, as well as ‘audio advertising’, where a truck with a sound system and a DJ moves through the streets.” Event sponsorship is another opportunity lending itself to brand interaction – good for delivering experiences to live audiences.
The growth of mobile telephony in Angola also offers unconventional tactical and long-term marketing opportunities. There are an estimated 600,000 cell phones in use, versus the estimated 100,000 landlines, with a significant increase of internet cafes in Luanda reported. Similarly, the number of internet service-providers (now six) continues to grow, offering advertisers a proprietary brand communication medium.
“Angola is becoming a major investment attraction,” concludes John Little, MD of Ogilvy Africa. “Many international and South African players are entering this market and seeing excellent results.”
All indications are that the country’s media reflects these opportunties.