Following a period of reflection on a good year in consulting I received a phone call from an old friend and colleague to come and help her setting up the HR function for an international company in Angola. After a little bit of thought and a lot of promises I decided to go. After all I have worked at the DBSA for 7 years and did work in places such as Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Botswana etc. in the past two years. How bad can Angola be? Well, I still cannot get my mind around it but nothing could prepare me for what was ahead. Admittedly it was a combination of broken promises and the conditions in Luanda that left me with this feeling that Angola is the worst place in the world, but my guess is that if you do not set yourself up very well, Angola could be one of the worst countries to work in at this time. Herewith some pointers and guidance for those who want to go and consult or train there:
• First and foremost, Angola is a US Dollar based economy. The Kwanza (their official currency is not worth much and many people prefer to get paid in USD. In fact most Angolans prefer to get their salaries in USD, cash. ATM’s Banks etc. are very few and far between so my proposal would be to carry a substantial amount of USD cash, rather than think that you will be able to draw some money at the ATM or Bank (will just not be possible, or very difficult)
• Angola is by all standards regarded as the most expensive country in the world. Because the infrastructure (after nearly 30 years of independence) is so bad, one cannot even drink water from the tap of your (so called) five start hotel – I stayed in the Hotel Presidente. Calculating that 250 ml bottled water cost me USD 5, I paid roughly R 35 per day just to brush my teeth. Washing and ironing two shirts would cost me R 140, while an omelet cost me R 247. A toasted cheese and chips R 150, and a Coke (300ml) R 35. The bottom line is that if on assignment and you do not get a decent Per Diem, things become really unpleasant as far as the Hygiene Factors are concerned (Hertzberg…)
• As far as hotels are concerned, I stayed in what was referred to as a five star. However, although clean, and comfortable I would say most three start hotels in South Africa deliver far superior service and are also incredibly better in terms of cleanliness, style and appearance. I would say the Presidente was a good two star hotel. The price however does not reflect this, and was USD 350 per night breakfast included.
• If we are irritated with services, consider this. In the time I was there it was seldom that the hotel power did not go down at least once in the evening, there is no garbage removal services in Luanda, and the number of abandoned cars in the streets of the central city must be in the tens of thousands. Most businesses generate their own electricity
• Insofar as broadband and mobile internet was concerned the Hotel had free WI-FI in their lounge which worked quite well. Unitel (one of the two government owned service providers sold me a 3 month, 5 gig mobile package (you have to buy the mobile modem), for USD 450. The maximum speed I got on it was 150kbit which is quite slow.
• The traffic in Luanda is extremely condensed and busy, few robots and the roads are bad, and some not even tarred. However I did not see any accidents in the month I was there, and also no beggars – something I think is positive.
• In my opinion Angola has all the hallmarks a communist regime, and if you think about it – the current regime is essentially a dictatorship. I was shouted down for wanting to take photos in front of the hotel… In terms of their law all employment contracts need to be approved by the relevant ministry. Job titles are controlled by government, for example I have first-hand experience of the inability to appoint someone as a supply chain specialist, and because it does not fit with the government job classification system (we eventually appointed him as a logistics specialist). Add to that a workforce that is overly protected by the labor act and does not have a great work ethic then you have a real difficult labor dispensation on your hands…
• Somehow one can only look at their tertiary education system and it all comes together – quality is generally poor and few degrees are taught, forgets honors, masters and doctorates.
• Insofar as it concerns the quality of management I would have to say South Africans don’t have to stand back an inch. Even for the expatriate’s working in Angola are in my estimation quite mediocre. I have come across far more astute managers in South Africa, and considering that I have done my Masters dissertation on leadership in the petrochemical industry in South Africa I think our South African managers are world class
• On the issue of management and specifically the type of management culture I got the impression that it is what Charles Handy refers to as a “Power Culture”, a sort of colonial patronage culture where proximity to the people with power is important. Efficiency and systems are not so important, rather patronage and loyalty. Whether this is appropriate is a big question…
• As far as HR is concerned I can say very little that is positive. The levels of competence I encountered, is far less that desired. The four roles of HR practitioners as outlined by people like Ulrich is like trying to explain outer space to people who have not even seen an airplane. The results are people who either do nothing or “massage” an ineffective system from afar
• Lastly I would advise anyone working in Africa that it be wise to Google the Company you are going to work for. With multi nationals from across the world pouring into Africa, it might be wise to look at their corporate credentials, things like eco friendliness, corporate ethics, and contribution to the upliftment of the country etc. Look for smoking guns, because you can be sure that if an organization is not friendly to the environment, they are somehow not going to be a trustworthy employer. And after all who want to have on your CV, in this day and age, a Company that has a poor record on the triple bottom line – profit; ecology; community…
