Luanda, JUne 15, 2025 (Lusa) - Around 300,000 traders from West African countries need additional support to secure legal status in Angola, and they face various challenges that could be addressed through official recognition. The association representing them is appealing to the Angolan authorities for support in legalising their status.
In Angola, these traders operate small businesses, including popular convenience stores known locally as “cantinas dos Mamadus,” because of their Muslim faith. These stores offer customers a range of everyday and essential goods, from food to hygiene and cleaning products, at low prices.
Tounkara Mohamed Saidou, from Guinea-Conakry, is one of them and explained to Lusa how the informality of these businesses and the lack of regulation increase the vulnerability of the community and impede its integration into the formal Angolan economic fabric.
The trader has been living in Angola since 2005 and is currently president of the Association of West African Traders, which brings together representatives from 15 countries, and of the Association for the Development of Angolan and Foreign Youth.
According to Tounkara Saidou, since 2007, the association has been bringing together professionals in carpentry, metalwork and cooking to provide free training to young Angolans and foreigners, with the aim of “promoting safety and employment in Angola”.
The illegal immigration situation is the main concern of this community, said Tounkara Saidou, stressing that some people have lived in Angola for more than 15 or 20 years and still seek to legalise their status, as he does.
“These are people who have always followed the law, they are here working, they have started families, most of them arrived here on a visa,” he said, explaining that many lost their legal status because of the difficulties they faced in legalising their position, while others, uncertain how to proceed, suffered extortion.
Given this situation, people find it challenging to open a bank account or purchase a SIM card for mobile communications due to the lack of documentation. Consequently, many store their money at home or rely on an Angolan citizen to buy a mobile phone chip.
To overcome this situation, the association is moving forward with a proposal to conduct a comprehensive, nationwide registration of more than 300,000 West African citizens involved in trade.
According to the official, regularising the situation prevents dangers for people living without documentation and unacknowledged by the authorities, safeguards basic rights such as education and keeps children within the education system.
“My daughter is 12 years old, her sister is 14, and they have yet to attend a public school. The solution is to hire someone, a teacher, who comes to our house three times a week to give lessons, and we look forward to a different arrangement; the current situation needs adjustment,” he said.
In addition to legalisation, the association argues that these citizens, mostly traders, can contribute to the growth of the Angolan economy by paying taxes.
“In January, we started registering and managed to process more than 140 Tax Identification Numbers for traders, and within this group, some have already started paying their taxes voluntarily,” he said, stressing that “the main focus is to control all traders, pay taxes and make them aware to comply with the country’s laws.”
However, limited material support has moderated the registration process, said Tounkara Saidou, who owns a small canteen in the municipality of Viana, stressing that in Luanda alone, officials expect to register 100,000 “canteen owners”.
“This project is very important because, let’s imagine, if each of them can pay 20,000 or 40,000 kwanzas (€18.80 or €37.70) in taxes per month, [multiplying] that by 300,000 traders, it would support our economy,” he emphasised.
He stressed that, although small, these businesses create jobs and help pay the rent for their homes and shops.
“A ‘mamadu’ alone employs four young people, pays the rent where he sleeps, pays for electricity and water, and has workers in the canteen,” he said, reiterating the need to be legal to invest more and promote more jobs.
NME/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
