WHAT OUR LOCAL FILM FIXERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT FILMING IN ANGOLA, AFRICA
Angola is located on the western Atlantic Coast of Central Africa between Namibia and the Republic of the Congo. It also is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to the east.
Angola has roughly two seasons. The winter months are dry and cooler, while summer months are warm, clammy and humid. In the wet season, which runs from October to May, there can sometimes be heavy amounts of rain in the north. The month of April is usually the wettest month. The best time to film in Angola is during the winter months from May to October. Angola’s average temperature on the coast is 15,6 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter and 21 degrees Celsius (70° Fahrenheit) in summer.
There is currently no tax incentives and rebates available to film in Angola.
The official language of Angola is Portuguese, while Bantu and several other African languages are also spoken.
The Angolan Kwanza is the currency of Angola. Our currency rankings show that the most popular Angolan Kwanza exchange rate is the AOA to USD rate. Bring enough cash for your needs or make sure your sponsoring company or agency has made suitable arrangements. US dollars are widely used. Old series dollar bills (with small heads) aren’t accepted, nor are damaged or torn dollar bills.There are limits on the amount of cash that can be imported and exported. The limit is currently the equivalent of 15,000 US dollars.Credit cards are only accepted in a very limited number of hotels and restaurants.
Transportation in general is a problem in Angola. There are 19,156 kilometers (11,903.5 miles) of paved roads and a total of 2,952 kilometers (1,834.4 miles) of rail tracks. There are 32 airports with paved runways and 217 with unpaved runways. The condition of these airfields varies as does the road services. Taxis are the best way to get around cities in Angola. Luanda has an abundance of candogueiros or mini bus cabs, which are easy to spot thanks to their pale blue and white paint.
Hotels are expensive. Recommended film friendly hotels in Luanda include:
Talatona Convention Hotel
Le Presidente Luanda
WHAT OUR FILM FIXERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT FILM LOCATIONS IN ANGOLA, AFRICA
Angola offers an impressive array of film locations. Bustling city streets, colonial architecture, Art Deco cinemas, tropical beaches, deserts, national parks, rivers and waterfall.
Agricultural film locations include plantations of coffee, cassava, bananas, corn, sweet potato, pineapples, sugarcane and peanuts. Oil and gas extraction are the major industries in Angola. The country is also known for its diamond mines.
Luanda is a busy, chaotic modern city with urban slums, shipping ports, multi-colored housing development built by the Chinese and the Memorial Dr Antonio Agostinho Neto. Just outside Luanda to the south is the Quiçama National Park, known for its coastal savannah, baobab trees and big wildlife including elephants, giraffes and zebras.
Miradouro da Lua offers a spectacular lunar landscape by the Atlantic ocean. It is one of Angola’s most impressive film locations. Cangandala National Park is home to the giant sable antelope.Impressive waterfalls in this region include Kalandula Waterfalls and Tazua Waterfalls.
The Benguela railway runs from the east of Angola to the port of Lobito, a city known for its well preserved Art Deco buildings.
The city of Benguela is known for its Portuguese colonial architecture.
Baia dos Elefantes, Praia Morena and Praia da Baia Azul are fantastic beach film locations.
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Serra da Leba has a beautiful green mountain pass road with 56 curves, an ideal location for a car commercial.
Tunda-Vala volcanic fissure is a magnificent lookout.
Bicauri National Park is home to buffalos, antelopes, and elephants.
Iona National Park wildlife of note includes the springbok, kudu, ostrich, oryx and cheetah. The park is home to indigenous peoples such as the Mucubal and Himba.
Mupa National Park is known for its wild dogs, lions, leopards and hyenas.
The Ruacana Falls are one of Africa’s largest waterfalls both by volume and width and Dala waterfalls are a beautiful film location.
WHAT OUR LOCAL FILM FIXERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT FILM PERMIT ,VISAS AND WORK PERMITS WHEN FILMING IN ANGOLA, AFRICA
Visas & Work Permits
International crew need accreditation from the National Press Center “Anibal De Melo” as well as a visa to enter and film in Angola. Applications are to be made with your closest Angolan embassy.You will need to present the project synopsis, gear list, passport details and other relevant information for visa approval. Allow up to a month lead time for processing.
Film & Location Permits for Angola
Location permits authorizations take between 10 to 12 business days. Fees range from 120 USD to 240 USD
WHAT OUR LOCAL FILM FIXERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT FILM CREWS,EQUIPMENT AND TALENT IN THE ANGOLA, AFRICA
Angola has a very small pool of local crew, all HOD’s should be brought in from South Africa or abroad
Film gear can be sourced locally and anything not available in country can be brought in from South Africa. Allow plenty of lead time to arrange the bringing in of gear.
Talent day rates and buyouts are negotiable.
Portuguese is the official language.
Angola offers mainly Southern African looking talent with the main ethnic groups being the Ovimbundu, Ambundu and the Bakongo. Minority ethnic groups of note include the Chokwe, Ovambo, Ganguela and Xindonga people. There is also a very small Portuguese and Chinese expat community. All other talent needs to be brought in from abroad. Angola has a rich history of music and dance as seen in the Kuduro, Semba, Kizomba and Tarrachinha styles.
