Accommodation in Angola
Nearly a fifth of the nation's population has crowded into the confines of the capital city of Luanda, and the result is a housing crisis of note. The metropolis was initially built to accommodate 300,000, but as of late 2009 over eight million warm bodies have crushed into the centre and surrounds (Reuters 2009).Most of these are locals living in makeshift huts without running water or electricity, and still, many more continue to migrate to Luanda in hopes of a brighter future; their livelihood destroyed by years of war and the threat of landmines in the countryside.
Though expats won't be competing for the same standard of housing as locals, the general lack of accommodation in Angola has proved incredibly problematic. Additionally, demand for office space has tripled, and the growing need for modern buildings to house businesses as well as to act as homes for foreign workers has made the real estate sector among the most expensive in the world.
What's more, safety remains a prominent concern of expats considering moving to Angola, and the need that follows for secure, well-maintained and well-constructed housing pushes up rental prices even further.
For this reason, expats should take appropriate steps to ensure that an accommodation allowance is either built into their expat package, or that salaries are cushioned proportionately.
