Angola · Companies
Key Facts
- The country — Angola is a southern African oil producer of about 36 million people and one of the continent’s largest crude exporters. It is trying to attract money into anything but petroleum.
- The background — The government runs what it calls economic diplomacy, using foreign trips to sell Angola to investors. The IMF projects growth of 2.3 percent this year.
- The other rule — Angola ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2007. That treaty requires governments to protect tobacco control policy from the industry’s interests.
- What happened — On Saturday 19 September 2026, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, a Philip Morris executive met Angola’s foreign minister to discuss investment and a possible local office.
- Who is involved — Ez Mazou is Philip Morris International’s director for international relations in Africa; Téte António is Angola’s foreign minister. The company, maker of Marlboro, IQOS and ZYN, reported net revenues of US$40.6 billion in 2025.
- What it means for you — Nothing has been committed. The meeting shows how widely Angola is casting its net for non-oil investors, and which doors open for a big company.
- Still open — No amount, sector or timetable was reported, and neither man was quoted. Philip Morris has issued no statement, and the tobacco treaty question went unaddressed.
One of the world’s biggest tobacco companies wants to hear what Angola can offer investors. Its Africa relations director met the foreign minister on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Philip Morris eyes Angola as a possible investment destination. A senior company executive met Angola’s foreign minister on Saturday 19 September 2026.
Ez Mazou, described by Jornal de Angola as the company’s director for international relations for Africa, met Foreign Minister Téte António. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Jornal de Angola, the state-owned daily, reported the talks on Monday 21 September 2026, citing a note it had received. The paper said Mazou expressed interest in learning about the best investment opportunities in Angola.
An office in Angola is on the table
The two sides also discussed the possibility of the company opening a representation in Angola, according to the newspaper. They talked about deepening dialogue with the relevant Angolan institutions to identify areas of common interest.
No investment amount, sector or timetable was reported, and neither Mazou nor the minister was quoted. No statement from Philip Morris International on the meeting has been reported.
The newspaper framed the encounter as part of the government’s economic diplomacy. That effort aims to promote Angola as an investment destination and strengthen cooperation with foreign companies.
A busy week for Angola in New York
António flew to New York on the morning of Saturday 19 September 2026, Jornal de Angola reported. He joined the Angolan delegation to the annual gathering of world leaders.
President João Lourenço is there too. On Monday 21 September 2026 he met António Costa, president of the European Council, the body of European Union leaders.
That meeting covered investment, economic diversification and the Lobito Corridor, according to ANGOP, the state news agency. The corridor is a rail link to the Atlantic backed by Washington and Brussels.
The high-level week of the General Assembly runs from 22 to 28 September 2026, ANGOP said. The agency said the president addresses the Assembly on Tuesday 22 September and will continue his bilateral meetings.
Who Philip Morris International is
Philip Morris International, known as PMI, is a tobacco and nicotine multinational based in Stamford, Connecticut. Its best-known brands are Marlboro cigarettes, IQOS heated tobacco and ZYN nicotine pouches.
ZYN came with its purchase of Swedish Match, the Swedish maker of snus (moist tobacco placed under the lip) and nicotine pouches. The group also sells VEEV electronic cigarettes.
PMI reported net revenues of US$40.6 billion for 2025 in results published on 6 February 2026. Its smoke-free products, meaning anything that is not a combustible cigarette, brought in 41.5 percent of that.
The company says those smoke-free products are now sold in 106 markets. Its stated strategy is to move smokers away from cigarettes toward heated tobacco, vapes and pouches.
Why Angola wants new investors
Angola, a former Portuguese colony in southern Africa, is a major oil producer. Its government has spent years trying to diversify away from that dependence.
The International Monetary Fund’s April 2026 World Economic Outlook puts inflation-adjusted growth at 5.0 percent in 2024 and 3.1 percent in 2025. The IMF projects a slowdown to 2.3 percent this year.
Prices have been a heavy burden on households. The IMF puts average consumer inflation at 28.2 percent in 2024 and 20.2 percent in 2025, and forecasts 12.9 percent for 2026.
The IMF projects Angola’s population at about 40.6 million this year. The government markets the country abroad as an investment destination, Jornal de Angola noted.
The public health question
Angola signed the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2004 and ratified it on 20 September 2007. The treaty commits parties to cutting tobacco use.
Under Article 5.3, parties “shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry”. The clause ends: “in accordance with national law.”
Guidelines under the treaty ask governments to limit interactions with the industry and avoid conflicts of interest. The meeting report did not say how Angola intends to reconcile investment promotion with that obligation.
What comes next for Philip Morris in Angola
The first concrete sign would be a local PMI office, the option the two sides discussed. Any larger project would need a named sector and a figure.
Until then, the talks remain an expression of interest. Jornal de Angola framed them as part of a wider drive to attract foreign companies.
More: Africa coverage, every day from The Rio Times.
Is Philip Morris International investing in Angola?
No investment has been announced. Jornal de Angola, the state-owned daily, said a company executive expressed interest in learning about investment opportunities. The executive met Foreign Minister Téte António on 19 September 2026. No amount, sector or timetable was disclosed.
Who met whom in the Philip Morris Angola talks?
Ez Mazou, whom Jornal de Angola describes as the company’s director for international relations for Africa, met Angola’s foreign minister, Téte António. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
What else was discussed?
According to the newspaper, the two sides discussed the possibility of the company setting up a representation in Angola. They also talked about deepening dialogue with the relevant Angolan institutions to identify areas of common interest.
Does Angola have tobacco control obligations?
Yes. Angola ratified the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on 20 September 2007. Article 5.3 of that treaty requires parties to protect tobacco control policies from the tobacco industry’s commercial and other vested interests.
Sources: Jornal de Angola on the Philip Morris International meeting, Jornal de Angola on the foreign minister’s trip to New York, ANGOP on the president’s meetings in New York, Philip Morris International full-year 2025 results, IMF World Economic Outlook data for Angola, UN Treaty Collection on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Text of Article 5.3 of the tobacco control treaty
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