Domingo Nvita Manuel Judite previously operated a guesthouse and car rental business in Soyo, Angola’s Zaire Province, catering to offshore oil workers. Since the region’s economy heavily relies on the petroleum industry, it’s understandable for entrepreneurs to seek opportunities within that sector.
However, the constantly fluctuating global oil prices have sometimes negatively impacted local businesses, prompting Domingo and fellow Zaire Province entrepreneurs to consider diversifying their ventures.
Fortunately, in July 2022, Domingo and 25 others participated in an Empretec training program conducted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The program equipped them with knowledge to explore new sustainable business opportunities, take calculated risks, and monitor set goals.
Empretec aims to promote the creation of sustainable, innovative, and internationally competitive small- and medium-sized enterprises.
With UNCTAD’s technical support, the National Empretec Host Institution in Angola now directly implements the Empretec entrepreneurship training initiated under the EU-UNCTAD Joint Programme for Angola: Train for Trade II.
The initiative brought together various partners, including the Association of Entrepreneurs of the Province of Zaire (ASEEZ), of which Domingo is the current president.
Domingo and his colleagues are now diversifying into sustainable agriculture—growing, processing, and distributing organic vegetables and fruits for local consumption and export.
They aim to transition away from the cyclical nature of the oil market by promoting sustainable business activities and transforming Zaire Province into a key commercial hub in Angola, independent of oil money.