Hello to all steemers.
This post is being created trying to bring awareness to what is happening in #Angola (like in other #Africa countries) and trying to change that.
I'll try to make it short as I'm planning to develop much more about each of the topics presented here, not only if it is common interest, but because it should be.
I would like to ask sorry for the not perfect English, and writing, since this is not my Native language, and this is the 1st time I'm writing such a long text and in a blog.
A bit about myself (short):
I'm an IT enthusiast and as such I started to work in the IT field, and ended up coming to Angola to work in the IT industry. That was 3 years ago, when the country was full of money, and Luanda (capital of Angola) was the most expensive city in the world. It was when I arrived here, that i realize how this country really is, and how lucky me as a European was.
Angola changed me!
A bit about Angola (Luanda):
Luanda is the capital of Angola, and since last year, it was the most expensive city in the world. With houses costing millions of dollars, to a normal basic meal costing around 3000 Kwanzas (30$) in the old days, the country was the most promising country in Africa. The governors, ministers, deputies, bankers, and locals positioned on high roles winning salaries around 10.000$/month. This elite society with abundance of money, were able to get whatever they want, like Porsche Cars, Ferraris, Camaro, Mustangs, etc.
On the other side, the locals live below poverty, without sanitization, without clean water, without energy, without health, and in poor conditions, wining a minimum salary of 18.000 Kwanzas (180$/month in old days). So here, we are starting to see the discrepancy.
How is this possible?
In one big word: CORRUPTION.
Angola has been since "ever" in the list of one of the most corruption country. Where Police stops people to ask for money, the so called "gasosa". Where high position ministers, and decision makers receives houses, cars, expensive tv’s, and EPIC bonuses in cash to close deals, been those in the IT field, or construction field, or oil field or whatever.
If you want to close a deal in Angola, someone, some decision maker, will put like 20% of that deal in their own "pocket". If you try to question the government or it's attitudes, if you read something against the government and study that or if you open you month and express yourself, you will be arrested as political prisoner, like it happened recently to more than 17 people. That turned into a world news across all globe being talked in the Guardian, and in White House.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/13/angola-repression-generates-more-dissent-politics-mpla
The financial, oil crisis and its effects in Angola, and its economy (short):
When the oil crisis appeared Angola was hit like a truck, since like 90% of it's economy was sustained by oil, and this lead to a snowball of crisis. With construction companies stopping, employers been fired, and sent to their countries, with the lack of some stuff on the supermarkets, it started the coin devaluation, and salaries and all the rest even got worst.
The "Kwanza", the "Banks", the "We don't have dollars" response and "The black-market":
Kwanza is the currency of Angola and last here it was matched at around 100Kwanzas = $1USD. At the present day, this is not true anymore as Kwanza went to 200Kwanzas for $1USD, but this is not the real issue.
The issue is that banks "don’t have" dollars or euros or any other external currency, at least is what they say, but at the end, we keep seeing people exchanging money on the streets, and on Facebook groups, in a rate of 600Kwanzas for $1USD, this means that it's 3x the price of banks.
Moreover, who injects this money in the streets? The Banks employers themselves... Some people already got caught and lost their jobs (at least that) but the problem persists...
Please note that the image is from February and the situation got even worst since those days.
Banks credit cards and International Transfers:
In Angola, banks are not providing credit cards, people with dollars in their dollar accounts can't withdraw their dollars (banks convert them to Kwanzas) and international transfers for salary and family issues, are taking around 3 to 4 months to be done.
The National Bank of Angola only from time to time sells foreign currency to commercial Banks, and where the money goes? To their administrator, or to the big companies, remaining nothing for the average people, who pretend to go out to travel, to have a medical treatment or to buy something outside.
This is were Bitcoin or Altcoins can come in handy.
Bitcoins / Altcoins:
With this lack of access to external currencies, and with locals and expats being denied the access to foreign currencies, I believe that Bitcoin and other Altcoins should fulfill this gap, as from my understanding, that is the purpose of it, to make it available to everyone and everywhere. Not only the big nations, but also to the smallest ones, who need it most. I tried myself to contact some entities and companies related with Bitcoin but never had the luck to find someone with the vision, motivation and the will to change this, and help this "forgotten" markets and countries.
So the question remains, when or will be there Bitcoin or any other Digital Currency in #Angola?
I'm here to create bridges, and gather more information, and do all that I can, since I really believe this would be a plus to show how Bitcoin can help the "forgotten" countries.
You just put it there, with your sign up you now have STEEM Power and you will start earning STEEM dollars with this post.
You have just started the next revolution in the land of the forgotten war.
No need that "irony". Been trying to make something for it since some months ago, entered in contact with some companys that operate in the field, like BitPesa (https://www.bitpesa.co/).
Created some posts on reddit and Bitcoin community, even had some conversations with some people in the industry.
About winning STEEM? Yeh I might win, and I might also do something with it...
Thats a tall order to fill, but bringing awareness to the issue is a good start. Perhaps you can create and re post information about the issue, the people perpetuating the problems and pehaps some of the heroes who are trying to change it for the better. This steem thing is all about connecting people with thoughts, issues and stories they would otherwise be unaware of.
Good luck and great post!
Yeh, thanks for the motivation. Well, I'l try bring the awareness to it. There's already some Africa countrys with CriptoCurrencys options, yet here there's none. I'm not a crypto "pro" but I know it's beneficts and what it can do to the people here, and how it would allow people to have access to stuff they just can't get. There are people everyday canceling flights because they don't even could get foreign currency, and there's no other place where Kwanzas is accepted.
@angoluso AMAZING that I have stumbled upon this post! I have been talking with a Brazilian that wants to bring BTC into Angola! I have come up with some ideas although I have not come close to posting any of them, I did purchase a web site that was intended to help generate interest: http://bitcoinxr.info/ I made a video that mentioned Angola and BTC EXACTLY a year ago
and that is how the Brazilian found me. Please contact me at adam AT disruptMeister DOT com Thanks!
Woow, that's really amazing. I'll enter in contact with you.
I even tried to contact like 3 companys that operate here in Africa, but I never had any luck. And as far as I see Angola is completely closed, and the bank problems are raising each single day. Bitcoin for sure would be a major thing and would lead to a major adoption here.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Really liked this insight. And by exposing in so many places he is at least doing something.
Thanks for your support. The more influence, the more awareness, the more people involved, the better. Thank you.
O animo a unirse a Comunidade Porugues-Galego falante no Steemit.
I know I came a bit late. I live in Angola (yet), and the other day I decided to see what's going on for this country at LocalBitcoins.com.
I only found one person selling bitcoins. At that time each bitcoin was around €2200, this person was asking the equivalent to €3300/BTC. The same inflation they use on the streets they also apply to BTC. This is shameful, this is thievery. Bitcoin could be one way out, and I understand that at this point nobody cares about Kwanza, since it's devaluing day after day, but asking almost the double of the real market price is dishonest and opportunistic. If there is a market for this kind of price, it's because people have really become desperate, in need of a way out. A solution.
Fortunately, I'm one of the lucky ones who still has a credit card in her possession. Since I can't wire money nor go on vacation, I'm applying basically all my money on cryptocurrency. It's the only way I can make this money worh something before it's just a stack of papers. I'm truly sad, and I've never been so eager to leave this country.
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