Inside Sonangol's transformation, Angola's biggest energy player

Angola’s national oil and fuel retail company Sonangol finds is immerser in a process of extreme modernization. The man behind that vision is Mauro Graça, CEO of Sonangol Distribuição e Comercialização. In this episode, he discusses the scale of the transformation underway at Sonangol's downstream unit, which manages storage, distribution, bunkering, aviation fuel, and a retail network holding roughly two-thirds of Angola's fuel market. The company is renewing its stations and back-office systems alike, pushing for more inventory visibility, tighter operational control, and greater automation so that management can track any station's stock in real time. The end goal, Graça said, is a network that is safer, more efficient, and more reliable, built around a stronger customer experience rather than fuel sales alone.

That shift is reshaping what a Sonangol station looks like. Graça described stations evolving into multi-service hubs where a driver can refuel, grab a coffee at the convenience store, stop at a pharmacy, or wash the car. All in one digitalized, connected location. He linked that strategy directly to Angola's young, digitally connected population, which he sees as the company's biggest opportunity to build loyalty around the Sonangol brand rather than around fuel price alone. Food and beverage plays into that too, though Graça noted demand varies sharply by region, from stations where customers linger and socialize to ones built around quick breakfast and commuter stops.