Lubango: Only 10 percent of the 750,000 tons of ornamental stone extracted annually in southern Angola undergoes local processing, while the vast majority is exported in its raw form to various countries across Asia, America, and Europe.

According to Angola Press News Agency, the Association of Producers, Processors, Traders, and Exporters of Ornamental Stones of Angola (APEPA) comprises 21 affiliated companies involved in stone extraction in the regions of Hu­la and Namibe. Despite this, only eight of these companies have ventured into processing activities, which are conducted in Hu­la, Namibe, Benguela, Huambo, and Luanda.

APEPA president Marcelo Siku, in an interview with ANGOP in Lubango, highlighted that these processing companies transform granite and marble into various products such as cubes, polished and unpolished slabs, kitchen materials, gravestones, and mosaics. While the majority of these processed products cater to the domestic market, a portion is also exported to countries including Portugal, France, China, India, and Poland.

Siku elaborated that 90 percent of the stone extracted, amounting to approximately 600,000 tons annually, is exported in its raw form. The primary markets for these exports include China, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, India, Singapore, Taiwan, Slovenia, and Poland. This level of production generates around 100 million U.S. dollars annually for the operators involved.

In the province of Hu­la, ornamental stone production saw a remarkable increase of over 99% in 2022, accounting for 96% of the national production. APEPA, which became officially operational in 2023 after its formalization process began in 2016, unites companies from the provinces of Hu­la, Namibe, Cunene, Cuanza Sul, Huambo, and Benguela.