Carlos Leal
Canip Oezkul
Carlos Alves
CEO of Omatapalo
He was born in Paredes de Coura but it was in Angola that his work grew in scale when he founded Omatapalo. Based in Huíla since 2003, the company has gone from being a local phenomenon to being one of the country’s largest construction companies, working in both the public and private sector. In the meantime, the group has grown, starting internationalisation in 2005 from Namibe, and it is now present not only in Southern Africa, but also in Algeria, England, Germany and, of course, Portugal. It also grew in terms of business sectors, with its entry into the car and livestock sectors, and has set its sight on the energy sector.
Omatapalo went from being a local company to being one of leading ones in its field in Angola. How has this been achieved?
First of all, I saw the needs of the country. Then, the result of our work, of the disciplined and dutiful team that is at the origin of Omatapalo, based on three things: work, quality and deadlines. The path we have taken has always been based on this foundation, in which commitment is constant, quality of the work done is indisputable and deadlines always kept.
What is the expansion plan for Portugal? What are the main projects?
Growth. Taking Omatapalo to major projects, being part of an internationalisation project that, in a way, is already happening and with very positive results.
«We are brothers. I have always believed that Angola and Portugal complement each other»
Do the Portuguese and Angolan mentalities work together well in the business area?
We are brothers. I have always believed that Angola and Portugal complement each other. This is reflected and proven in the company model in Omatapalo, in which we have an Angolan chairman and a relationship of great fraternity, respect and grandeur. We are, without a doubt, two societies that interact and seek future goals hand in hand.
What is the work you are most proud of?
Well, that’s a difficult question. We have several works to be very proud of. But I’ll mention the one that gave us immense pleasure to build, due to the challenge of the construction period and the quality with which it was built: the Luanda Arena, considering this an iconic work of which we are very proud.
With regard to business diversification, what are the Group’s main goals?
Without a doubt the primary sector. We have three major projects in agriculture and livestock in Angola. From the point of view of internationalisation, we are taking the necessary steps in the Southern Africa market, with our base and platform in Angola, looking at specific market areas, such as energy. As a result of real estate growth in Portugal, we are also on several fronts of development and construction.
