Locations“Roots Reconnected” Campaign mobilizes support to promote Massangano as an Afro-descendant cultural tourism destination
September 22, 2025
Launch of the Roots Reconnected Campaign
The Ministries of Tourism and Culture, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Angola and the American Chamber of Commerce in Angola (AmCham), launched in Luanda the campaign “Roots Reconnected – Bridging Angolan Heritage in the Americas”, a collective financing initiative aimed at enhancing and rehabilitating the historic town of Massangano, in Cuanza Norte province.
The launch ceremony was attended by the Minister of Tourism, Dr. Márcio Daniel, the Secretary of State for Culture, Dr. Maria da Piedade de Jesus, the UNDP Resident Representative in Angola, Dr. Denise António, the Governors of Luanda and Cuanza Norte, as well as former Vice-President of the Republic, Bornito de Sousa, together with representatives of the diplomatic corps, the private sector, and civil society.
During the event, speakers highlighted Massangano as a symbol of a historic legacy which, after having been one of the main departure points of the transatlantic slave trade, today stands as a driver of community development, a place of memory, and a space of reconnection with the Afro-descendant diaspora.
River and Fortress of Massangano
The campaign seeks to transform Massangano into a reference site for Afro-descendant cultural heritage, while also promoting initiatives such as job creation through small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, the development of eco- and agrotourism projects, capacity-building for women and youth to join the tourism value chain, and the conservation of the region’s biodiversity.
Plans also include the creation of an open-air memorial, historical exhibitions, and cultural spaces that preserve and share Massangano’s heritage with future generations and the diaspora, as well as preparing the town’s nomination for recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Minister of Tourism, Dr. Márcio Daniel, described Massangano as “an open-air sanctuary that deserves an active and transformative response,” underlining the Government’s commitment to promoting the town as a destination of memory and reconciliation.
For her part, UNDP Resident Representative in Angola, Denise António, emphasized the role of cultural tourism as an inclusive and sustainable economic driver, noting that “if small States can anchor their economies in tourism, just imagine Angola, with its vast territory, rivers, and cultural heritage.”
More on the campaign: Roots Reconnected-Bridging Angolan Heritage in the Americas
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