The Roque Santeiro Market, a name that comes from the famous Brazilian soap opera that was a hit among the soap-opera crazed Angolans, is known for being the biggest open-air market in Africa, for transacting thousands of dollars a day, and for being the main stage for the sale of every imaginable product. Fortunately or unfortunately, the market’s days are numbered. The Luandan government plans to move the market from the Sambizanga to Panguila, located nearly 30 kilometers to the north of Luanda. The date has yet to be decided.
The Roque Santeiro Market was established in its current venue in the 1980’s, at a time when the country was still beaten down by war and provisions were scarce. Initially designed like the Boa Vista Market, the commercial area was perhaps the only location where it was possible to find a little bit of everything – albeit through hidden means, including guns and arms trafficking and both adult and child sexual services.
Currently, the Roque Santeiro Market is means of survival for many Angolan families. At the same time, the market is also a haven for criminals who have given the commercial area its bad name.
In an old article, taken from the blog entitled Angola Drops, the Brazilian blogger describes [pt] the market:
Fui com dois colegas brasileiros e um angolano ao mercado do Roque Santeiro que tem a fama de ser o maior do mundo. São 500 campos de futebol numa área de um quilómetro de comprimento por 500 metros de largura, que abriga cinco mil vendedores. A infra-estrutura é mínima: em todas as “lojas” o chão é o barro nu e o máximo de cobertura são telhas gastas de zinco ou mais comumente, lona. Obviamente vende-se de tudo. Logo na chegada passámos por géneros alimentícios de vegetais comercializados directamente sobre panos no chão, a enlatados, caldo de carne, maionese e alimentos prontos, principalmente banana da terra na grelha. Se o Roque Santeiro é um grande centro comercial a céu aberto, não poderia faltar o cinema. O complexo tem duas salas, erguidas com madeira e restos de lona e com capacidade para umas 50 pessoas cada. Em cartaz, Sete Vidas com Will Smith, exibido numa televisão de 29 polegadas colocada numa mesa alta. O barracão é adequadamente escuro e os espectadores vêem o filme em bancos de madeira sem encosto.
Thanks to the development that is spreading throughout the city like a wildfire, the Roque Santeiro Market will enter a new chapter that naturally displeases the vendors who go there daily to sell their wares. The government’s idea to move the market to another part of the city is part of the plan to reorganize the city of Luanda, making it more modern and safer for its citizens. This is how the author of the blog Menina de Angola [Girl from Angola, pt] sees the situation:
O mercado mais famoso do mundo vai acabar. Finalmente o governo vai transferir todos os vendedores para a Panguila, numa área organizada, com restaurantes, bancos e o mais importante condições sanitárias adequadas. Essa transferência faz parte do programa do governo de requalificação do Sambizanga que vai transformar o perigoso e violento bairro num moderno distrito comercial e residencial, com muitos prédios modernos e caríssimos.
The author of the blog Morro da Maianga lists [Maianga Hillside, pt] some of the possible consequences that will result from the closure of the most famous market:
mais miséria/exclusão social/mais zunga/caos urbano/mais delinquência/criminalidade/violência/mais instabilidade/insegurança/e mais um espaço de especulação imobiliária.
At the end of the post, the blogger warns:
depois não responsabilizem (apenas) a polícia.
Despite the vendors’ clear displeasure in having to move to another, supposedly more modern, location, the market administrator believes the move will be peaceful.
To see the area where the new market will be set up, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq1n72IYnzI
4 comments
Wow, I can’t believe how big this market looks on the photo. Thank you for this post.
WOW
Thanks for the post and the pics!
Thanks Solana. I appreciate your complimment. And Mohamed I´ll take credit for the post but not for the pics. They´re Sara´s responsability:-)
Thanks everyone for being so thankful! :p
Great post, Clara! *