Most vendors in Angola will not accept credit card payments. A number of international hotels in Luanda may accept card payments.Travellers should take care when paying by card in Angola: The UK Government website mentions reports of credit cards being cloned for fraudulent purposes.

If you are going to pay by card in Angola, be aware of fees and bad exchange rates. Angola is included on HMRC’s list of high risk jurisdictions for tax evasion. Check with your bank before you travel, to make sure that your bank can accept payments made in the Angola.

Before using your bank card for payments in Angola or anywhere in Central Africa, it’s always a good idea to let your bank know that you are travelling to Africa. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.

Angola is a cash-based economy. If you plan to travel to Angola, make sure you take sufficient cash with you. It’s best to take some Angolan Kwanzas, up to the maximum import limit of 50,000 AOA per person. In addition you should take US Dollar banknotes of the latest series in clean crisp condition. Most vendors will accept US Dollar banknotes for payments.

Don’t rely on ATM’s in Angola. Although the number of ATM’s is increasing, especially in Luanda, you’ll often find that they are empty. If you don’t want to run out of money while in Angola you should bring enough cash with you.

You may be surprised to learn that, according to Mercer’s Annual Cost of Living Index, the Angolan capital Luanda is the world’s most expensive city.

Prices for food and daily essentials are often much higher than prices in the UK. For example, a coffee in a cafe will cost around $5 USD or 2,500 AOA. A three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant will set you back around $35 USD or 17,500 AOA.

There aren’t many tourists in Angola, and locals don’t tend to leave a tip. Therefore tipping isn’t really common practice in Angola.

If you are happy with the service you received you can leave a tip of up to 10% of the amount on the bill. If a service charge is included already then that covers everything and you shouldn’t leave an extra tip.