Angolan gin producer aims to create strong local identity

DW (English)

In a country that is only just beginning to regulate alcohol consumption, it may seem contradictory to focus on professional gin production. And yet Bruno Bastos is the first Angolan to produce gin locally.

Transcript

00:00He stands to be counted among Angolans under 40 achievers, but why does Bruno Bastos think

00:10to create a strong local identity with a drink?

00:14If you go to any supermarket or bar or restaurant on the shelf, you will always have a 90 plus

00:24percent of imported products.

00:29So for us, it was a clear way to do to create a nice product locally that the local consumers

00:38can identify and foreigners can also identify by trying a product that made locally on this

00:50case in Angola.

00:51In 2020, he joined friends in making Angola's first locally produced gin.

00:57The project culminated into Agjilwanda, a brand of gin made in Angola.

01:04But why gin?

01:06My grandfather was a big gin drinker.

01:11He introduced me to gin and when I had the opportunity to get to this industry, gin was

01:17an option and then a choice was a clear choice for me that gin was my way to go.

01:26And using the national symbols or national products, it's the way to go, definitely.

01:33It's the local juniper berries to give his gin its characteristic taste.

01:39Bruno also experiments with different spices.

01:43Everything is locally sourced and handpicked.

01:46From the remote forests to the tropical Atlantic beaches of his homeland, Agjilwanda represents

01:53the native of this island here at Ilha do Luanda or Ilha do Cabo.

02:00So represents the men of the sea, the fishermen and our elders from this location.

02:08The island of Luanda, the former capital of Angola, was once rich in cultural identity

02:15and fishing played an important role.

02:17How did life here affect Bruno?

02:20When you grew up on the island, you always have dreams, you know, you dream big because

02:25you want to leave the island and explore the world.

02:29But with the Angolan Civil War, which began in 1975 and only ended in 2002, Bruno's dreams

02:37faded as his family moved to Cape Verde in search of a better life.

02:42How has Bruno's life changed as a result?

02:46I grew up on a place called Santiago.

02:50It's an island in Cape Verde, the capital of Praia.

02:54So always next to the sea, we used always to do picnics on the beach.

02:59But it wasn't Luanda and despite the opportunities in Cape Verde, Bruno felt a strong pull to

03:07return to Angola.

03:08He pursued a degree in tourism, hoping to use his knowledge to help his family's business.

03:14But what challenges did he face upon returning?

03:17And why did he believe he needed to go back?

03:21As a young Angolan man, I believe that we have a duty to our country.

03:27And because of our past, we still have a lot of challenges to fulfill in this country.

03:35And as a young Angolan, it's my duty to help my country to grow up.

03:42As a returnee and gin pioneer, Bruno faces tough challenges.

03:48According to recent statistics, Angola still imports over $16 million worth of Herd Liga,

03:55mainly from Europe.

03:56Demand for national brands is only slowly increasing.

04:01Consistency is the main word and is the way to continue to make sure that we continue

04:10to produce the best gin as we can.

04:15That will allow us to continue to grow in this business.

04:22The responsibility for Bruno as head of the company is huge, especially since the Angolan

04:28government banned the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in pouches to protect

04:35public health.

04:38This includes all drinks with an alcohol content of 15% or more, including gin.

04:48In a country that is just beginning to take measures to regulate alcohol consumption and

04:54raise public awareness, professional gin production may seem contradictory at first

05:00glance.

05:01How does Bruno's gin manufacturing fit into the bigger picture that promotes local businesses

05:07but also protects consumers?

05:09As a business owner, we also give opportunity to the youth and not to young Angolans to

05:21give them a work and a label that they can develop skills because it's also in our core

05:32to continue to invest in the youth.

05:35We are providing for families as well.

05:39They have children, they have grandchildren.

05:42We have people that still invest in their own studies and we support them.

05:49The main idea is to continue to invest in Angolans, in young Angolans, and provide them

05:58tools for their growth.

06:00Guaranteeing sustainable and socially responsible growth with an alcoholic product, no one in

06:07Angola can do this better than Bruno.

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