Angola Sugar Company- Açucareira 4 de Fevereiro

He married D. Ana de Albuquerque and had 4 children: António de Albuquerque de Sousa Lara, Luis de Albuquerque de Sousa Lara, Maria Carolina de Albuquerque de Sousa Lara and João de Albuquerque de Sousa Lara.
The “Companhia do Assúcar de Angola” had its registered office in Luanda, on Rua Direita, and offices in Benguela and Lisbon. She owned Tentativa Farms, in Caxito; S. Francisco, in Dombe Grande; Marco de Canavezes, in Cubal reserved for sisal production, and also owned the company “Sociedade de Recovagens” in Lobito.

In Portugal, he also owned the “Angola Refinery” on Rua Heróis de França in Matosinhos. António Sousa Lara also owned companies in Luacho and Caxito (Palm oil and soap factory), and in Cuio (Fishing and Port).
The largest farm was “Fazenda Tentativa” with 20,000 km2. and after the death of Commander António de Albuquerque de Sousa Lara in 1972 and because, although married, he had no children, the company underwent some changes in its shareholder structure, and in 1973 it was acquired by the Espírito Santo family and was led by António Espírito Santo Silva until his departure to Brazil after March 11, 1975.

Returning to “Fazenda Tentativa”, it owned the largest sugar factory in the entire Angolan territory. It was the pride of everyone who, like me, had the honor of knowing and working there. The last manager of the farm was José Rebelo and the resident administrator was called Jaime de Almeida.
In 1932, Angola produced enough sugar to supply the domestic market and exported 21,798 tons. The “Sociedade Agrícola do Cassequel”, with its factory in Catumbela, and the “Companhia de Assúcar de Angola”, with the factory in Caxito, were in full production.

In 1973, the majority of shares in “Companhia de Assúcar de Angola” and “Refinaria Angola, Lda.”, from Matosinhos, were transferred to “Grupo Sousa Lara”.
The company has always had an average of 3,500 workers. Later, with the introduction of mechanization in sugarcane transportation and loading, the workforce was reduced to 2,500 workers until it was stopped in 1991.
The “Companhia do Assúcar de Angola” after independence was nationalized, and changed its name to “Açucareira 4 de Fevereiro”, which it still maintains today.