Angola’s status as a nautical sports and film shooting destination has received a boost following a visit by Hollywood star Will Smith, who travelled to the capital, Luanda, to promote the blue maritime tourism economy, the E1 World Electric Boat Championship, and to explore the country’s emerging audiovisual sector.
Angola, an emerging destination on Africa’s southwest coast and home to the world’s second-largest Portuguese-speaking population, offers 1,650 km of Atlantic coastline. It is also known for natural attractions such as Kalandula Falls and Miradouro da Lua, as well as biodiverse national parks including Iona and Kissama.
After decades marked by a devastating civil war, the country has been steadily rebuilding its tourism sector. According to the Ministry of Tourism, leisure tourism grew by 20% in 2025, driven in part by targeted promotional campaigns.
nvited as guest of honour at the “Blue Dinner”, Will Smith was received by Márcio Daniel and Jorge Miguêns, Vice-Governor of Luanda. During the trip, Smith also met President João Lourenço at the Presidential Palace, where the pair discussed opportunities for future projects involving local creators. The actor revealed his fandom for Angolan folk and semba singer-songwriter Bonga.
Smith’s power as a Hollywood A-list actor and producer has been leveraged for various environmental and economic purposes over the years. As a young performer, he was one half of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, but became even better known after being cast as the title role in the NBC sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He enjoyed further worldwide musical hits off the back of an acting career that included blockbuster hits such as Independence Day and Men in Black, as well as achieving critical acclaim, particularly for biopic roles such as Richard Williams, the father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams.
@e1series E1 lands in Luanda 🇦🇴 We were joined in Angola by @Westbrook Racing Team Owner, Will Smith, to announce the Championship coming to Angola’s capital city on the 12-13 September 2026. #E1 #ChampionsOfTheWater #racing #motorsport #angola ♬ original sound – E1 Series
More recently, his reputation suffered after he physically attacked Oscars host Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022, following a joke about Smith’s partner Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head (the actress and musician suffers from alopecia). That incident led to Smith quitting the Academy and being banned for a decade.
Nonetheless, Smith remains a popular figure who has used his celebrity to promote electric boat racing as part of the decarbonisation of marine transport. Angola’s participation in the E1 World Electric Boat Championship was announced during his recent visit there. It marks the first time Angola will take part and only the second ever African circuit, after Lagos, Nigeria.
Speaking to the power of event tourism, Daniel said the championship “will provide unique experiences, promoting sustainability actions, and positioning Angola on the global map of tourism and innovation in nautical sports.”
