Is it safe to withdraw cash in Angola or not?
ATMs are often offline in the evening. I learned quickly to withdraw early and keep small amounts on hand. It’s not necessarily dangerous, but it’s unpredictable - cash and power outages go hand in hand here.
I used an ATM attached to a Total gas station in Luanda. It worked, but I didn’t linger. There were no other people around, and the street lights were weak. Angola’s urban zones have a heavy security presence, but that doesn’t always mean you feel relaxed.
I was in Benguela and couldn’t find a working ATM past 8 PM. The streets were dark and mostly empty. A hotel manager warned me not to carry cash visibly at night. Withdrawing money at night in Angola isn’t advised in most cities unless you're inside a bank or hotel.
In Luanda, I withdrew cash from a BFA ATM inside a shopping center just before 9 PM. There was security at the entrance, and the area was busy. Locals told me ATM use after dark in Angola is only safe inside guarded locations, not standalone kiosks.