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Will Smith enjoys a colourful welcome. Photo: Angola Tourism
US actor, producer and musician Will Smith visited the Angolan capital of Luanda last week as part of an ongoing nation branding strategy being implemented by the Southern African country.
Smith was part of an E1 League delegation led by Alejandro Agag, co-founder and Chairman of the UIM E1 World Championship, the world’s first all-electric hydrofoil powerboat racing series designed to promote sustainability and ocean conservation. The organisation will hold an edition of the Electric Boat World Championship in Angola on 12-13 September 2026.
The Hollywood actor, producer and musician has his own electric powerboat racing team, called Westbrook Racing, in the E1 Series.
During the Luanda visit, Westbrook Racing, announced a title partnership with Angola Tourism and ‘Visit Angola – The Rhythm of Life’, the brand of the national tourism authority.
As part of the partnership, ‘Visit Angola – The Rhythm of Life’ will benefit from permanent branding across Westbrook Racing’s key assets, including the race boat (called RaceBird) and team environment throughout the E1 Championship season.
The collaboration establishes ‘Visit Angola – The Rhythm of Life’ as title partner of the team, with integrated visibility across sporting, digital and commercial platforms.
Commenting on the decision to award a championship race – the fifth round of the UIM E1 Series World Championship – to Angola, Westbrook Racing says in a social media post: “this new location will provide us an incredible opportunity to race in uncharted waters and engage further with our African fanbase. A great addition to the calendar.”
Filming movie scenes
During his visit, Smith met Angolan president João Lourenço, and admitted the possibility of filming scenes for movies and series in the country, especially from the Bad Boys action-comedy franchise. Smith plays a fast-living, stylish Miami narcotics detective in the series.
The actor and artist told the press that he had discussed issues related to the development of cinema and the promotion of national tourism with the Angolan Head of State. The meeting allowed for the analysis of opportunities for cooperation in the audiovisual field.
On his first trip to Angola, Will Smith praised the atmosphere, energy and hospitality of the Angolan people.
He said that there is an ‘exciting climate’ in the country and emphasised that the positive energy of the population is a key factor in his desire to return, the official Angolan news agency, Angop, reported.
New brand identity
In late 2025, Angola Tourism, with the support of Zurich-headquartered consulting and marketing agency Kleber Group, unveiled a new brand identity designed to put the country on the global travel map.
The launch of a new brand identity under the ‘The Rhythm of Life’ slogan coincided with the expansion of Angola’s international tourism promotion to four additional markets: the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland and South Africa.
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