Companhia Colonial de Navegação

The company was founded in Angola on 3 July 1922 to serve Portugal's overseas colonies, particularly those in Portuguese Africa.

[1] It started service with two ships, Guiné and Ganda, serving destinations in Angola, the Cape Verde Islands, and Guinea Bissau.

It acquired ships to meet the new demand, notably Princesa Olga from a Yugoslavian company, which it renamed Serpa Pinto and used in voyages between Portugal, the United States, and Brazil.

The increasing popularity of jet air travel from the 1950s onwards reduced demand for the company's passenger shipping services.

On 25 April 1974 the Portuguese dictatorship was overthrown by the Carnation Revolution; the new government rapidly granted independence to all Portugal's African colonies.