Portuguese Angola and Mozambique were seen as potential solutions to South Africa’s economic and security problems, and South Africa had worked with the Portuguese colonial government in the past.  With both territories possessing large settler populations, friendly post-colonial régimes could be set up with South African military intervention, turning the former Portuguese colonies into buffer states and important allies in a hostile neighborhood.  Furthermore, Angola’s developed infrastructure and rich resource wealth could help South Africa economically, as it felt increasingly isolated by the international community. 