Insight

23/08/2024

SUPPORTING POULTRY FARMERS IN SIERRA

Please read Invest Salone's response to Mr Sahr Lahai Jusu’s opinion piece (published in Global Times Newspaper Online) on the need for Feed Salone to promote local poultry farmers. Invest Salone draws on its work with the poultry sector in Sierra Leone to highlight challenges with essential inputs such as poultry feed, day-old chicks and veterinarian services, and suggests supporting the sector through stronger government services, a more business enabling environment and a concerted push to attract large scale poultry investments into the country, who would help build up the industry.

19/08/2024

SIERRA LEONE'S LANDMARK LOCAL CURRENCY BOND

Sierra Leone achieves milestone with first local currency corporate bond - approved by BSL - valued at 1.4 million dollars, signalling a significant development in the country's capital market.

The successful issuance by LAPO Sierra Leone, opens up opportunities for local corporates to access capital, attract diverse investors, and paves the way for similar bond issuances.

The bond was arranged by United Capital Plc, a leading pan-African investment banking firm, and by Pennarth Greene, a Sierra Leonean-based corporate finance advisory firm, with support from Invest Salone through its PROSPER Salone grant scheme. It raised SLE32 million (approx. US$1.4 million) for LAPO Microfinance Company, which provides financial services to micro, small and medium enterprises in Sierra Leone. Notably, 99% of LAPO’s clients are female, and the bond proceeds will expand LAPO’s loan portfolio and branch network.

Sierra Leone has recorded its first local currency corporate bond valued at approximately 1.4 million dollars. How much impact will this have on the country’s capital market?

20/03/2024

The tech sector is growing faster in Africa than any other region. The Digital Her Conference (21 March 2024) asks how can we ensure Sierra Leonean women share fully in the opportunities facilitated by the digital economy as creators, consumers and beneficiaries?

Sierra Leone is on the brink of a transformative digital explosion with the potential to enhance financial inclusion, access to information and services, job creation and economic growth. But, as digital technology becomes ever more integrated into everyday Sierra Leonean life, a growing digital gender divide means that women are in danger of missing out on many of these opportunities unless we act now.

Africa's tech sector is growing exponentially. Digital Her (21 March) asks how can Sierra Leonean women share in these digital opportunities

22/01/2024

Rise Radio is the result Asmaa James's passion for talk radio and her determination to give women and young people more of a voice in the mainstream media.

22/01/2024

Sierra Leone’s Rise Radio is the result Asmaa James’s commitment to talk radio and her determination to give women and young Sierra Leoneans more of a voice in the mainstream media.

She describes radio as her passion, and anyone who has followed her professional journey can attest to the truth of that statement. A Mandela Washington Fellow, she was recognised by the Independent Media Commission as the most outstanding female journalist in Sierra Leone and in 2019 the BBC named her one of the 100 most influential women in the world. Throughout it all, she has remained faithful to her first love – talk radio.

Rise Radio is the result Asmaa James's passion for talk radio and her determination to give women and young people more of a voice in the mainstream media.

22/06/2023

With only two days to go until polling day, a unique citizen-led independent opinion poll of almost 7,000 potential voters nationwide shows that almost one-third of voters are staying tight-lipped about their voting intentions, and suggests that a run-off between the incumbent, President Maada Bio and his main challenger, Dr Samura Kamara – is still possible.

The Sierra Leone 2023 Elections Opinion Poll was designed and implemented by Meraki Analytics SL Limited in collaboration with consortium partners– Data Mansah and SierraEye Magazine.

Despite challenges, including being prevented by community leaders from conducting interviews in several locations, it is the largest national survey of registered voters in Sierra Leone.

SIERRA LEONE’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT OPINION POLL PREDICTS HUGE VOTER TURN OUT & SAYS A RUN-OFF COULD STILL BE ON THE CARDS

19/06/2023

Stakeholders from Sierra Leone’s entrepreneurial ecosystem attended an investment-focused event to launch a toolkit to support SMEs in Sierra Leone.

16/12/2022

Following initial assessments conducted earlier this summer, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), who will be receiving support under Invest Salone’s technical assistance facility (TAF), gathered in Freetown on 8 December 2022 for an orientation session to learn more about the process and it...

22/08/2022

DAR LEONE - BEAUTIFUL HOMEWARE THAT EVOKES SIERRA LEONE'S CREATIVE HERITAGE

On a small side street in London’s fashionable Islington, Dar Leone stands out among its more muted neighbours, exuding energy with its range of African inspired homeware and soft furnishings in bold and unexpected colours. The brainchild of Freetown-born, lawyer turned designer Isata Funna, Dar Leone stocks an original range of contemporary home accessories, that re-imagine traditional African artisanship.

Dar Leone stocks an original range of contemporary home accessories, that re-imagine traditional Sierra Leonean artisanship.

25/06/2022

"An innovative culture looks for new ways to deal with its problems and puts collaboration at the heart of the process. Congratulations to the Bo Innovation Hub for creating the space to do both."

Invest Salone's Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie at the launch of the Bo Innovation Hub this weekend.

23/06/2022

Economy grew by 3.1 % in 2021, after shrinking by 2.0 % in 2020. Agriculture contributed nearly half of the total growth during 2021.

30/05/2022

Want to know more about what Invest Salone does?

Check out our Invest Salone Overview to find out how we work with businesses, investors and buyers, and government and civil society organisations to facilitate inclusive economic growth 👉 https://bit.ly/3sLSpcy