The World Bank Group expects developing country economies to grow in 2009 and beyond while the developed world recovers. Bold investors looking for opportunities will join the growing list of Sierra Leone’s current investors.

Growth Expected in a Number of Sectors

Sierra Leone’s investment opportunities in agriculture are among the best in West Africa. The country has a diverse climate, plentiful rainfall, good soil, and abundant land to be cultivated. In Eastern Sierra Leone, 79 percent of citizens are working in agriculture, but since most of the employment is at the household level, there are opportunities to expand production. Only 15 percent of the country’s 5.4 million hectares of cultivatable land were being farmed as recently as 2003; growing seasons in most parts of the country exceed 260 days a year; annual rainfall averages 3,000 millimeters (118 inches); and irrigation potential of the country’s nine major and three minor rivers is largely untapped.

Voted in the top 10 destinations in Lonely Planet’s Best Places 2009, Sierra Leone’s tourism sector has considerable investment potential. The climate is great for growth. The National Tourism Board has identified several areas, activities, and cultural sites that have strong tourism investment potential. Primary among them are 360 kilometers of pristine beaches, including Sulima, Turner’s Peninsula, Sherbro Island, Shenge, Freetown Peninsula, Lungi, and Scarcies estuary. These sites are unexploited, offer a myriad of opportunities -for example, development of niche tourism and expansion in all segments.

The marine resources sector, particularly the fish/shellfish subsector, provides opportunities for investment. The fish/shellfish subsector is split into two markets: industrial fishing in the Economic Exclusive Zone and small-scale fishing. Investors interested in developing fish nurseries and processing freshwater fish can take advantage of the economic zone. With better organization and distribution of small scale catches, there is potential to export fish regionally or to meet un-met domestic consumption demand.

Other investment sectors include the traditionally strong mining sector and infrastructure. Future opportunities to invest in companies that are to be privatized also exist as the government implements its privatization plans.

See why Sierra Leone is one of the best destinations for investment in Africa.