F
or an international company or entrepreneur, the name Sierra Leone
evokes all sorts of thought processes
and eventually will end up with flashes of
news images of the civil war that took
place between 1991 and 2001, or for
those not too familiar with the country,
the movie Blood Diamond in a Hollywood sort of way glamorized Sierra Leonean diamonds, whilst addressing serious
issues.
The film covered parts of the civil war
and a story about a pink diamond and
all the cartels that were prepared to risk
their lives to get their hands on such a
diamond. Moving on to 2014 and the
past remains buried, with no real visible
signs of a civil war having taken place.
However, the international thirst for Sierra Leone diamonds and other precious
metals seems somewhat never-ending.
The potential upside returns on investing
within the Mining & Metals sector in Sierra Leone is very high indeed and one
that can be quantified with risks thoroughly addressed under each investment
scenario.
A quick glance at the companies that are
reaping tremendous upside rewards in
the country will back my claims.
Whenever considering investing into this
highly specialized sector, one must have a
pre-defined entry point, exit strategy and
most importantly an appropriate consulting firm with extended relationships
that span from the socio-economic to the
political as a Sherpa guide who will navigate you through the myriad of possibilities as a means to help achieve all your
goals at a minimum risk.
In this article, I will do my best to highlight the most critical aspects that will
help foreign companies and entrepreneurs considering market entry into Sierra Leones’ highly lucrative Mining &
Metals Sector. Firstly, companies should
never underestimate the power of lo