Solar market snapshot – Financing gap

Current financial analysis indicates that: solar distributors in Sierra Leone are high risk investments; distributors require significant working capital to finance needs but find limited financing options; and long-term consumer finance is required to grow solar sales. This document also indicates financing alternatives compared to standard commercial options: PAYG solutions; patient capital and impact investment; and blended financing options.

Related Resources

Building a Coalition for Catalytic Capital – Invest Salone Showcase, January 2026

Key government and private‑sector leaders gathered on Friday, 16 January 2026, as Invest Salone, a UK-funded private sector  development programme, hosted a high‑level event aimed at deepening collaboration and boosting investment in Sierra Leone’s expanding private sector. The event showcased Invest Salone’s contribution to improving the business environment and reinforced its role as a partner and facilitator, bringing together diverse stakeholders to address systemic constraints through dialogue and cooperation.

Sierra Leone voluntary sustainable finance principles: Sector-level guidance for financial institutions

This sector-level guidance supports financial institutions with the implementation of the voluntary sustainable finance principles. It is tailored for a diverse range of financial institutions – from microfinance lenders to larger commercial banks – and focuses on the “everyday” business of banking with micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Sierra Leone, covering the key sectors: agriculture, fisheries and forestry; construction; energy and energy efficiency; and value chains (e.g. manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade).

Finance that Fits: How Small Foundation, Vista Bank and Invest Salone partnered to transform lending for small businesses

Find out how a partnership between Invest Salone, Vista Bank Sierra Leone and the Small Foundation is shifting the bank’s portfolio toward lending to SMEs by strengthening credit assessment tools and improving sector knowledge, with support from a risk-sharing guarantee.

Resource bank