Shopping in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has no single nationwide shopping system. Regional headquarters towns commonly function as market centres, and Statistics Sierra Leone's consumer-price survey samples 21 open markets across all regions, with an additional town in the North-West. An open market is a trading area where sellers offer goods from stalls or tables. The survey helps measure price movement but is not a complete retail price list, so actual stock, quality and prices can differ between outlets. Everyday goods are available through open markets, small shops, supermarkets and specialised stores. Groceries may be sold alongside household goods, while cosmetics, cleaning products and equipment are also available through pharmacy-related or specialised stores. Clothing is sold at market stalls, through street trading, specialised stores and some local online shops. Technology sellers offer mobile phones, ICT equipment, accessories, routers and other electronics. Orange eShop and local marketplaces such as SaloneBuy, Leomart, Market360, GoTrustMe and SaloneMakitSL show that online shopping is established, but the provider landscape remains fragmented and these services are not state-approved by their inclusion in a list. For food and household goods, check the package, quantity, condition, date, origin and price. For cosmetics and cleaning products, examine the label, expiry date, safety or quality mark and signs of originality. For clothing, confirm the size, condition, material and exchange or return terms before paying. For phones and electronics, check the model, serial number, compatibility, charger, warranty and receipt. The Sierra Leone Standards Bureau, or SLSB, supports standards, testing, inspection, certification, market surveillance and weights-and-measures controls. Its Quality Mark is a third-party conformity signal, but informal sellers may not display it. The Electronic Communication Equipment Type Approval Regulation concerns the technical permission for covered communication equipment. Cash remains the dominant retail payment method according to the Bank of Sierra Leone, although electronic payments are increasing. The New Leone, written NLe, replaced the old Leone system in 2022 at a rate of 1 NLe to 1,000 old Leones. Mobile money is a phone-based wallet service: Orange Money uses *144#, merchant codes and authorised agents for cash-in and cash-out, and it generally does not require a bank account. Afrimoney uses *161# and requires an active Africell SIM together with identification such as an ID card or passport. Fees, limits and availability depend on the provider. SaPS Instant Payment can process real-time payments around the clock between connected banks, mobile operators and payment service providers. Keep the PIN secret, check the amount, recipient or merchant code before confirming, and save the SMS, receipt and transaction reference. Do not pay outside a documented channel. For online orders, confirm the seller's stock, delivery area and time, total charge, payment method, cash-on-delivery or prepayment terms, return procedure, warranty and proof of transaction. Rural network coverage, outlet density, cash liquidity, delivery access and warranty enforcement vary by region. Under the 2025 NIN Directive, existing individual accounts had to be linked to a valid NIN by 31 December 2025, while new individual accounts required a valid NIN immediately. The Consumer Protection Act 2020 covers goods and services supplied in trade or commerce, including state-owned supply. Consumers have rights to safe, good-quality, usable and durable goods that meet applicable standards. Producers, importers, distributors and retailers provide implied warranty protection. If goods are defective, unsafe or do not conform to the agreement, the consumer can return them within 30 days without penalty and at the supplier's risk for repair, replacement or refund. If a repair fails within three months, replacement or refund may be requested, and repaired parts and labour carry a warranty of at least three months. Service providers must complete services within the agreed or reasonable time, warn about delays and remedy defects or provide a reasonable partial refund. Suppliers must provide proof of transaction on request, and service bills should itemise labour and materials. Misleading or deceptive conduct, unfair treatment, unsafe goods, wrong payment information, bait pricing, multiple pricing and coercion are prohibited. A contract cannot remove statutory quality rights. Complaints can be submitted to the National Consumer Protection Commission, which monitors markets, investigates complaints and seeks remedies. It reviews complaints within 14 days. A Dispute Resolution Committee in each provincial headquarters town can provide advice, conciliation, mediation and adjudication. A defect test may produce a laboratory report within 15 days; an unresolved matter can proceed to an adjudicator, with an appeal to the High Court within 30 days. Payment complaints follow a separate process. First use the provider's free complaint unit or available phone, SMS, email, website, social-media or agent channel. The provider should issue a holding reply and unique reference within two working days and resolve the complaint within 15 working days; if delayed, it should give notice and provide an outcome within a further 10 working days. The Bank of Sierra Leone Customer Protection Section can review the matter after the provider's decision or non-response and may mediate or issue a binding decision. Sustainability rules are developing. The Environmental Protection Agency Act 2022 supports supervision of waste generation, treatment, storage, transport and disposal, while the EPA and SLSB set environmental standards. Policy work reported in 2024 discussed phased controls on single-use plastics, recycling alternatives, education, enforcement and extended producer responsibility, but no nationwide blanket ban or universal consumer take-back system is established by the available evidence. Repairing and reusing goods, choosing recyclable packaging and confirming any seller's return or collection scheme are practical options. EPA and Customs monitor imports and exports involving ozone-depleting substances and related equipment under the 2025 regulation.