CHINESE INFLUENCES IN SIERRA LEONE: ALARMING OR INSPIRING?

Abstract

The evolution of China’s international investment surge has been analyzed critically over the years, but we still know relatively little about its effect on developing countries. In turn, sub-Saharan African countries have a longstanding history of foreign influences that have had a deeply rooted effect on their people’s sentiment. This research continues to fill the gap regarding how Chinese investment decisions and the underlying intentions are perceived at the local level in Western Africa. For this research, the focus lies on entrepreneurs from Sierra Leone, given the country’s unique economic climate in Western Africa and the position of entrepreneurs as keystone actors toward local innovation, and thus, local economic development. This focus resulted in the following research question: How do entrepreneurs in Sierra Leone perceive Chinese influences regarding Sierra Leone’s local economic development? To answer this open research question, rich data was collected by means of interviewing local entrepreneurs in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Altogether, both comparable and contrasting perceptions on Chinese influences regarding Sierra Leone’s local economic development are presented, resulting in the expansion from an initial thinking model toward an extended thinking model.