SLONEC Advisory Group United Kingdom Your route into Africa

Your route into Africa

Market entry advisory, set-up and compliance for businesses and investors.

From a UK contract to an operating African business, with one accountable partner at every step.

Contract

SLONEC Advisory, London

Delivery

Freetown team & vetted partners

Markets

Sierra Leone

Colourful hillside homes below Mount Aureol, Freetown, Sierra Leone

At a glance

1

UK contract, signed with SLONEC Advisory (UK)

2

Offices: contracted in London, delivered by our Freetown team

2023

SLONEC founded in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Why businesses need a partner on the ground

The obstacles to entering an African market are practical, and they are where most entries stall.

What slows businesses down

01

Rules that differ by country

Company law, tax, licensing and local-content requirements vary from market to market and change often.

02

Information that is hard to verify

Reliable market and partner information is thin, and difficult to check from outside the country.

03

Slow practical set-up

Registrations, tax numbers, bank accounts and permits routinely take longer than planned.

04

Finding people you can trust

Hiring staff and choosing local partners remotely carries real financial and reputational risk.

How SLONEC Advisory responds

One accountable partner

You contract with SLONEC Advisory in the UK. We manage every local step and every partner on your behalf.

We do the work, not just the report

SLONEC Advisory manages registration, tax, payroll and compliance, carried out in-country by SLONEC’s Freetown team in Sierra Leone and by vetted partners elsewhere.

Governance you can show your board

Clear engagement letters, documented due diligence, regular reporting and strict confidentiality.

For organisations entering African markets

SLONEC Advisory works with organisations that want to enter, invest in or operate within African markets.

SMEs in the UK, Europe, the US and beyond

01

Typical need

Exporting to, or opening a first office in, an African market.

How we help

A realistic entry plan, proper registration and a finance function from day one.

Corporates & multinationals

02

Typical need

Setting up a subsidiary, branch or project office.

How we help

Entity set-up, local compliance and dependable in-country accounting and payroll.

Investors, funds & family offices

03

Typical need

Assessing or acquiring an African business or asset.

How we help

Market and regulatory assessment, financial due diligence support and post-deal controls.

Diaspora investors

04

Typical need

Building or formalising a business back home from the UK.

How we help

Vetted partners on the ground, proper registration and transparent reporting to you in the UK.

NGOs & donor-funded projects

05

Typical need

Registering and running programmes to donor standards.

How we help

Registration, HR aligned to local labour law and donor requirements, and audit readiness.

Build back home with confidence

For Africans in the UK who want to build, invest in or formalise a business back home, without having to be there to manage every step.

1

A UK point of contact

Meet us in London, agree the plan and sign one contract.

2

Proper registration

Your company registered correctly, with ownership in your name. How registration works in Sierra Leone

3

Due diligence

Land, property and partner checks through local legal partners.

4

Banking and controls

Local bank accounts with approval rules you set.

5

Regular reporting

Monthly or quarterly accounts and updates sent to you in the UK.

6

Ongoing compliance

Bookkeeping, tax and payroll kept up to date.

Three connected service lines

Engage us for one, or for the whole journey from first question to a running business.

Permits and licences. We manage your permits and licences from start to finish. Depending on the permit and the country, our own team handles the application or we work through trusted local partners, and you have one point of contact throughout.

Our accountancy background is what makes the Establish and Operate lines possible: we stay with clients after launch rather than handing over a report. See SLONEC Accountancy, Tax / Compliance and Training.

Choosing the right entry model

The structure you enter with shapes your tax position, liability, cost and speed. We compare the options with you before anything is registered.

Entry modelCan it trade?Your controlSet-up effortCapital & riskUsually best for
Representative officeNo, liaison and research onlyFullLowLowTesting a market before committing
Distributor or agentThrough the partnerLowLowLowSelling products without a local presence
Branch of foreign companyYesFullMediumParent company carries liabilityProject-based or contract work
Local subsidiaryYesFullMedium to highLimited to the subsidiaryLong-term operations and local hiring
Joint ventureYesSharedHighShared with partnerRegulated sectors or where local ownership is expected

Rules and availability differ by country and sector. The recommended model is confirmed during the Assess stage. General information, not legal advice.

How we work with you

A clear, four-step engagement. Clients can join at any step, and timelines are agreed in writing because they depend on the country, sector and licences involved.

1

Conversation

Understand your objectives, sector, budget and timeline. Agree scope and fees in writing.

You get: engagement letter and scope.

2

Assess

Review market, regulatory and tax position. Compare entry models and screen partners.

You get: market Entry Report.

3

Establish

Registrations, banking, licences and permits. Recruit and set up payroll and accounts.

You get: operating entity, fully registered.

4

Operate

Run accounting, payroll and statutory filings. Hold regular reviews with your leadership.

You get: monthly or quarterly reporting pack.

Led from the UK, implemented on the ground

How we choose partners: registered and licensed in their market, references and track record checked, signed quality and confidentiality standards. SLONEC Advisory stays your single point of accountability.

01

Every project, led from the UK

UK leadership

Ishmael Bangura scopes each project, selects partners, controls quality and reports to you.

02

Sierra Leone

Local implementation

Delivered by SLONEC’s own Freetown team. SLONEC Consultancy in Freetown

03

Case by case

Other markets

Handled with vetted partners. A market is listed here only once a partner agreement is signed.

Ishmael Bangura, Founder & CEO of SLONEC

Every engagement is led personally from the UK

Ishmael Bangura

Founder & CEO · Head of SLONEC Advisory (UK)

Professional accountant who founded SLONEC in Freetown in April 2023 to raise the standard of professional services in Sierra Leone and across Africa. Ishmael leads SLONEC Advisory from the UK and is personally accountable for every client engagement.

  • Scopes every engagement and agrees terms with clients
  • Selects and supervises partners
  • Signs off all advice, reports and filings
  • Reports directly to each client’s leadership

One partner, accountable from start to finish

One contract, one partner

You deal with one UK-based team. We coordinate every step and every partner.

We understand both sides

African roots and a UK base: we know where you are coming from and what each market expects.

Led personally from the UK

Ishmael Bangura oversees every engagement and signs off all advice and reports.

Compliance by design

Filings, deadlines and records managed so penalties and surprises are avoided.

Vetted, regulated partners

Reference-checked firms bound by our quality and confidentiality standards.

Support after launch

Bookkeeping, payroll, tax and reporting continue once you are trading.

Our promise: straight answers on what each market requires, realistic timelines, and a team that stays with you after launch.

Entering or investing
in Africa?

Start with a conversation. We will tell you plainly what it involves, how long it takes and what it costs.

London office

Level 37, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA

Email · WhatsApp

Freetown office

1 Hannah Benka-Coker Street, Freetown

Your route into the UK

Also available

For African businesses and investors establishing in the UK.

Start with a conversation

Tell us where you are and where you want to go. We reply to every enquiry by email.


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