Luma, a traditional trading system in Sierra Leone

Despite the rise of modern retail systems, Sierra Leone’s traditional Luma markets continue to thrive, remaining a key pillar of community life and local commerce.

Deeply rooted in the country’s cultural fabric, the communal trading model still plays a significant role in rural and semi-urban economies.

Across Sierra Leone, Luma markets serve as more than just places of trade. They are hubs of exchange, connection, and trust where farmers, traders, and buyers converge to sustain their livelihoods.

While supermarkets and formal businesses are expanding, many communities continue to embrace this long-standing tradition.

Isata Farmer has spent nearly a decade trading in Luma markets. She regularly travels to Foredugu to buy goods that she later resells in Freetown.

"This is where we earn our living and provide for ourselves,” she says. “We pay our children's school fees, buy clothes, and care for them when they are sick. We came from far away to make a living here. Life is not easy, but we thank God, because whatever He has planned will surely come to pass.”

For Adama Conteh, a mother of five, the market is a lifeline.

"I thank God, because this is where I am able to pay my children's school fees since my husband is sick," she explains. "The journey to the Luma used to take two days, but now it takes almost three days because we travel on Sunday.”

Community leaders say the growing popularity of the Foredugu Luma has prompted its expansion from one trading day to two, reflecting increased participation from surrounding villages.

"Because we have properly structured the Luma, people are happy. The commitment of those in this area has drawn others from surrounding villages to come together to build the Foredugu Luma," says Kemoh Kamara II, Headman of Foredugu.

According to experts, Luma markets continue to adapt. Their strength lies in accessibility: farmers can bring produce directly from their fields to buyers without complex distribution systems.

"With the introduction of this Luma, it has become much easier for them after harvesting,” explains Emmanuel Conteh, a lecturer in the Economics Department at the University of Makeni. "They can easily make their goods available to buyers and bring them to the market.”

Edited by CGTN Africa's reporter Dinah Matengo