There is so much to think about when it comes to travel, especially in countries we are not as familiar with, and one area that I rarely think about until I am there in person is tipping. I’ve usually done all the prep needed on languages, culture, healthcare, and transport… but it isn’t until someone helps me with my bags that I suddenly think, “Oh, s#!t, am I meant to tip?” And more importantly, “How much?”
You don’t want to undertip and offend people, but overtipping can be just as bad, as I will discuss below. So whether you are planning ahead, or frantically googling to figure out how much to tip in Sierra Leone because someone is currently carrying your bags, fear not, I’ve got you covered! In this blog post, I will share everything you need to know about tipping in Sierra Leone.
What's in this post:
How, who, and how much should I tip in Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone is an emerging tourism destination, with an increasing number of intrepid travellers choosing to discover this amazing country. This is brilliant news for Sierra Leone’s economy, leading to an increase in jobs within the services sector. However, ensuring that people are rewarded appropriately is important, which is why I wanted to create this tipping etiquette guide.
Tipping in Sierra Leone: why it’s important to get it right
Tipping in Sierra Leone is not compulsory, but it is greatly appreciated and should reflect the quality of service received. However, there are some extra considerations to bear in mind too.
Your tip can make a massive difference!
Sierra Leone is the 13th poorest country in the world, with a GNI (gross national income) per capita of only $510 a year—that’s an average monthly salary of $42.50/£34. If you are like me, hearing those stats will likely make you want to help by being generous with your tipping. But overtipping can do as much harm as good. Here are some considerations you need to bear in mind before showing your gratitude with cash.
It needs to be appropriate
There is a big issue across many developing countries where unskilled workers make more money in tips than skilled workers, leading to locals not seeing the benefit of investing in their skills. This is a crucial consideration as it devalues the overall workforce.
I have made this mistake. During my first trip to Sierra Leone, I had to wait an hour for the boat from Lungi Airport to Freetown. A very friendly young lad who worked for the boat company kept me company. He taught me some Krio and told me about his family. He had a pretty devastating life story; he had lost his father and was now the sole provider for his mother and two sisters. He was only 22. I hadn’t exchanged any money and my smallest note was $5, so that is what I tipped him. That was a small amount to me, yet I knew it would make a big difference to him. Of course, I made his day!
However, let’s now put that into a broader context. A teacher in Sierra Leone earns, on average, $62.25/£50 a month. They work in challenging conditions with limited resources and no means to earn tips. I had just tipped an unskilled worker (a very friendly one) 8% of a teacher’s salary! If he works his charm with one customer on every crossing, he could easily out-earn a teacher just in tips. So why train to be a teacher when you can carry bags on and off boats?
If you want to read more about the challenges of the education system in Sierra Leone, I encourage you to find out why I was there in the first place!
Don’t reward bad service
I don’t regret giving him $5. After all, he made me feel safe in a completely alien country that everyone had warned me was “dangerous”. And safety is priceless! We still chat to this day, and he is always at the airport, ready to greet me whenever I return. But I can acknowledge now that it was proportionally too much.
The tip you give should always be proportional to the service you receive. Don’t reward bad service! Tourism is one of the fastest-growing markets in Sierra Leone right now, and it is the early visitors that shape the behaviours of service staff for future visitors. I’m sure we have all been to touristy places where a tip is expected regardless of the quality of service. Sadly, that behaviour exists thanks to previous guests who rewarded it.
Consider providing feedback
If the situation feels right, then provide candid feedback on what they could have done differently to get a bigger tip. Of course, make sure you read the situation before doing this. Not everyone will appreciate feedback, and sometimes it is best done retrospectively. But you would be surprised how often it is appreciated so long as you deliver it in the right way!
However, one thing to be mindful of when giving feedback is that your expectations shouldn’t be the same as at home. Just because we operate in a certain way at home, doesn’t mean it is the best way.
An example of a time I provided someone with feedback was during my Sierra Leone Cultural Immersion Tour last year. Our guide had been brilliant as he showed us around Bunce Island. However, he approached one of the guests at lunch to tell them about his hardship and ask for money. This made the guest feel uncomfortable, and as a result, the guest chose not to tip. I explained the situation to the guide. I also explained why his actions would make most Western guests feel uncomfortable and why, as a result, the tip was smaller. At the same time though, I gave him some sales advice that would help him reframe his request in a way that would make future guests gladly support his cause by giving him an insight into Western mentality.
I recently got a message from him to let me know it’s working great and that he is getting much better reviews and much bigger tips!
Be aware of your safety
I hate to write this, but sometimes a tip is necessary for safety reasons. When I went to Banana Island in 2023, we drove to Kent Beach and got the boat from there. Loads of young lads came to help us with the bags. There were 5 of us and 12 of them. I tipped the guy who had carried my bag, and the other travellers I was with did the same. However, those who hadn’t carried our bags also demanded tips. And to make matters worse, those to whom we had already given money started claiming they hadn’t been tipped either. I won’t lie, it was a tense situation.
We were with a guide at the time, and he just got them all to stand in line and gave them each 10 SSL (50 cents/40 pence). This calmed the situation down, and they returned to being friendly.
I hated doing this as it rewarded bad behaviour, but at the time, it was the right thing to do to ensure everyone’s safety. Would they have done something? I don’t know, but I didn’t want to find out!
Our guide discussed the matters with the chief afterwards, which I hope means the issue has been resolved for future guests.
How could we have avoided it?
To those 12 young lads, those 50 cents/ 40 pence made a difference. $6/£5 split between 5 of us was nothing. In retrospect, I wish I’d created an opportunity for each of them, giving them a chance to be helpful and earn a tip. We all had second bags, so rather than just letting them carry the big bags, maybe we could have asked them to help with the small bags too. Then, we could have tipped each one of them before the situation became tense.
Another alternative, since we were there as a group, and since we were dealing with a group, would have been for our guide to collect the tips to hand out.
You can read more tips about staying safe in developing countries in this blog post.
What to do if people ask you for money?
It is not uncommon for people to ask you for money. I suppose it’s a form of begging, but it is usually done after they have befriended you or after they have done something helpful that you didn’t actually want help with (like helping you cross the road). As tourists, we don’t want to be continuously handing out money. It isn’t sustainable and risks turning tourists into walking cash machines. This could have negative consequences down the line, especially if this generosity becomes an expectation that, if not fulfilled, can turn sour (like we saw with the young lads on Kent Beach).
One of the best ways to say no politely is to use krio. Say the phrase “money not der, but love der”. A literal translation would be “money not there, but love there”, meaning “I don’t have money, but I have love”. Using this phrase usually goes down very well.
Chief’s rule in Sierra Leone
If you are travelling without a guide, always seek out the village chief to show your respects. It is customary to provide an offering (or small payment) of no more than 100 SLL ($5/£4). In exchange for this, you will receive incredible hospitality.
So, how much should you actually tip in Sierra Leone?
With everything we have discussed in mind, I would recommend the following tips:
– Baggage handler, concierge, or anybody else that helps you with a small act of kindness: between 10 SLL (50 cents/ 40 pence) and 30 SLL ($1.50/£1.20), depending on how much they have gone above and beyond.
– Tour Guides: If in a group I’d tip between 50 SLL ($2.50/£2) and 100 SLL ($5/£4) depending on the quality and length of the tour. If it’s a private tour I’d tip between 100 SLL ($5/£4) and 200 SLL ($10/£8). When choosing to tip your guide, I would always consider the quality of the tour, the length of the tour, and whether the guide had to tip anyone themselves. Ultimately it should reflect the quality of the service you have received. There have been exceptions where my tip has exceeded that noted because the service, knowledge and individual truly impressed me.
– Restaurants: 10%-15% of the bill
Tip small, but tip more
My motto in Sierra Leone is to spread my love to ensure I reach as broad an audience as possible. If someone provides me with good service, I will give them a tip, meaning everyone I interact with in hotels will receive something, even if it is only small (as my coffers are not bottomless).
I also make sure to give more than just money. I always bring with me sanitary products as these are expensive and not accessible to all. I also contact the hotels I am staying at and the guides I work with to find out if they want me to bring anything for them. The requests have always surprised me, from chargers for laptops and phones to raincoats and swimming costumes for babies!
If you really want to make a difference, spend money in the community
If there is one thing that I have learned from my time with Street Child is that you can make a huge difference simply by spending your money locally. Buy fruits and drinks from street vendors. Go into the local shop. Enjoy a drink at the bar. Say yes to a coconut! There are many ways to make a difference while empowering locals.
A final tip for tipping in Sierra Leone (lots of tips there!)
Whenever possible, always tip in the local currency! After the mistake I made on my first visit, I always exchange a small amount at the airport to see me through to my hotel in Freetown.
I hope you found the above useful.
Do you have any advice you’d like to share when it comes to tipping in Sierra Leone?