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Rokel Commercial Bank (RCBank) has been publicly praised for enabling seamless international transactions using the Leone currency an advancement that highlights Sierra Leone’s growing digital economy and underscores the bank’s pioneering role in modern banking across the subregion.
Writing from London, prominent Sierra Leonean public figure Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden shared a personal experience that highlights RCBank’s growing global footprint. During a casual lunch outing in the UK, she was able to settle a £28 restaurant bill using her Rokel Bank VISA Debit Card, which is directly linked to a Leone account in Freetown.
“Yes, I paid with Leones here in London,” she wrote with patriotic pride. “The waiter used my Rokel bank card, and the amount was instantly deducted from my account in Freetown charged in pounds, paid in Leones.”
What impressed her further was the instant mobile SMS confirmation she received through her Africell mobile number, which detailed the exact amount debited and the remaining balance in her account. Africell’s international roaming service ensured she received updates in real-time, bridging geographical gaps through innovative telecom-finance synergy.
Dr. Blyden also commended Africell’s AfriMoney platform for its collaboration with BnB, allowing users to transfer funds from Leone accounts in Sierra Leone directly to UK bank accounts. Citing a recent example, she explained how she paid her London hairdresser using AfriMoney from her Freetown-based account instantly and securely even during the weekend.
“These kinds of technological breakthroughs are redefining how we interact with our money abroad,” she noted, adding, “I don’t need pounds in the UK. My Leones work just fine thanks to our digital economy powered by banks like Rokel and mobile services like Africell.”
Her post ended with glowing acknowledgments to Dr. Walton Gilpin, Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank, and Shadi Gerjawi, CEO of Africell Sierra Leone, for championing financial innovation. She also credited Finance Minister Dr. Sheku Fantamadi Bangura and Bank of Sierra Leone Governor Dr. Ibrahim Stevens for creating a conducive policy environment that encourages digital transformation.
With Sierra Leoneans now able to conduct real-time global payments in local currency, Rokel Commercial Bank’s commitment to financial inclusion and digital modernization stands as a shining example of homegrown success with international impact.
To say, you don’t need pounds in the UK is misleading. One cannot even use dollars in the UK without converting it to the sterling before talking about the Leones.
I have a UBA visa card I have been using for over three years now. I buy machines in England and sell back home. Buyers pay for the machines in my local UBA bank account and I use my visa card to shop here in the UK. I have used my card to shop in sainsbury, buy fuel in different fuel stations and buy machines and pay through PayPal using my visa card.
This is a non story, she just need attention.
You sound very angry. Dr. Blyden has brought key attention to services that some of us never knew existed Mr. Patrick Dore. Tell her thank you.
So you think parroting your personal shopping habits somehow invalidates a broader point? Relax, this isn’t a memoir of your UBA Visa card’s adventures in the UK.
No one denied that you need pounds to spend in the UK. What was said is clearly about practicality and alternative payment channels—not some fantasy where people carry Leones to British supermarkets. Your entire rant reads like a desperate attempt to show off rather than contribute anything meaningful.
You call it a non-story, but you’re the one dragging a simple statement into an autobiography. If someone needs attention here, it’s the one who can’t stand seeing others share useful info without inserting his tired narrative.
Next time, either contribute with clarity or keep scrolling.