What Is Needed to Turn Its Potential into Real Investment?

From Investment Opportunities to Bankable Projects

By Anthony Kon
12 September 2026

South Sudan offers promising economic opportunities across agriculture, livestock, fisheries, mining, energy, infrastructure, tourism, logistics and regional trade. Its natural resources, strategic location and extensive development needs create genuine opportunities for domestic investors and South Sudanese in the diaspora, as well as regional and international investors. However, as I emphasize in my book, Investing in South Sudan, an abundance of opportunities is not sufficient by itself to attract investment. The real challenge is to transform the country’s potential into well-prepared projects that can be financed and implemented, supported by the information investors and financial institutions need to assess their feasibility, evaluate their risks and make informed investment decisions.

The task facing South Sudan is therefore not limited to convincing investors that opportunities exist. Those opportunities must also be presented clearly and professionally so that investors can examine them and assess their feasibility. This requires reliable information, effective institutions, suitable infrastructure, realistic financing structures and practical access to markets. In my view, investment promotion must move beyond the general presentation of resources towards the preparation of integrated projects built on sound foundations, with a clear path from the initial idea to financing and implementation.

From Economic Potential to Investment Readiness

This process begins by distinguishing between the existence of economic potential and the achievement of investment readiness. In my book, I explain the difference between investment opportunities and bankable projects. Investment opportunities represent broad economic possibilities, whereas bankable projects have been prepared sufficiently to undergo serious technical, commercial, financial, environmental and institutional assessment.

To undertake such assessments, investors need to know where the proposed projects will be located, which markets they will serve, what infrastructure they will require, which institutions will be responsible for them and how they could be financed. Investors must also understand the legal and administrative pathways for these projects, their principal risks and the practical steps required to move from initial interest to actual implementation.

Describing projects as bankable does not mean that they are entirely free from risk, particularly in emerging markets. It means that their principal risks have been clearly identified and can be assessed, allocated, priced and managed through credible arrangements. General statements about abundant resources may generate initial interest, but serious investors require sufficient information before deciding to commission feasibility studies, begin due diligence and consider financing the projects.

On this basis, I believe South Sudan’s most persuasive investment message should not merely emphasize that the country possesses considerable resources. It should also explain how those resources can be connected to the institutions, infrastructure, financing and markets required to establish sustainable productive enterprises. The true value of investment opportunities lies not simply in their existence, but in the possibility of transforming them into clearly defined projects ready for financing and implementation.

Resources Need Functioning Economic Systems

The discussion of investment readiness leads directly to the importance of the economic systems surrounding resources. I emphasize in the book that resources cannot achieve their full economic value unless the systems and services required to use them productively are in place.

Agricultural potential requires clear legal arrangements governing land use, as well as water, roads, financing, storage, processing and access to markets. Livestock development requires effective veterinary services, quarantine and processing facilities, cold chains, health and standards certification, and reliable markets. Fisheries need suitable landing sites, preservation and processing facilities, and effective transportation and distribution networks. Investment in mining requires credible geological information, clear and transparent licensing procedures, suitable infrastructure, environmental safeguards and responsible arrangements for involving local communities.

South Sudan’s opportunities should therefore not be presented as resources isolated from their economic environment, but as parts of integrated systems. Fertile land without transportation, storage and market access may remain economically underused. Livestock unsupported by animal-health services and export infrastructure may be unable to reach higher-value markets. Similarly, mineral resources may not attract serious investors without credible geological information, a clear licensing system and infrastructure capable of supporting development.

Project preparation should consequently identify what is already available, what remains missing and which practical steps are required to address the gaps. Effective preparation transforms resources from broad economic possibilities into clearly defined projects capable of being assessed, financed, implemented and sustained.

Information Is Part of Investment Infrastructure

Projects cannot be properly prepared without reliable information. I therefore regard information as an essential component of investment infrastructure. Investors need clear data on production, demand, transportation costs, energy supplies, labour availability, taxation, markets and anticipated project costs. Public institutions need the same information to establish priorities, plan infrastructure, monitor implementation and understand why some investment projects progress while others remain at the stage of announcements and preliminary interest.

South Sudan should not present opportunities as though they were fully prepared and free from risk, or as though every aspect had already been clarified and resolved. Serious investors understand the challenges facing developing economies. A candid presentation of what is known, what still requires verification and what needs further study and preparation is more credible than assurances unsupported by adequate evidence. Where information is incomplete, that limitation should be disclosed clearly. Confirmed data must also be distinguished from preliminary estimates, while opportunities still under consideration should not be presented as commercially ready projects.

Reliable information also helps public institutions distinguish investors with genuine financial and technical capacity from speculative actors seeking land, licences, concessions or incentives without the ability or intention to implement productive projects. For this reason, I do not regard data as a secondary administrative matter. I see it as an essential instrument for building investor confidence, improving decision-making and supporting national economic planning.

Preparing a Coherent Set of Credible Investment Projects

If information provides the basis for assessing opportunities, project preparation is the means through which that information is translated into practical investment propositions. I therefore believe that investment promotion must be closely connected to project preparation. South Sudan should move beyond general invitations to invest and prepare an organized set of proposed projects in sectors that represent national priorities.

These projects do not need to be fully prepared or entirely financed from the outset. They should, however, contain enough reliable information to enable qualified investors to determine whether they merit further technical, commercial and financial assessment. Each investment proposition should identify the project’s location, economic purpose, target market, responsible institutions, infrastructure requirements, principal risks and expected public benefits.

Some projects may require feasibility studies, supporting infrastructure, improved security conditions or stronger environmental and community safeguards before they can attract financing. Others may require phased implementation, blended or concessional financing, or partnerships involving the government, the private sector and development-finance institutions.

Acknowledging these requirements does not diminish South Sudan’s attractiveness as an investment destination. Rather, it demonstrates seriousness and realism in presenting the available opportunities. Responsible investors are more likely to consider a clear and candid account of opportunities and challenges than promises unsupported by adequate preparation. Projects also become more credible when their challenges are disclosed clearly and accompanied by a practical approach to addressing them and moving towards financing and implementation.

Moving from the Promotion Stage to Implementation

Once projects have been properly prepared, the next task is to present them to investors and potential partners. Investment conferences, diplomatic efforts and promotional missions can introduce them to the opportunities available in South Sudan. The success of these activities, however, should not be measured solely by the number of participants, the extent of media coverage, or the number of memoranda of understanding and projects announced. Their real value lies in their ability to convert investor interest into practical steps that begin with examining projects and confirming their feasibility, proceed to arranging finance and ultimately lead to implementation and productive economic activity.

Forums that rely mainly on general statements may succeed in attracting attention, but they may not produce practical results. Forums that present well-prepared projects in sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, health, tourism, logistics and energy provide a stronger foundation for serious discussion and negotiation. When investors are presented with clearly defined projects—such as agro-processing facilities, logistics centres, cold-chain networks, healthcare partnerships, digital platforms or transportation projects—they can examine the proposals and assess their feasibility. Discussions can then focus on practical matters, including costs, responsibilities, risks, markets, financing and implementation requirements.

For this reason, I advocate project-based economic diplomacy. Instead of extending only general invitations to investors, South Sudan should present specific and well-prepared propositions. Each proposition should explain the project’s requirements, the institutions responsible for it, the risks that must be managed and the public benefits expected from it. In this way, economic diplomacy moves beyond merely introducing opportunities towards supporting projects capable of securing finance and reaching implementation.

From Project Announcements to Tangible Economic Results

Reaching the implementation stage is not, however, the final objective, because the true value of investments is determined by the results they produce. Investment success should therefore not be measured solely by the number of registered investors, investment certificates issued, agreements signed or projects announced. The true measure of success is whether those investments become operating and productive enterprises that increase production, create employment, develop skills, support local suppliers, expand exports, strengthen public revenue and generate sustainable benefits for local communities.

South Sudan’s opportunities are genuine and should be assessed realistically, without exaggerating their scale or diminishing their importance because of the existing challenges. I believe a responsible approach recognizes the country’s potential while explaining the conditions required to convert it into tangible economic results. This requires sound project preparation, reliable information, effective institutional coordination, realistic financing and continuous monitoring of implementation.

In conclusion, South Sudan’s investment approach must move from general promotion to the preparation of credible projects, from broadly presenting potential to offering clear and bankable propositions, and from announcing projects to implementing them and achieving tangible economic results. I believe this transition is essential to attracting investments that do more than bring capital into the country—investments that contribute directly to increased production, job creation and South Sudan’s long-term development.

Further Information

This article addresses some of the central ideas involved in transforming South Sudan’s economic opportunities into projects capable of securing finance and reaching implementation. For a broader analysis of project preparation, sector readiness, financing, institutional coordination, public-private partnerships, infrastructure, trade corridors and market access, readers may refer to my book:

Investing in South Sudan: Opportunities, Risks, Reforms, and Pathways to Economic Transformation—Volume I: Foundations, Corridors, and Market Access.

Related links: Author biography | Where to buy | Amazon author page

The book provides a broader and more detailed analysis of these issues, supported by evidence and sector studies, together with practical proposals for reform.