In this recent discussion Mr Sabastian Stent who joined the island in April as SHG’s marketing manager shared that the community is overlooking immense value in everyday items. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” he said, pointing to several examples.

He suggested wild mango seeds, often seen as a pest, could be packaged and sold as an “exotic pink peppercorn” for “10 pounds a jar.” He also compared the island’s volcanic mud to similar products from the Azores, where he noted “volcanic clay face masks sell for 125 pounds for 60 ml.”

“Around us right now, we have some of the purest, most amazing ocean anywhere in the world,” Mr. Stent added, suggesting local sea salt could be a premium product, unlike “Himalayan pink salt” which he noted doesn’t come from the sea.

Mr. Stent, who has an extensive background in “big tech” including a role as a product growth manager for Facebook in Sub-Saharan Africa, said his goal is to help St. Helena “see its worth.” He described the island as having a “hangover” and a loss of “self-confidence” following the end of the airport construction boom.

His strategy focuses on combining these unique local assets with the “knowledge economy” powered by the island’s new high-speed internet. He believes Saints can “earn a fortune from the internet,” developing and marketing products like the island’s high-end coffee, which he refers to “fledgling industry” as well as high-value tuna for sushi markets.

Mr. Stent also pointed to the “Nagi” plant, suggesting that instead of being an invasive pest, it holds “a thousand medicinal uses” for common health issues like diabetes and blood pressure.

He defined his broad role as not only supporting tourism but also attracting vital investment and immigration to fill the island’s “missing middle” (ages 20-40).

Stating he is on a local contract, Mr. Stent said his motivation is not personal profit but “to help Saints do them for themselves.”

“I see nothing but potential in St. Helena,” he concluded.