Mauritius vies with larger African neighbors to be continental hub

Posted on : Friday, 25th September 2015

As Mauritius developed into one of Africa’s wealthiest and advanced nations, the island nation’s focus tended to be far beyond the shores of its home continent.

With sugar, textiles and financial services the mainstays of its economy, the country’s traditional trading partners have been Europe, India and the US.

In terms of Mauritian exports only two African nations — South Africa and Madagascar — registered in its top 10 partners last year. For imports, only South Africa makes a showing in the top 10.

But a combination of factors has shifted the mindset of both public and private sectors in recent years and today all the talk is of Africa being a driving force behind the nation’s next stage of development.