Mauritius
Figures & Facts
Population: 1.2 Million
Currency: Rand (ZAR)
Time: 2 hours ahead of GMT
Area: 1 219 090 square kilometres
With trade accounting for about 120.5% of GDP the economy Mauritius is highly open and strongly linked to other markets.
Consolidating the country’s small domestic market through regional economic integration is one of the key elements of the authorities’ growth strategy. The foreign policy aims at negotiating favourable access to other countries for its exports and positioning itself as an economic hub in the region.
Positioned between Africa and Asia with strong economic ties to the euro area, Mauritius is strategically positioned to be an economic hub, bridging value chains in the three economic blocks.
It is a member of:
- Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA);
- Southern African Development Community (SADC);
- Actively takes part in the Tri-partite Free Trade Area negotiations;
- Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union.
Sectors of importance:
- Sugar;
- Textiles;
- Services;
- Tourism;
- Financial Services;
- Seafood;