Mauritius Tops Polls As the Best Investment Country in Africa
As a smart international investor, it is only prudent that you invest your money in a country that at the very least has political stability, economic certainty and a high level of literacy. Business is largely driven by a mission of wealth maximization, if you also succeed to accomplish some corporate social responsibility, that is a side-plus but mainly entrepreneurs get into foreign investments to make money.
If you are thinking of investing in Africa, you might want to know that Mauritius has topped several polls as the best African country to invest in. For start there is the:
- Ibrahim Index of African Governance which ranked Mauritius as the best run African country.
- The Best Countries for Doing Business done by The World Bank gave Mauritius the number 1 post in Africa and ranked it 20th worldwide in its 2014’s report.
Apart from the above numbers and figures, Mauritius has beautiful sceneries comprising of beautiful tropical sunshine that has for long been attracting international foreigners to relocate their business and put up villas there. In addition to this, Mauritius boasts of having an employment rate of 92.9%, a literacy rate of 89.9%, a personal and corporate tax rate of 15% and an impressive low level of crime rates.
It also enjoys world-class healthcare system, beautiful beaches, good flight connections and the country’s population has a good grasp of both English and French making this country an easy emigration option. For those of you who know firsthand just how much bureaucracy can put bottle-necks on your business’s progress, Mauritius has a breeze approach to this. Applicants for Residence Permits or Occupation Permits go through the Board of Investment and within five working days you will be issued with your permit.
These deliberate efforts by the government of Mauritius to open up their country to foreign investors came after the falling down of the country’s sugar industry. An industry that in the 1970s contributed to about 75% of the GDP, but now the figure just stands at 1%. Mauritius strategy is to broaden its economy by capitalizing on its natural beautiful islands, through allowing high net individuals to own properties in specific designated areas through an investment program known as the Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS).
On top of that, the Mauritius Government gives residency to foreign investors who have spent over $500,000 on an IRS home, in addition to being granted permission to start their own business or seek out employment. So if you are considering investing in Africa, your first stop should be Mauritius: a small beautiful island on the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. The earlier the better, now that the word is out, you can be sure that international investors will be flocking there in their hundreds.