With a global economy in the midst of turbulent transformation, the role of capital markets in powering growth and sustainability has never been more important. In a recent GlobalData webinar, now available to stream on demand, experts unpacked how Mauritius is fast becoming a strategic launchpad for accessing investment opportunities across Africa.
Hosted by GlobalData economists Tom Hopkins and Ollie Brown, the webinar opened with an economic backdrop: global capital expenditure in foreign direct investment (FDI) has surged by 44% since 2019, even as the number of FDI projects has declined. This signals a new era of selectivity and strategy, where investors seek more than just opportunity; they want resilience, regulation, and sustainability.
Over the last three decades, Mauritius has carefully positioned itself as a credible and compliant international financial centre, aligning its legal system with both French and British law and adhering to all 40 Financial Action Task Force recommendations. With no harmful tax practices, automatic tax information exchange agreements, and a robust regulatory environment, it offers a stable, trusted platform for investors.
In this webinar, Sunil Benimadhu, executive director of the Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM), traced the country’s transformation from a modest domestic exchange to a thriving multi-asset, multi-currency, internationally recognised platform. With more than $7 billion raised on SEM since 2009 and more than 180 securities currently listed, Mauritius is proving its mettle in capital mobilisation for both local and international issuers. Particularly noteworthy is SEM’s push towards ESG-led listings, including green bonds and sustainability-linked instruments, supporting the global transition to a low-carbon economy.
The webinar also welcomes Afrinex CEO Krishna Gangopadhyay, who showcased Afrinex’s tailored financial ecosystem, featuring everything from a dedicated green finance platform to an innovative electronic capital-raising portal. With a market cap of more than $13.5 billion and 99% of its listings from international entities, Afrinex demonstrates the growing global appetite for Mauritius-based listings. Its success is built on its investor-first, tech-enabled model, providing efficient, secure, and transparent processes for global capital flows.
Jessica Naga, CEO of Mindex, a digital exchange redefining the asset landscape in Mauritius, also joins the discussion. From securities to real-world assets and tokenised funds, Mindex leverages the island’s pioneering virtual asset legislation to allow for seamless trading, storage, and fractionalisation via blockchain.
At the heart of all three institutions is a shared ambition to make Mauritius the definitive gateway to African markets. With platforms such as SEM, Afrinex, and Mindex working in tandem to connect investors to capital, ideas to infrastructure, and ambition to sustainability, Mauritius is setting the benchmark for what a modern, agile, and responsible financial hub should look like.
For those looking to understand the shifting tides of global FDI and the mechanisms behind sustainable finance in emerging markets, this webinar is essential viewing. Watch it now on demand and see why Mauritius is becoming the cornerstone of Africa’s financial future.
Now available to watch on demand, sign up below to learn how Mauritius and capital market innovation is unlocking Africa’s potential.
