Dr. Jyoti Jeetun, Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning, was invited to the 12th edition of the Africa CEO Forum, held on May 12 and 13, 2025, in Abidjan. Organized by the Groupe Jeune Afrique and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and dedicated to the development of the private sector in emerging markets, this forum is recognized as the leading private sector event in Africa.
The 2025 edition brought together over 2,800 participants, including ten heads of state — among them Alassane Ouattara (Ivory Coast), Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), and Paul Kagame (Rwanda) — fifty ministers, and many leaders of global institutions and major companies.
Around thirty Mauritian companies from the financial sector participated in the event with the aim of developing new partnerships and strengthening economic ties with African countries. The strong Mauritian presence at the Forum — including MCB, CIEL, Eclosia, Nexus, AFG Capital, and Peach Payments — confirms that Mauritius is seen as a credible, stable platform focused on Africa, capable of attracting international institutions and facilitating investment on the continent.
A Mauritian Voice on the African Stage
Minister Dr. Jyoti Jeetun participated in a panel discussion on the topic: “Cost of Capital Crisis: How Can African Business Turn Geopolitical Shifts to Its Advantage?” This session, moderated by Mr. David Pilling, Africa Editor of the Financial Times, was attended by approximately 230 African decision-makers from across the continent.
The Minister also delivered the opening speech at an AfricaRe event on the role of insurance and reinsurance in financing development.
Mauritius Attracts Interest from International Stakeholders
On the sidelines of the Forum, Minister Dr. Jyoti Jeetun led a series of strategic meetings to promote the Mauritius International Financial Centre (MIFC), generating significant interest in Mauritius as a platform for establishment.
Mr. Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the OECD, expressed his willingness to collaborate within the framework of a future ‘Country Programme’. With Mr. Troy Fitrell, Senior Official of the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, discussions focused on fintech and the “Open Skies” agreement aimed at improving air connectivity in Africa.
Mr. John Humphrey, UK Trade Commissioner for Africa, and Steven Gray, Head of UK Export Finance, discussed capacity building and the support that British institutions can provide to Mauritius. Mr. Roland Siller, CEO of DEG — Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, the German development finance institution and subsidiary of the KfW Group — praised Mauritius’s role as a reference financial platform for investment in Africa.
Discussions also took place with the CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation, a pan-African Multilateral DFI, on Mauritius’s membership, which is currently being finalized, as well as on infrastructure projects and non-debt financing options. The CEO of Atlantic Finance Group (AFG), a key institution operating in Ivory Coast and West African countries, presented his strategy for developing financing and wealth management services from Mauritius.
