The 9th Edition of the Annual Africa Pension Funds and Alternative Investments Conference (PI Africa 2026) arrives at a pivotal moment for institutional capital on the continent. As Mauritius continues to solidify its reputation as a sophisticated financial hub, the Economic Development Board (EDB) remains at the forefront of driving high-quality investment into the region. In an interview, Mahen Kundasamy, CEO of the EDB, discusses the strategic evolution of the jurisdiction from a simple gateway to a “high-substance, regional value anchor”.
Mr Kundasamy details the robust legal frameworks and innovative structures, such as Variable Capital Companies (VCCs), that offer global investors unparalleled security and predictability. He further explores the EDB’s proactive role in “de-risking” African investments and fostering a green finance ecosystem backed by the latest ESG guidelines. This dialogue provides essential insights into how Mauritius is aligning with global compliance standards to translate strategic interest into long-term, high-yield partnerships across the African growth story. Excerpts:
1. As CEO of the Economic Development Board, your mandate includes attracting and facilitating high-quality investment into Mauritius and through Mauritius into Africa. How is the EDB working to position Mauritius as a preferred platform for African and global institutional investors seeking long-term, stable investment opportunities?
Our strategy is built on a fundamental shift from being a gateway to becoming a high-substance, regional value anchor. We have grown into a sophisticated ecosystem where global entities relocate their core operations to leverage on a business environment engineered to scale up their businesses. This evolution is supported by our array of products, including our Global Business (GBC) regime and the Variable Capital Companies (VCC) structure, alongside other niche and innovative investment vehicles.
Our value proposition rests on three pillars. First are legal certainty and predictability. For institutional investors, the primary concern is capital protection. Our hybrid legal system offers a unique global advantage by seamlessly integrating the flexibility of English Common Law for corporate governance with the robust protections of the French Civil Code for property and contracts. This provides a stress-tested framework that eliminates the legal ambiguity often found in emerging markets.
Second is the “De-Risking” factor. Investing in Africa involves navigating significant regional hurdles. Mauritius acts as the prime de-risking platform. Strategic domiciliation in Mauritius allows institutional investors to leverage our ironclad legal framework, ensuring long-term and maximum sovereign protection.
Finally, as a leading member of the African Union, SADC, and COMESA, we are an African nation that simultaneously meets the highest global compliance standards (OECD/FATF). This allows institutional investors to capture the “Africa growth story” while remaining within a globally recognised, compliant regulatory environment. By choosing Mauritius, investors are securing their interests within a jurisdiction of excellence.
2. What concrete steps is the EDB taking to deepen Mauritius’ investment ecosystem — particularly in areas such as fund structuring, private markets, and sustainable finance — to ensure that the jurisdiction remains competitive and relevant for large institutional investors?
We recognise that how a product looks on paper and how it functions in the real world are often two different realities, therefore, deepening our ecosystem is a high-level team effort. While the EDB is the primary point of contact for investors, the structural evolution of our jurisdiction is driven by a strategic synergy between ourselves, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Financial Services and Economic Planning and the Regulatory Authorities. Our role at the EDB is to act as the vital bridge between the global industry and our policymakers.
We don’t just advocate for new products; we work to “emancipate” existing frameworks, tailoring them to ensure they are fit-for-purpose in a competitive global market.
In sustainable finance, this collective approach is equally evident. While the EDB positions Mauritius as the hub for African “Impact Capital,” the FSC has solidified our credibility by issuing the “Disclosure and Reporting Guidelines for ESG Funds” in 2025. By engaging in constant dialogue with the regulators, the EDB ensures that these transparency mandates remain practical rather than purely bureaucratic. We channel on-the-ground intelligence back into the regulatory process to ensure our green finance ecosystem is robust, anti-greenwashing, and most importantly investor-friendly. This integrated approach ensures that our ecosystem is not just compliant, but operationally superior for large-scale institutional capital.
3. In your experience, what are the key factors that convert investor interest into actual capital flows, and how does the EDB work with regulators, industry and platforms like PI Africa to help translate strategic dialogue into real investments and partnerships?
Converting strategic dialogue into capital flow is a function of trust, speed, and institutional alignment. Building on the collaborative framework mentioned earlier, the EDB acts as the “Engine of Execution,” bridging the gap between an investor’s intent and a project’s activation. We recognise that the most sophisticated fund structure is useless if the human and administrative mechanics of the jurisdiction are slow or opaque.
To ensure this transition is seamless, the EDB leverages its own regulatory functions to eliminate friction. For institutional investors and fund managers, the relocation is critical. We proactively manage the Occupation Permit (OP) and Residence Permit frameworks, ensuring that the “centre of gravity” for decision-making can move to Mauritius with zero administrative lag. By facilitating the rapid deployment of key investment professionals, we transform a strategic “intent to invest” into a fully operational presence.
Furthermore, our conversion strategy is based on proactive, inter-departmental synergy. We do not work in isolation; we are in constant, high-level dialogue with the Ministries, regulatory bodies and private sector stakeholders to troubleshoot bottlenecks before they become barriers. Whether it is clarifying “rules of engagement” for new asset classes or troubleshooting specific bank-opening hurdles, the EDB acts as the institutional advocate for the investor. By providing this facilitation and leveraging our DTAA and IPPA networks to guarantee capital protection, we ensure that interest at platforms like PI Africa is definitively translated into protected, long-term, and high-yield investment partnerships.
