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Mauritius: African Success Story

Author

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  • Frankel, Jeffrey

    (Harvard University)

Abstract
What explains the economic success of Mauritius, a top performer among African countries? How did it develop a manufacturing sector and how has it managed to respond well to new external shocks? This paper draws on the history of the island, the writings of foreign economists, the ideas of locals, and the results of econometric tests. Mauritius has mostly followed good policies, including: creating a well-managed Export Processing Zone, conducting diplomacy regarding trade preferences, spending on education, avoiding currency overvaluation, and facilitating business. The good policies can in turn be traced back to good institutions, including property rights (particularly non-expropriation of sugar plantations), abjuration of an army, and a parliamentary structure with comprehensive participation (in the form of representation for rural districts and ethnic minorities; the "best loser system," ever-changing coalition governments, and cabinet power-sharing in cabinet). But from where did the good institutions come? They were chosen around the time of independence (1968). Why in Mauritius and not elsewhere? Luck? Some fundamental geographic and historical determinants of trade and rule of law help explain why average income is lower in Africa than elsewhere, and trade and rule of law help explain performance in Africa just as they do worldwide. Despite those two econometric findings, the fundamental determinants are not much help in explaining relative performance within Africa. The fundamental determinants that work worldwide but not within Africa are remoteness, tropics, size and fragmentation. (Access to the sea is the one fundamental geographic determinant of trade and income that is always important.) A case in point is the high level of ethnic diversity in Mauritius, which in many places would make for dysfunctional politics. Here, however, it brings cosmopolitan benefits. The institutions manage to balance the ethnic groups; none is excluded from the system. It is intriguing that the three African countries with the highest governance rankings (Mauritius, Seychelles and Cape Verde) are all islands that had no indigenous population. It helps that everyone came from somewhere else.

Suggested Citation

  • Frankel, Jeffrey, 2010. "Mauritius: African Success Story," Working Paper Series rwp10-036, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:harjfk:rwp10-036
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    2. Katsiaryna Svirydzenka & Martin Petri, 2017. "Mauritius: The Drivers of Growth – Can the Past Be Extended?," Journal of Banking and Financial Economics, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 2(8), pages 54-83, October.
    3. Augustin Kwasi Fosu & Dede Woade Gafa, 2020. "Development Strategies for the Vulnerable Small Island Developing States (SIDS)," Working Papers 202073, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    4. Jorge Braga de Macedo & Luís Brites Pereira, 2014. "Cape Verde and Mozambique as Development Successes in West and Southern Africa," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume IV: Sustainable Growth, pages 203-293, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Adjnu Damar Ladkoo & Shweta Riddhimah Dhurmah, 2018. "The Positioning of Mauritius as the Gateway to African Investments after the Review of the Mauritius- India Double Taxation Agreement," Business and Economic Research, Macrothink Institute, vol. 8(2), pages 127-153, June.
    6. Daniel Lederman & Justin T. Lesniak, 2018. "Open and Nimble," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 28544.
    7. Xavier Cirera & Francesca Foliano & Michael Gasiorek, 2016. "The impact of preferences on developing countries’ exports to the European Union: bilateral gravity modelling at the product level," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 59-102, February.
    8. Thorvaldur Gylfason & Gylfi Zoega, 2017. "The Dutch Disease in Reverse: Iceland's Natural Experiment," CESifo Working Paper Series 6513, CESifo.
    9. Oleg Badunenko & Daniel Henderson & Romain Houssa, 2014. "Significant drivers of growth in Africa," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 339-354, December.
    10. Sebil Olalekan Oshota & Bashir Adelowo Wahab, 2022. "Institutional Quality and Intra-Regional Trade Flows: Evidence from ECOWAS," Journal of African Trade, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 73-106, December.
    11. Thorvaldur Gylfason, 2011. "Natural Resource Endowment: A Mixed Blessing?," CESifo Working Paper Series 3353, CESifo.
    12. Nir Kshetri, 2023. "The nature and sources of international variation in formal institutions related to initial coin offerings: preliminary findings and a research agenda," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-38, December.
    13. Mr. Antonio David & Mr. Martin Petri, 2013. "Inclusive Growth and the Incidence of Fiscal Policy in Mauritius: Much Progress, But More Could be Done," IMF Working Papers 2013/116, International Monetary Fund.
    14. Roshini Brizmohun & Diana Alessandrini & Valentina Hartarska, 2021. "Gender wage gap in small islands: Effect of a policy framework in Mauritius," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 2207-2229, November.
    15. Vinaye Dey Ancharaz & Harshana Kasseeah, 2016. "Surviving Chinese Competition in a Post-Multi-Fibre Arrangement World," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 8(1), pages 35-59, January.
    16. Mullings, Robert & Mahabir, Aruneema, 2018. "Growth by Destination: The Role of Trade in Africa’s Recent Growth Episode," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 243-261.
    17. Ahmadou Aly Mbaye & Stephen Golub & Anastasia Vasilyeva, 2019. "Senegal’s International Competitiveness and Employment Creation for Women and Youth. The Product Space Analysis and Fieldwork Findings," Working Papers idrcdprusenegal, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    18. Zenthöfer, A.F., 2011. "The Resource Curse - A Natural Experiment," Discussion Paper 2011-028, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    19. Jorge Braga de Macedo, 2012. "Cape Verde’s foreign policy: an economic perspective," Nova SBE Working Paper Series wp572, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics.
    20. Angelica E. Njuguna & Emmanuel Nnadozie, 2022. "Investment Climate and Foreign Direct Investment in Africa: The Role of Ease of Doing Business," Journal of African Trade, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 23-46, December.
    21. Fanny Hoogstoel & Sékou Samadoulougou & Vincent Lorant & Fati Kirakoya-Samadoulougou, 2021. "A Latent Class Analysis of Health Lifestyles in Relation to Suicidality among Adolescents in Mauritius," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-15, June.
    22. Thorvaldur Gylfason & Gylfi Zoega, 2014. "The Dutch Disease in Reverse: Iceland’s Natural Experiment," OxCarre Working Papers 138, Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies, University of Oxford.
    23. Thorvaldur Gylfason & Jean-Pascal Nguessa Nganou, 2014. "Diversification, Dutch Disease, and Economic Growth: Options for Uganda," CESifo Working Paper Series 5095, CESifo.

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    JEL classification:

    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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