South Africans buying up property in the most peaceful country in Africa

According to preliminary estimates published by the Bank of Mauritius, foreign direct investment in Mauritius’ real estate industry climbed 13% to almost 24 billion rupees (R9.5 billion) in 2024.

Acquisitions of properties, including luxury villas and apartments, totalled 18.6 billion rupees (R7.4 billion), a 33.8% increase from R5.5 billion in 2023.

This means that estate investment accounted for almost three-quarters (70%) of total inflows into Mauritius last year. 

Interestingly, France and South Africa were the top sources of direct investment in Mauritius last year, representing 42% of the total.

In 2024, South Africans invested 4.66 billion rupees (R1.8 billion) in Mauritius, 22.6% more than the previous year. 

According to the 2024 Africa Wealth Report, Africa’s millionaire population will surge by 65% over the next decade. 

Mauritius is among the top 10 countries experiencing this wealth explosion, with its millionaire population expected to grow 95% by 2033.

Lance Lawson, Business Development Consultant at Sovereign Group, has previously saidthat Mauritius is emerging as a wealth hub due to its economic growth and strategic policies that favour foreign investment. 

“Its political and economic stability, coupled with its relative affordability and proximity, makes the country highly attractive to South African HNWIs looking to invest in sub-Saharan Africa.”

He added that luxury real estate is a popular investment choice in these destinations, offering potential income, capital appreciation, and flexibility for families with members in different locations.

Considering this, the Mauritian government plans to capitalise on this foreign investment and interest in the small country. 

The new government is developing measures to complement its property-investment program and encourage wealthy people to set up family offices in the country and participate in other sectors of the local economy.

“We want to tap into the ultra-wealthy segment,” Dhaneshwar Damry, the junior minister of finance, said in an interview with Bloomberg earlier this year. 

“We are going to continue to focus on real estate as a priority sector, but there will also be other priority sectors.”

The most peaceful country in Africa

With ongoing challenges in South Africa, including economic instability, high crime rates, and concerns over the future, many South Africans are increasingly looking to Mauritius as a secure and attractive retirement destination.

Safety has long been a notable concern for those who choose to seek a future outside the country’s borders, and the reasons for this are evident. 

The annual ranking compiled by the Mexican Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice in association with the Mexican Commission on Human Rights shows that South African cities continue to rank among the most dangerous in the world. 

The ranking has been compiled annually for over a decade and lists the 50 most violent cities in the world by the number of murders per 100,000 people.

Only cities with populations exceeding 300,000 where murder statistics are available are considered for the ranking, but at least three major South African metros have qualified since 2013.

In the 2024/25 ranking, five South African cities made the cut, again led by Gqeberha, with Buffalo City joining for the first time.

Cape Town, Gqeberha (listed as Nelson Mandela Bay) and Durban have been on the ranking since 2013. Johannesburg entered in 2015.

In contrast, Mauritius consistently ranks as one of the most peaceful countries in the world, and the most peaceful in Africa. 

According to the latest Global Peace Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Mauritius, Botswana, and Namibia are Africa’s most peaceful nations in 2025.

The index tracks peace trends across 163 countries and territories, covering 99.7% of the global population. It uses 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators grouped into three categories.

These are safety and security (including terrorism and homicide rates), the extent of ongoing conflicts (such as civil wars or cross-border disputes), and militarisation (including defence spending, troop numbers, and access to nuclear weapons).

Each country receives a score between 0 (ideal peace) and 5 (extreme violence). 

Mauritius ranks 26th globally with a score of 1.586, maintaining its position as the most peaceful country in Africa for the 18th straight year. 

The Indian Ocean island outperformed several developed nations, including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.

Mauritius

Issued on BusinessTech by Malcolm Libera | https://businesstech.co.za/news/property/828969/south-africans-buying-up-property-in-the-most-peaceful-country-in-africa/