Absa Picks Mauritius for Group Meeting in June 2026
During a visit to Mauritius in April 2026, Absa Group Executive for Africa, Charles Russon, announced that the banking giant has decided to hold its group meeting in Mauritius in June 2026. Thus, he was recently in Mauritius on a scouting mission and met with all relevant stakeholders.
The decision to select Mauritius is partly motivated by the uncertainty in the Middle East. “There was a real shock, a seismic shift in the financial hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Doha. It has forced organizations to rethink their positioning. What is the alternative?”, mulls Russon in this particular context.
Mauritius naturally stands out as a credible alternative for enterprises planning to expand on the African continent. “If you want to do business in Africa, Mauritius appears as a logical choice. But it also depends on the way Mauritius presents and positions itself.“
”The world moves fast and waits for no one. If Mauritius does not position itself correctly, it will not be able to capture this capital flux. Mauritius must do all it can to facilitate things; investors will simply go where their interests are best served.”
Absa Group Executive for Africa, Charles Russon
Mauritius does have a few cards in hand. It has a mature regulatory framework with good governance and respect for the rule of law. Another aspect is the multicultural and multilingual abilities of the Mauritian professionals. From Mauritius, a multinational can easily reach both Anglophone and Francophone Africa.
Ravin Dajee, CEO of Absa Mauritius, could not agree further. He concurs: “Mauritius has a solid and well-regulated offshore banking sector, which has significant assets under management (#AUM). Mauritius can certainly play a role in redirecting capital flows that previously went through the Middle East.” Agility is the name of the game to seize the opportunities.
By selecting Mauritius to host its global meeting, Absa Group is sending a clear signal to the global financial community about its confidence in the Mauritius jurisdiction and the significant role it can play in driving investments into Africa.
Over the past three decades since the inception of the Mauritius International Financial Center (#IFC), it is estimated that the jurisdiction has managed to cumulatively mobilize nearly USD 100 billion into Africa, representing nearly 10% of all #FDI stock into Africa.