Manufacturing Industry

With over 50 years of sustained growth and recognised as the driving force of Mauritius’ industrialisation, the Textile & Apparel (T&A) industry remains a pillar of the Mauritian economy. In 2024, total T&A exports reached MUR 20.0 billion, reaffirming the sector’s central role in national manufacturing and export performance.

Mauritius is today a key exporter of textile and apparel in Sub-Saharan Africa, backed by a unique combination of technical expertise, product innovation and ethical manufacturing.

With an extensive network of trade agreements, Mauritius enjoys over 70% preferential market access, offering Mauritian T&A products a significant preferential margin ranging from 25% to 44.1% in major export destinations. A highly competitive fiscal regime of 3% corporate tax on profits derived from exports, coupled with investment rebates and incentives, further strengthens the country’s attractiveness as a preferred destination for textile and apparel investment.

Mauritian manufacturers have built a reputation as reliable suppliers of premium-quality apparel to world-renowned fashion retailers and brands such as Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Calvin Klein, Woolworths, Truworths, Cape Union Mart, Levi’s and Fabiani, among many others. The industry’s product portfolio is broad and sophisticated, spanning T-shirts, denim, shirts, trousers, high-end suits, sportswear, childrenswear, pullovers, uniforms, beachwear, and lingerie.

Over the past five decades, the sector has moved from basic Cut-Make (CM) operations to Full Package Production, supported by vertically integrated supply chains. Mauritian manufacturers are deeply committed to responsible and sustainable production, complying with internationally recognised certifications and standards including GOTS, OEKO-TEX, Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), REACH, SMETA, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Mauritius stands out as a strong global player in beverages segment. The Island natural uniqueness results into exotic beverages and alcoholic drinks. Producers’ inspirations and recipes have transformed into novel drinks flavors such as moringa juice, non-alcoholic cocktails and herbal tea infusions.

Mauritius produces both Agricultural Rums (distilled from fresh-cut sugar cane juice) & Traditional Rums (molasses-based rums). With such a rich seam of history and heritage to draw on, Mauritian spirits are well placed to capitalize on this trend, offering a broad range of styles and flavours. Mauritius makes some truly exceptional rums, but where it stands out from its competitors, is in its infusions. The island distillers and bottlers have innovated to bring a large spirits segment, ranging from Cane-Vodka, tropical fruits Lychee and Victoria Pineapple wines to Beer.

In line with the vision of graduating the offering of the classic Mauritian Rums to a new level of sophistication, a large variety of infused rums has been introduced, which uses the island’s local fruits and spices, such as Queen Victoria pineapples, vanilla beans, coffee, ginger, chillies, coconut and passion fruits. As opposed to tasting like a sweet syrup, the outcome is a flavoursome, palatable spirit with hints of coffee, roasted vanilla, spicy chilli and tart passion fruit.

Rum being part of Mauritius’ cultural heritage has been to reach out among global drink lovers. Today, we have a range of over 35 rums performing exceptionally in international tasting competitions such as London Spirits Competition, China Wine & Spirit Awards, The Spirits Business, World Rum Awards, World Spirits Awards, German Rum Awards, Ultimate Spirits Challenge and International Wine & Spirit Competition amongst others. Mauritian rums are distributed throughout Europe, Africa, US and Asia.

This sector main attributes are:

• Companies: 21 companies: 6 Distillers
• Brands: +30
• Export Destinations: +20

Mauritius has a long history of skilled craftsmanship in jewellery that contributed to the production of high-end jewellery for both local and international brands. Today, the Jewellery Sector represents an important segment of the country’s economy, with total exports amounting to MUR 6 billion (2023). We currently export cut and polished diamond, high-quality jewellery, as well as costume jewellery to Vietnam, France, Belgium, Switzerland, USA and Germany.

Besides traditional gold and gemstone jewellery, local manufacturers have expanded and diversified their offerings into other types of jewellery such as silver and costume jewellery to cater for different market segments.

Mauritius is engaged in positioning itself as a hub for manufacturing and trading of diamond and high-end jewellery products. The country has historically been a popular destination for jewellery investors mainly due to its favourable business environment, access to skilled artisans and craftsmen, duty exemption, policies on import and export of precious metals and precious stones and duty-free access to around 50% of the world’s population.

With an employment of around 13,500 persons, that represents 22% of total jobs generated in the manufacturing industry, the Light Engineering cluster exported to the tune of MUR 17 Bn in 2023.

This cluster remains the engine of the industrial sector as it generates both primary and secondary supplies for the local and regional markets. The Light Engineering sector manufactures a substantial diversity of products ranging from basic engineering materials to high-tech. This wide portfolio includes furniture, plastic, printing & packaging, through to basic metal and chemicals up to high precision metal engineering, electronics, optical, watch parts and OEMs.

Today, the country proudly houses a growing number of high-tech manufacturing enterprises using state-of-the-art technologies. This promising sector is expected to experience export leaps in the coming years with the rise of African industrialization, generating demand for electronic consumer goods and equipment. The Light Engineering Sector is poised to becoming an important engine for our renewable energy transition. As a small island state with an important sustainability agenda, the sector will be key to pushing for eco-friendly operations by increasing access to the supply of solar panels, electric batteries, and eco-friendly mobility.

Mauritius has a total maritime zone of 2.3 million square kilometers with an Exclusive Economic Zone of 1.96 million square kilometers and a continental shelf of 396,000 square kilometers co-managed with the Republic of Seychelles.

The Seafood Processing sector is growing as one of the strongest pillars of our economy with a total export value of MUR 16,1 Billion in 2023. Mauritius is amongst the topmost African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) exporters of canned tuna to the European Union (EU). Our offering includes canned tuna, pre-cooked vacuum-packed tuna loins, frozen tuna loins/steaks, frozen fish fillets, fresh chilled whole fish/fish fillets, smoked fish, salted fish, fish oil and fish meal.

The Mauritius seafood hub has facilities for trading, transshipment, storage and warehousing, processing, distribution and re-export of fresh, chilled and frozen raw or value-added seafood products.