Mauritius isn't a third world country

I’ve had potential clients express concern about hiring someone from Mauritius because they believe a tiny island in the Indian ocean must be devoid of infrastructure, and basic facilities like a fast Internet connection, and electricity, all of which are required for productive remote work.

In this post, I’ll tell you why this is untrue, and how Mauritius is better than bigger countries like India, and others in mainland Africa.

Mauritius and the Third World

Anyone who read Factfulness by Hans Rosling knows that the term third-world is a misnomer. On the scale 1-4, where 4 could be a country like France, Mauritius easily ranks as 3. But let’s use that term anyway for people unfamiliar with history.

If you believe Mauritius is a third world country, then you believe some of the following are true:

• No paved roads or damaged ones
• No/Slow Internet connection
• Unreliable electricity
• No drinking water
• Inefficient education system
• No access to basic healthcare
• Unstable political system like the rest of Africa.

All of which are completely wrong.

Roads

A quick look on Google Maps street view will show you that Mauritius has roads comparable to stable European countries. Any European who visits Mauritius for the first time will be shocked at how good the infrastructure is. Granted, we still have some potholes here and there, but the idea that you need a monster truck to be able to explore the island is preposterous.

Internet Connection

Would you believe me if I said that Mauritian people can afford 1Gbps Internet Connection powered by fibre optic cables? Take a look at MyT, which is our main service provider. See how the minimum speed anyone can get is a stable 50Mbps. Stable because it’s fully functional fibre optic.

People who don’t like wires can use 5G. That’s right, we’ve got 5G too. Mauritians are fully connected to the Internet.

Water and Electricity

With a small population of about 1.3 million individuals, Mauritius is able to provide the majority of people with stable electricity and clean drinking water straight from the tap.

Most poor countries are unable to provide their citizens with a basic need like drinking water because of an inefficient sewage system and overwhelming population, but here, the Government is able to manage just fine.

A tiny percentage of people still don’t have stable electricity and constant supply of water, but only because they live in remote areas, and note the word stable because they still have access. I might experience a blackout (typically a few minutes and few hours on rare occasions) up to 5x times per month because I live in a small village, but this problem can be rectified if I move to a bigger city or town, which I’m not doing because of my love for peace and quiet.

Education and Healthcare

Mauritius provides free education up to secondary level, and free healthcare for everyone.

Anyone who graduates high school is able to speak and write fluent English, and French. Our secondary education is proctored by the University of Cambridge, which means that our level is similar to that of the United Kingdom.

Everyone has access to free healthcare regardless of their income. The rate of infant mortality is insignificant, while diseases such as malaria, rabies, dengue fever, etc, have been eradicated. Cancer patients receive free treatment, and diabetes patients get free insulin shots. You get a sore throat due to bacterial infection? Free antibiotics for you at any public hospital.

As you can imagine, no one is living in extreme poverty.

Politics and the Economy

With a GBP per capita about four times higher than India, Mauritians are able to experience a high standard of living thanks to politicians who aren’t completely corrupt, and a population that isn’t overgrowing it’s resources.

The economy remained relatively stable even during the Covid pandemic, despite the lack of tourism, which is our main source of income. The government has been trying to turn the island into a sort of Singapore in the African continent, which is quite visionary.

Today, the main concern of most Mauritian families is whether they want to go to the beach this weekend, or stay at home and binge watch Netflix, while eating pizza. Which is typically a problem attributed to citizens of first world countries.

Conclusion

I merely scratched the surface in this post but it should have cleared many of the misconceptions you had about my country, and that you have nothing to fear when it comes to hiring.

Mauritius will never be as rich as the United States, or even a small state like Singapore because we don’t have any leverage considering the location, but we’re doing well in eradicating poverty, and helping everyone live comfortable lives.

I encourage you to read more about the island to see how we’re able to remain a stable independent nation, and also visit if you can because it has one of the best beaches you can swim in, as well as the cleanest air you can breathe.