Mauritius and the Man Who Wrought Its Miracle

Earlier this morning, I agonized at the way young Africans are ignoring genuine transformational political leaders, but instead have lionized reactionary revolutionaries who have soiled the continent. I mentioned Seretse Khama of Botswana and Seewoosagur Ramgoolam of Mauritius. These two leaders are not well known on the continent, Ramgoolam even more so from the comments I got. So, I have decided to write something about the Island of Mauritius and the leader who made them tick.

In 1968, the tiny island nation of Mauritius gained independence from British colonial rule. Surrounded by turquoise waters and sugarcane fields, it was easy to romanticize Mauritius. But beneath its postcard beauty was a fragile, uncertain state. At the time, Mauritius had no natural resources, a mono-crop economy almost entirely reliant on sugar, and a deeply divided population composed of Hindus, Muslims, Creoles, Chinese, and Franco-Mauritians. Many predicted it would become “another failed postcolonial African state.”

But Mauritius defied the odds. Today, it is one of Africa’s most stable democracies and most diversified economies. It ranks high in governance, press freedom, and ease of doing business. The story of how this transformation happened cannot be told without the man who guided the nation through its most critical years: Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam.

Born in 1900 to indentured laborer parents, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam’s journey mirrored that of his country: from marginalization to mastery. Around 5, he enrolled in a Catholic-run school without his mother’s knowledge. At the age of seven, Ramgoolam lost his father and at the age of twelve, he suffered a serious accident in a cowshed that cost him his left eye.

The family scrapping funds together, especially from his brother, he went to study in London, qualified as a doctor, and returned to Mauritius with not just medical knowledge but also political ideas about justice, equity, and democratic participation.

While studying, he once went to Paris where he purchased copies of the books of André Gide and André Malraux with both of whom he struck friendship. Politically, Nobel winner, André Paul Guillaume Gide, considered by the New York Times as “France’s greatest contemporary man of letters” was quite influential in Ramgoolam’s life. At the beginning of his intellectual life in the 1920s, Gide was a vocal critic of British and French imperialism and sympathetic to Communism. While the former persisted, the latter changed after his 1936 journey to the USSR where he saw the cruel rule of Soviet imperialism. By the 1940s, he had shifted towards more traditional values and repudiated Communism as an idea.

So, while many African statemen flirted with the idea of communism in the 50s and 60s, Ramgoolam already knew what he did he want. Even while studying medicine at the University College London, he attended lectures at the London School of Economics where the dictates of markets and personal freedom were extolled.

After his studies, he left for Mauritius. Ramgoolam rose to political leadership at a time when Mauritius was preparing for independence. Though he was a Hindu in a Hindu-majority country, Ramgoolam understood the dangers of majoritarianism. He famously said, “We cannot build a nation on the fear of one group and the dominance of another.” His leadership prioritized inclusion.

At independence, Ramgoolam insisted on a Westminster-style parliamentary system, complete with checks and balances, a functioning judiciary, and respect for minority rights. Many expected ethnic clashes, especially given the tensions between Indo-Mauritians and the Creole population. In fact, the opposition had lobbied the British to integrate Mauritus into its domain instead of independence for fear of iron rule by the Hindus. Ramgoolam proved that their fears were unfounded.

Instead of fanning the flames, Ramgoolam sought to cool them. His cabinets were multi-ethnic. Political compromises were struck. Representation was negotiated rather than imposed.

In a continent where the promise of democracy often withered under strongman rule, Ramgoolam even stepped down peacefully after losing the 1982 elections. That act alone helped cement a culture of democratic transition rare in postcolonial Africa.

At independence, sugar made up over 90% of Mauritius’ exports. The economy was a monoculture. Ramgoolam knew this was unsustainable. Working with experts from the IMF and World Bank, he began a long-term project to diversify the economy. The cornerstone was the Export Processing Zone (EPZ), established in the 1970s. It offered tax incentives and infrastructure support to attract foreign investors in textiles and manufacturing.

Unlike in other countries where IMF and World Bank structural adjustment programs led to protests and austerity backlash, Mauritius integrated recommendations pragmatically, without gutting social protections. These institutions, often criticized across the continent, were instrumental in helping Mauritius adopt sound macroeconomic policies, improve its investment climate, and plan for sustainable diversification.

This policy was transformative. By the 1990s, Mauritius was no longer just a sugar island. It had a booming textile sector, a thriving tourism industry, and a growing financial services market. Today, services make up over 70% of the country’s GDP. These include:

By comparison, many African nations, such as the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, and even Nigeria, remain heavily dependent on a single export or sector for foreign revenue and have struggled to build a strong services industry.

Ramgoolam believed that true independence meant investing in education and health. He expanded access to free primary and secondary education and improved healthcare facilities across the island. Literacy soared. Life expectancy rose. Mauritius began producing a skilled workforce that could power its economic ambitions.

Today, Mauritius boasts a literacy rate of over 91%, one of the highest in Africa. Its population is around 1.3 million, yet it competes with much larger nations in innovation and economic output.

Life expectancy in Mauritus is 75 years. For comparison, it is 54 in Nigeria.

Mauritius has a GDP per capita of over $11,000, placing it firmly in the category of upper-middle-income countries, ahead of not only most of Africa but also many countries in Asia and Latin America. This places Mauritius in the company of nations like Brazil, Turkey, and Thailand.

Anecdotes abound of Ramgoolam visiting rural schools and hospitals, often personally ensuring budgets were not misused. During one visit to a coastal village, he reportedly insisted that a planned road project be delayed until a broken clinic was repaired.

When Ramgoolam died on December 15, 1985, he was 85 years old. He passed away after a brief illness in Port Louis. Though no longer in power, he was widely revered as the founding father of modern Mauritius. His funeral drew tens of thousands in mourning, and he was buried with full state honors.

Mauritius today:

What makes Mauritius’ story so powerful is not just its outcome, but its origins. It began with nothing but sugar, sea, and suspicion. Ramgoolam chose unity over domination, prudence over populism, and institutions over improvisation.

In a world that often overlooks small nations, Mauritius, like Botswana, rarely grabs headlines the way countries like Nigeria, Kenya, or South Africa do. Yet its quiet, consistent success story is no less significant. Some might be tempted to dismiss Mauritius’s achievements, claiming, “Well, it’s because it’s a small country.” But size alone doesn’t guarantee prosperity. After all, China, with over a billion people, has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, while similarly populous nations like Pakistan and Nigeria continue to struggle. Likewise, many small African states, such as Comoros or São Tomé and Príncipe, remain mired in political instability and economic stagnation

That Mauritius has avoided these traps is nothing short of remarkable.

It remains a miracle in the tropics, a shining example of what’s possible when a nation commits itself to inclusion, education, good governance, respect for human dignity, and long-term thinking. And it all began with the vision, moderation, and humility of one man who believed his island could be more than just a sugar plantation. He was right.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, like Sir Seretse Khama of Botswana, is the kind of leader young Africans should study, celebrate, and emulate because of the lasting peace and opportunity they made possible to their people. These were people who, like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, stood against the beauty of ideas in favor of what works.