Mauritius tops Africa in the 2026 Global Investment Index
Nine countries on the continent are among the top 100 global investment destinations
Written by: Mohammed Omran
The 2026 Henley & Partners Investment Migration Advancement Index, released by Henley & Partners in collaboration with AlphaGeo, highlights significant progress in several African economies. Nine countries from the continent are now among the top 100 most attractive investment destinations globally, compared to just three countries in the previous year.
This improvement reflects the evolution of governance, increased macroeconomic stability, and enhanced resilience, despite ongoing challenges related to infrastructure, financing constraints, and political risks in some regions of the continent.
The index covers 226 countries and territories and relies on approximately 3,000 data points, measuring five categories of risk, including political and regulatory risks, inflation, currency volatility, and climate risks, alongside eight resilience indicators that include governance, innovation, economic complexity, climate change adaptability, social progress, financial capacity, human capital, and overall resilience.
Countries that exceed a statistical confidence level of 85% are ranked according to a total score ranging from 0 to 100.
Mauritius continues to lead the African continent, ranking 61st globally, followed by Tanzania (62nd), Botswana (63rd), Seychelles (79th), Cape Verde (88th), Namibia (90th), South Africa (95th), Morocco (98th), and Tunisia (100th). Côte d'Ivoire ranks 108th, and Ghana ranks 140th, with the top nine countries representing the only African economies within the top 100 global economies.
Divergent development paths within the continent
These results reflect the divergent development paths within the continent. Mauritius benefits from a stable regulatory environment, strong institutions, and a developed financial sector, while Tanzania has made progress thanks to macroeconomic stability and improved growth prospects. Botswana is among the best-managed economies in Africa, supported by prudent natural resource management and low political risk.
Côte d'Ivoire and Benin's improved ranking among the most resilient African economies reflects investments in infrastructure, modernization of public administration, and business environment reforms. Meanwhile, Ghana maintains its position despite economic challenges, thanks to its strong entrepreneurial ecosystem and digital economy.
Globally, Switzerland continues to lead as the most resilient investment destination, followed by Denmark, Norway, Singapore, and Sweden. The top-ranked economies combine good governance, low exposure to geopolitical and climate risks, and a high capacity for innovation.
The report indicates that investment risk perceptions are rapidly changing amid escalating geopolitical tensions, increasing fragmentation of global trade, and rising extreme climate events, with updated data included to measure the impact of geopolitical shocks on global investment attractiveness.
Juerg Steffen, CEO of Henley & Partners, said that investors are no longer just looking for high returns, but are increasingly attaching importance to countries that are resilient and adaptable to crises, emphasizing that resilience has become as important as profitability in international investment decisions.
Regarding Africa, the report indicates that this progress is positive, but it does not hide the existing challenges, as many economies still face constraints related to security risks, high public debt, reliance on commodity exports, and weak industrial diversification.
The report emphasizes that improving governance, regulatory stability, innovation, and infrastructure remains essential for attracting long-term investments.
However, the 2026 edition shows that a growing number of African economies continue to improve their standing in risk and resilience indices, with the number of African countries within the top 100 investment destinations rising from three to nine, reflecting a gradual strengthening of the continent's position as an investment destination despite global volatility.
