On 25 May 2026, the Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Board (EDB), Mr. Mahen Kundasamy, had the pleasure of welcoming Ms. Jemima Schilling, Trade and Investment Commissioner for Africa at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), accompanied by Her Excellency Ms. Kate Chamley, High Commissioner of Australia to Mauritius, for discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral engagement and exploring avenues for enhanced cooperation between Mauritius and Australia.
The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to explore potential avenues for enhanced cooperation between Mauritius and Australia ahead of EDB’s participation in the Africa Down Under Conference scheduled for September 2026 in Perth.
Discussions encompassed a broad range of strategic areas of mutual interest, including:
- Strengthen the visibility of Mauritius in the Australian market and position the country as a strategic gateway for investment, trade, work and live opportunities.
- Enhancing awareness among Australian investors of the priority sectors in Mauritius that offer strong potential for investment, innovation, and technical collaboration particularly in blue economy, renewable energy, healthcare, education and agro-industrial sectors.
- Promoting Mauritius as an International Financial Centre (IFC) of choice for Australian mining companies seeking efficient and credible platforms for structuring their investments into Africa.
- Australian buyers to explore opportunities of utilising the Mauritius Freeport as a strategic platform for the duty-free export of goods to African and European markets, thus leveraging Mauritius’ extensive network of preferential trade agreements, world-class logistics facilities, and seamless access to key regional markets.
Her Excellency reiterated the strong and longstanding relationship between the two countries, underscoring the establishment of Curtin University in Mauritius as a key milestone in this partnership and few mining companies using Mauritius for their cross-border investment in Africa.
The discussion also explored the potential of a Double Tax Avoidance Agreement between the two countries for the Promotion of cross-border investment, increased in trade and economic cooperation, enhanced in financial and investment flows and the elimination of double taxation which will benefit both countries.
The discussions further examined potential areas of cooperation in the agro-industrial sector, with a focus on leveraging advanced technologies to enhance food security. This includes the introduction of mechanised harvesting methods, the promotion of smart agricultural practices, and the development of targeted training programmes to upskill farmers.
The CEO of the EDB expressed his sincere appreciation for the visit of the High Commissioner of Australia and Trade and Investment Commissioner for Africa and reiterated his strong commitment to maintaining close and constructive collaboration with Australia. He emphasised the importance of building on these promising discussions and translating them into concrete and impactful actions. This collaborative approach aims to unlock new opportunities for trade and investment.
