Mauritius made its most ambitious move yet to claim its place on the global cultural map when the island nation recently hosted the inaugural Mauritius Art and Culture Investment Summit (MACIS), a high-level forum designed to transform Mauritius into a leading art and cultural-tourism destination across Africa and the Indian Ocean region.

Born from the momentum of three successful editions of the Mauritius International Art Fair, MACIS marked a decisive step forward: from celebrating art to financing, developing, and sustaining a thriving creative economy.

The summit brought together policymakers, private sector leaders, investors, cultural institutions, and creatives across a focused, high-impact agenda.

Anchored on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the summit’s programme was designed to generate tangible outcomes: strategic partnerships, investment frameworks, and cross-regional collaboration connecting Mauritius with Seychelles, Madagascar, Réunion, Comoros, and beyond.

“Culture is not only a driver of identity, but a strategic economic asset. By fostering creative industries, cultural tourism, and heritage preservation, it generates employment, attracts investment, and strengthens global partnerships –turning cultural expression into tangible economic and social value,” Zaahirah Muthy, Founder, ZeeArts & Initiator of MACIS, said.

The inaugural edition featured an exceptional lineup of international voices, headlined by the presence of Christie’s Middle-East– the world’s leading auction house – in what marked a significant statement of confidence in the region’s cultural potential.

Running in parallel with the summit, the United for Climate (3rd edition), Art Exhibition also showcased artists from across the Indian Ocean islands working exclusively with recycled, repurposed, and reused materials.

Launched by ZeeArts Gallery, Dubai in collaboration with COP28 UAE, the exhibition reflected MACIS’s founding belief that creative expression and environmental responsibility are not in tension – they are inseparable.

In a region highly vulnerable to climate change, this initiative positioned Mauritius as a leader in climate-conscious cultural practice, and offered a platform for emerging artists to reach international audiences and collectors.

Today, Mauritius sits at a remarkable cultural crossroads. Its artistic identity is shaped by waves of African, Indian, Chinese, and European influence, producing a creative scene that is both richly layered and distinctively its own. Yet for all its cultural wealth, the island’s creative industries remain significantly underinvested.

The numbers tell a compelling story: across sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, the creative economy is projected to be worth over tens of billions by 2030, yet infrastructure, institutional frameworks, and access to capital remain underdeveloped.

Mauritius– with its stable governance, multilingual population, strategic location between Africa and Asia, and growing reputation as a financial hub – is therefore uniquely positioned to lead.
Globally, the African contemporary art market has surged in profile and value, with auction houses including Christie’s reporting record interest in works by African and diaspora artists.

MACIS however arrived at exactly the right moment to channel that momentum into structured, long-term investment.