With a GDP per capita of USD 17,670 — the highest in Africa — and tourism up 13% in 2025, Seychelles enters 2026-2027 with a dual strategy: cementing its status as an international financial centre and monetising its vast maritime capital. The two agendas reinforce each other.
A Financial Centre Moving Upmarket
The Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA) secured an OECD « Largely Compliant » rating in 2025 on tax information exchange standards, enabling the country to exit the European Union's list of non-cooperative jurisdictions. « Growth and good governance go together », said FSA CEO Pascal Morin.
On digital assets, Seychelles adopted the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, creating a licensing framework for crypto-asset service providers — a regulatory head start attracting Web3 players seeking a credible COMESA-zone jurisdiction.
The Blue Economy: 1.3 Million km² of Opportunity
The Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone covers 1.3 million km² — one of the world's largest relative to land area. The archipelago produces 20% of global canned tuna, and its fisheries sector is generating rising revenues following the renewal of the EU fishing agreement worth €23 million over four years.
The expansion of Victoria port and the redevelopment of Mahé international airport are under active tender, positioning Seychelles as a logistics hub for the western Indian Ocean.
Premium Tourism: Quality over Volume
Seychelles' tourism strategy is clear: « high value, low impact ». The archipelago rejects mass tourism to protect its ecosystems and maintain its global premium positioning. Tourism grew 13% in 2025, with hotels upgrading to meet European tour operators' sustainability standards.
Why It Matters
Seychelles demonstrates that a small island state can simultaneously build an international financial centre, monetise its natural capital and maintain Africa's highest GDP per capita. It is a model that resonates across the Indian Ocean — Mauritius, Comoros, Maldives — and is attracting private capital seeking stable jurisdictions in a fast-changing region.