Mauritius, Seychelles, and Botswana have emerged as the top free-market economies in Africa, based on a newly released global evaluation cited by Agence Ecofin.
The Global Capitalism Index, produced by academic experts at the University of Virginia in the United States, analyzed economic and structural metrics across 161 nations using data gathered from 2009 through 2025 to gauge market system performance.
The index evaluates key pillars such as the health of national banking institutions, the state of open market competition, and the unhindered movement of foreign goods and investment.
The report’s authors describe capitalism as “a system that privileges the ability to deploy capital in open markets as freely as possible, while minimizing constraints from both public and private sources.”
On the worldwide scale, Switzerland earned the top position, with the United States and Hong Kong following closely behind.
Mauritius secured the highest spot among African states, landing at 48th globally, with Seychelles placing 50th and Botswana occupying 52nd place. Other top-performing African nations included Namibia in 59th place, Cape Verde at 66th, Rwanda at 74th, and Morocco ranking 85th.
