Seychelles, Mauritius, Cape Verde
Seychelles, Mauritius and Cape Verde "best in Africa"

afrol News, 25 July - Three small island nations are the best places to live in Africa, according to a thorough report. The Human Development Report for 2002, comparing living conditions all over the world, only includes three sub-Saharan African nations among the top-100 of the total of 173 listed countries; Seychelles, Mauritius and Cape Verde. 

The Seychelles are listed number 47 in the report, far ahead of several Central and Eastern European countries. The Indian Ocean archipelago scares high on most indicators used in the report. Life expectancy at birth is almost 73 years and the adult literacy rate reached 88 percent. The high GDP per capita of US$ 12,508 is however the single factor that most contributes to the Seychelles' high score.

A bit further down on the list, Indian Ocean island Mauritius is found, ranking number 67. The Mauritian scores are comparable to the Seychellois, although somewhat lower on all indicators. Life expectancy at birth is 71.3 years and the adult literacy rate reaches 84.5 percent. Also in Mauritius, the high GDP per capita of US$ 10,017 is the single factor that most contributes to the country's high score.

Cape Verde, an Atlantic Ocean archipelago, is found at number 100 in the list, closer to the bulk of African countries but still remarkably better off. Life expectancy at birth is almost 70 years and the adult literacy rate reaches 73.8 percent - the factor most contributing to the relatively low score. The Cape Verdean GDP per capita is set at US$ 4,863; less than half of its Indian Ocean competition. 

The best of the continental sub-Saharan African countries is South Africa, rated number 107 (life expectancy 52 years; adult literacy 85 percent; and GDP per capita US$ 9,401). All the 27 least developed countries in the world are African, with Sierra Leone ranking as the worst place to live. Here, life expectancy is 39 years; adult literacy 36 percent; and GDP per capita US$ 490.

The positive numbers for these three island nations cannot only be explained by a historic advantage to the continental nations. The set of statistics also gives historical data, going back to the situation in 1970-75. While all these three nations were somewhat better off than most of the continental nations in 1970-75, most of the difference is however made up of a higher development speed during the last decades.

Cape Verde most clearly has experienced a markedly positive development over the long run. Life expectancy has increased by 11 years over these three decades. This compares to a 3.5-year increase for Sub-Saharan Africa and means that the archipelago has bypassed the world average life expectancy and that of the groups of Arab countries and of countries of Central Europe and the Ex-Soviet Union.

Mauritius counts an increase of life expectancy by 8 years, which is also a remarkable gain; 1.5 more than the world average. For the Seychelles, figures are unavailable, but undoubtedly will be parallel.

But what is the advantage of these three nations? Is it the healthy sea air? Surely not, as the example of the Comoros (listed number 137) shows. The island status of "splendid isolation" will however have influenced the positive developments. The last three decades have shown that the African continental neighbourhood is not the healthiest of environs, as most continental nations have suffered destabilisation due to war or unrest in neighbouring countries. 

The spread of disturbing elements is clearly discouraged by the island status. This includes the spread of arms and it includes diseases. The latter is of great importance, considering the AIDS pandemic. While HIV prevalence reaches around 30 percent in Southern Africa, on the islands to the east, far less than 1 percent of the population has HIV/AIDS. The same goes for Cape Verde. 

Blaming it on the neighbours however will never give the entire explanation. Good governance, democracy, investments and social policies are far more important. Except the Seychelles - which earns its living on luxury tourism - the island states are truly dedicated to democracy. All three are politically stable. All attract foreign investments. 

None of them have important natural resources - maybe except the Seychellois landscape. Their successes therefore rest on auto-development.

Sources: Based on UNDP and afrol archives