Africa-Press – Mauritius. A few months back, investors unveiled plans of setting up a global multimedia hub in the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius.
Touted as “Africa’s first integrated, international hub for the media and creative industries,” the envisaged MediaCity Mauritius will be based within the Beau Plan smart city.
It remains to be seen if Mauritius can sidestep the general inertia and endless delays that have plagued other smart cities on the continent.
From Nigeria to Kenya to Senegal, there is no shortage of projects with shiny, impressive prospecti, grand utopian visions, but oftentimes little to show in terms of feasibility, practicality, and work on the ground.
All this, as Mauritius’ former appeal as an attractive investment destination where business could easily be conducted, is recently getting overshadowed by reports of rising authoritarianism, human rights abuses, and online surveillance scandals.
