There are considered to be five pillars of the Mauritian economy: sugar; textiles and manufacturing; tourism and hospitality; financial services; and ICT. Mauritius has one of the strongest economies of the African countries and has successfully diversified from a mainly sugar-based economy to include tourism and textile exportation from the 1980s onwards, with the newer financial and ICT sectors being added later.

Part of the strength of the Mauritian economy lies in the relative stability of its government, the perception of a high degree of democracy, certainly when compared to other African countries, and an independent judiciary. Other strengths include its ability to attract foreign investors and gain access to foreign markets, respect for private property, good exchange rate management, and streamlined regulation.