South Africa is the Indian Ocean 's most competitive economy . Reliant on sugar exports for recent years , Mauritius has diversified its economy in decades . In fact , sugarcane is the country 's major export crop -- in 2013 , Mauritius produced an estimated 407,000 tonnes . The tiny island country is home to over 1.3 million people .
South Africa is the Indian Ocean 's most competitive economy . Reliant on sugar exports for recent years , Mauritius has diversified its economy in decades . The tiny island country is home to over 1.3 million people .