How is Cape Verde positioning itself to attract international invest-ment, and what are the key advantages for investors looking to use Cape Verde as a gateway to other African markets? 

Cape Verde sits at the heart of the middle Atlantic corridor, making it a crucial link between Europe, the United States, the African continent, and even Eastern markets like China.

We aspire to be a gateway, a bridge, and a facilitator of this strategic triangulation. 

It is a safe, democratic nation where the rule of law prevails. Private invest-ment and property rights are constitutionally protected, ensuring legal certainty and security for investors. These intangible strengths form the foundation of Cape Verde’s role in the Atlantic corridor and its connection to Africa, and the country is committed to preserving them. 

At the same time, fiscal discipline is important to us, and our budget deficit is limited to 3% of GDP, while short and medium term public debt is capped at 60% of GDP. This ensures long-term macroeconomic stability, with consistently low inflation below 2%, a solid balance of pay-ments, and foreign reserves covering six months of imports. The central bank operates independently, executing monetary policy to safeguard the fixed peg and currency convertibility.

Beyond stability, Cape Verde offers vast economic opportunities. There is potential in the blue economy, digital economy, energy transition, creative industries, knowledge economy, healthcare, financial services, and even agriculture. The country aims to attract medium and large enterprises to produce services locally and export them to global markets. 

Tourism remains a pillar of the econ-omy, with Cape Verde welcoming over 1.1 million visitors annually. This strong tourism sector also serves as a test market for products before ex-pansion into international markets. However, we are determined to diver-sify beyond tourism, expanding into digital innovation, renewable energy, financial services, and sustainable in-dustries. 

We are seeking private investment to address challenges in transport, infrastructure, and healthcare while leveraging opportunities in tourism, the blue economy, and beyond. Investors will find not just a profitable market but also access to the broader ECOWAS and African economies. We are open to national, foreign, and diaspora in-vestors, encouraging long-term com-mitments that drive growth and accelerate development. 

In 2024, the real GDP was ex-pected to grow by 5.1%, and you have said that you are aiming for GDP growth of more than 10% in the medium term. What specific sectors do you expect to contrib-ute to this growth and provide the best opportunities for investors? 

Cape Verde's development hinges on three critical sectors. The first is connectivity and mobility linking the islands to each other and the world through air, maritime, and technological infrastructure. We are investing in ports, airports, and transport systems to enhance accessibility and reliability. Submarine cables play a crucial role in technological connectivity; we already have two in operation and are working towards additional connections, including the Medusa cable. Human connectivity is equally vital, ensuring our education system equips young Cape Verdeans with skills in science, technology, and languages to compete globally. 

The second pillar is climate action, with energy security at its core. We currently rely on imported fuel, making us vulnerable to disruptions. Our goal is to transition to renewable energysolar, wind, and green hydrogen—targeting 30% by 2026, 50% by 2030, and over 80% by 2040. This shift is crucial not just for cost reduc-tion but also for water production, as desalination depends on energy. We are advancing a circular economy, optimising energy, water, and sanita-tion, aiming for 100% access in a sustainable, efficient system. 

The third pillar is transforming Cape Verde into a digital nation. Every citizen should have a digital identity from birth, enabling a cashless, interoper-able economy with seamless public and private services. Digitalisation combats bureaucracy, enhances transparency, and drives efficiency. Beyond governance, we are integrating digital solutions into key sectors—finance, tourism, agriculture creating high-value jobs and fostering innovation. The digital economy will also bridge geographical divides, ensuring equal opportunities for all citizens and strengthening ties with our diaspora. Through investments in infrastructure, data centres, and cybersecurity, Cape Verde is positioning itself as a hub for technological advancement. 

To support this, we have invested $55 million in a technological park, building innovation centres that em-power young entrepreneurs to de-velop and export digital solutions.

We have also established technological economic zones and free zones, offering incentives for companies to innovate without regulatory constraints.

If solutions prove viable, we will adapt our legal framework to accommodate them rather than stifle progress.

Read the full profile on Cape Verde on the digital edition of Global Investor 2025