How to buy bonds in Mauritius

If you're thinking about buying bonds in Mauritius, there are basically two relatively easy paths:

• buying individual bonds (one specific bond at a time)

• buying bond ETFs or bond funds (baskets of many bonds for diversification)

What you pick depends on what you want… steady fixed income from one bond, or spread-out exposure that's simpler to manage.

Buying individual bonds in Mauritius

Individual bonds aren't like stocks where you just click ‘buy’ online. You usually go through a bank or broker (the old-school way). The two main types you can get:

• Mauritian government bonds (super safe, backed by the government)

• corporate bonds from local companies (a bit more risk, but potentially higher returns)

Through Mauritian banks

Banks are the main avenue for new government bonds, especially when the government issues special ones (like savings bonds for us regular people). Popular banks include:

• MCB

• SBM Bank

• Absa Bank Mauritius

• HSBC Mauritius (or Absa now for many local services)

Keep in mind that other banks join in too (like AfrAsia, MauBank, etc.).

The webpages about bonds can be confusing, so we strongly recommend that you:

• call or visit your bank

• ask if there's a current government bond on offer

• fill in the form and subscribe during the open period

Government bonds aren’t always available though. New ones come out only sometimes (check Bank of Mauritius announcements). For special retail savings bonds, you can often apply at any commercial bank where you have an account.

Through licensed Mauritian brokers

Brokers are great for:

• listed corporate bonds (from local companies, traded on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius)

• some government securities that are already issued and trading (the resale market)

• buying/selling on the resale (secondary) market

Examples of Mauritian licensed brokers include:

• MCB Securities

• SBM Securities

• AXYS Stockbroking Ltd

• Swan Securities Ltd

If you go this route, you’ll need to:

• call, send an email, or visit their office

• ask what's currently available (corporate bonds trading or government ones on the resale market)

• open a brokerage account (they call it a CDS account for local trading)

• do the usual ID checks and paperwork

This is the main route for corporate bonds and for buying bonds that are already trading between investors.

Buying bond ETFs or bond funds

In practice, this is how many Mauritians access bonds today (especially when investing internationally).

Mauritius doesn’t currently have a deep local bond ETF market. So most bond ETFs available to Mauritian residents are international.

Through Mauritian brokers

Some local brokers offer access to international markets. If they do, you might be able to buy international bond ETFs through them. So, if you already use a broker for foreign shares, it’s worth asking whether bond ETFs are available too.

Through international brokers

International platforms that accept Mauritian residents usually provide access to:

• international bond ETFs

• international bond funds

• sometimes individual foreign bonds (but that's rare for beginners)

Two of the most popular options are Interactive Brokers and MEXEM.

Both platforms allow you to:

• open an account online

• fund in foreign currency

• access global bond markets

Which route is more common?

For most retail investors:

• individual Mauritian government bonds (usually through local banks)

• international bond exposure (usually through bond ETFs on global brokerage platforms)

Buying a single foreign bond directly is less common for small investors though. Bond ETFs tend to be more flexible and easier to access.

Pou résumé

In Mauritius:

• individual Mauritian government bonds are usually accessed through Mauritian banks

• Mauritian corporate bonds are usually accessed through licensed brokers

• international bond ETFs and bond funds are most often accessed through international brokerage platforms

• individual international bonds are generally accessed through international brokers

The route depends on whether you want:

• one specific bond that pays fixed interest for a set time

• a fund or ETF that spreads the risk across lots of bonds

Type of bond	Mauritian banks	Mauritian brokers	International brokers
Mauritian government (individual)	Yes (main route)	Yes (secondary market)	No
Mauritian corporate (individual)	Sometimes	Yes (main route)	No
International government or corporate (individual)	Very rare	Sometimes	Yes (secondary market)
international fund or ETF	No	Sometimes	Yes (main route)