ABOUT THIS COUNTRY
The Comoros is a volcanic archipelago, composed of 4 islands, located off the east coast of Africa, in the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. The Grand Comore (Ngazidja), the largest island in the nation-state, is surrounded by beaches and old lava from the active Mount Karthala Volcano. The are size of the island is 2238 Km2
Around the port and the medina of the capital, Moroni, are carved doors and a white colonnade, the Old Friday Mosque, reminiscent of the Arab heritage of these islands. Each of the islands has an economic and tourist potential characterized by the abundance of Arab and African cultures. The Comoros is a country of peace and security and whose economic wealth, based in particular on agriculture, tourism and the blue economy, remains untapped and to be discovered.
Despite its status as a Small Island Developing State (PIED), the geostrategic position of the Union of the Comoros, in the great basin of the Indian Ocean, at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, Asia and from Oceania; as well as its membership in major regional and international groups (French, Arabic and English), allow it to widen its furrow in the concert of Nations.
The Comoros is made up of three islands.Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, accounts for about 50% of GDP, employs a majority of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. Export income is heavily reliant on the three main crops of vanilla, cloves, and ylang ylang (perfume essence); and the Comoros’ export earnings are easily disrupted by disasters such as fires and extreme weather.
Reasons to invest in Comoros:
- The Comoros are situated at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. The four main inhabited islands include Grand Comore, Anjouan, Moheli and Mayotte, although only the first three form the Republic of Comoros; Mayotte is a French department.
- Agriculture is the largest contributor to the economy, with just under half of available land given over to food production. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry contributes 50 percent to GDP, employs 80 percent of the labor force, and provides most of the exports.
- Export income is heavily reliant on the three main crops of vanilla, cloves, and ylang-ylang, used in the manufacture of perfume.
- Tourism has yet to really take off in the Comoros Islands, but with its tropical climate, natural beauty and 400km of coastline, it is a sector with much potential, and one the Government is keen to develop.
Agriculture and Fishing
Tourism
Energy
Agriculture and Fishing
- While agriculture remains the predominant sector of the Comoros economy, it is characterized by small farms and traditional farming methods. However, according to the country’s investment promotion agency, the development of processing plants for agricultural products which increase the added value of food products “represents an attractive investment opportunity for both domestic and export.”
- In a similar vein, there is much potential for investment in the country’s underdeveloped fish processing facilities.
- Tuna is the main source of income from fishing. But there is a wide variety of fish in Comorian waters, and untapped reserves of lobsters and octopus near the coast.
- The fisheries sector in the Comoros offers vast opportunities for investment not only in terms of increased fishing capacity, but also more widely in the development of infrastructure and port facilities that support the sector.
- Comoros needs steady improvements in its agricultural sector (ylang-ylang, vanilla and clove) to boost output.
Tourism
- From an investor’s perspective, the archipelago is still perceived as a largely untapped territory which early investors can benefit from. For all those who love nature, the Union of the Comoros is one of the best places to live as its richness in both flora and fauna is exceptional. The list of activities to be undertaken in the islands, whether by the coast or in the forest, is long and varied.
- The tourism industry remains underdeveloped despite the tourism potential available in Comoros. Comorian Tourism represents one of the potentially most important economic sectors of the country. Thanks to its natural characteristics, the archipelago has rare touristic assets which are often undervalued.
- Moreover, the little development of tourist infrastructures compared to other Indian Ocean islands gives investors a measure of the potential available to the industry and anticipate significant growth of tourism in the coming years.
- Development opportunities in the supply of beach holidays in the islands are numerous. The beaches of Grande Comore and Mohéli, in fact, make the Comoros a very attractive destination, both in the eyes of customers wishing to benefit from the comfort of large tourist complexes, which remain to be developed, and visitors seeking to discover the preserved natural sites.
Energy
- Just less than 70 per cent of the population of the Comoros has access to electricity: 61.4 per cent in rural areas and 85.1 per cent in urban areas (
- Although there is some hydroelectric potential, the islands have only about 1 MW of installed hydroelectric capacity (REEEP, 2012). More study is required to fully assess the country’s available potential. There have been calls to create a national hydrographic and bathymetric service in the past
- The potential for the Comoros to meet all its energy demands from geothermal sources is high. The key indicator of a potentially exploitable geothermal system on Grande Comore is the presence of a rift system associated with the active volcano.
- Solar has great potential on these islands since they experience an average of 5.0 kWp/m2 or 2,880 hrs/yr of sunshine. There are a number of solar installations at domestic and commercial levels
- Comoros sits on top of significant oil reserves, of an estimated 7 billion barrels offering investment opportunities in the hydrocarbon sector.
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