Seychelles: Seychellois Open to International Collaboration, Want Greater African Voice On Global Platforms

1 May 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Daniel Iberi and Eric Otu Beecham

Growing share of citizens see Chinese influence as substantial and positive.

Key findings

  • By a ratio of about 9 to 1, satisfaction outpaces dissatisfaction with the way the AU and SADC recognise Seychelles' needs and interests in their decision making, although many Seychellois offer neutral or "don't know" responses.
  • A majority (59%) of citizens say African countries should have a greater say in international decision-making bodies such as the United Nations.
  • Almost half (47%) of Seychellois endorse free trade to generate economic opportunity, but a substantial minority (39%) prefer limiting international trade to protect domestic producers.
  • If leaders choose to make international trade easier, most Seychellois (72%) would favour trade with countries around the world, while only small minorities would prefer focusing on Africa (11%) or the Southern African region (3%).
  • Only 20% of respondents say they have heard of the AfCFTA.
  • Positive assessments outweigh negative ones when it comes to the economic and political influence of India (55% vs. 9%), China (53% vs. 9%), the AU (45% vs. 5%), the EU (45% vs. 9%), SADC (43% vs. 4%), Britain (39% vs. 9%), and the United States (35% vs. 14%).
  • Asked who helped Seychelles most during the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens are most likely to cite China (32%), followed by India (13%).
  • A growing share of citizens say that China's economic activities have "some" or "a lot" of influence on Seychelles' economy, rising from 41% in 2022 to 48% in 2025. Over the same period, the proportion who view China's economic and political influence as positive increased by 20 percentage points.
  • Among the 94% of Seychellois who are aware of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, an overwhelming majority (92%) favour taking a neutral stance on the war.

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Seychelles' economy is a development success story in a region marked by high debt distress, geopolitical tensions, and unemployment (World Bank, 2026). In 2015, Seychelles became the first African country to achieve high-income status (African Development Bank Group, 2025). With a gross domestic product per capita of $17,858 and economic growth averaging 3% over the past two decades, this small island state's economy has been primarily driven by tourism and industrial fishing supported by market-based structural reforms (World Bank, 2021).

Seychelles maintains strong trade links with countries in the Middle East (United Arab Emirates, its largest export destination), Europe (France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy), Asia (Singapore, India), and Africa (South Africa) (World Bank, 2022). While it is an active member of both the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), its trade is anchored more in global markets than these regional economic communities (RECs) (Trade Law Centre, 2019). According to the World Bank (2022), Seychelles' imports far exceed its exports, highlighting the country's dependence on external markets.

Despite trading more with countries outside Africa, Seychelles has made efforts to integrate into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) (Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade, 2024). In March 2026, it signed a memorandum of agreement with the AfCFTA Secretariat to establish a digital trade architecture and promote e-commerce integration (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, 2026; News Ghana, 2026).

Politically, Seychelles maintains a non-alignment posture and has cultivated strong ties with many African countries as well as China, India, and the European Union (EU), a strategic foreign-relations approach that has enabled it to optimise development cooperation, security, trade, and investment opportunities (Cabestan, 2021). Beyond the RECs, its affiliation with the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the Indian Ocean Commission, and the Alliance of Small Island States places it at the centre of Indian Ocean geopolitics as an influential actor in blue economy, ocean governance, and maritime security (Observer Research Foundation, 2019; International Maritime Organization, 2025).

How do Seychellois view their economic and political relations with the rest of the world?

Findings from the most recent Afrobarometer survey show that citizens tend to support free international trade, although a sizeable share would prefer protectionist policies. Few are aware of the AfCFTA.

They generally welcome the economic and political influence of India, China, the AU, the EU, and SADC, although many express neutral or "don't know" assessments. In particular, perceptions that China's influence on Seychelles is both substantial and positive have increased significantly in recent years.

Citizens generally express satisfaction with the way their country's needs and interests are recognised in AU and SADC decision making, but they say African countries need a stronger voice on global platforms such as the United Nations.

Daniel Iberi Communications coordinator for East Africa

Eric Otu Beecham Eric Otu Beecham is a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) officer at Afrobarometer.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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