MCB Group At A Glance

As mentioned earlier, the MCB Group is both an important local player – via its main subsidiary MCB Ltd, the longest standing bank in Mauritius – and a provider of financial and non-financial services in the Indian Ocean region and Africa.

In the worldwide banking industry however, the Group remains a relatively small player. As such, our Corporate Sustainability measures will be much more impactful at the local and regional level than internationally.

Headquartered in Mauritius where its main subsidiary operates, the Group has a notable presence in the Indian Ocean region and sub-Saharan Africa through its three foreign subsidiaries, two foreign associates and four foreign representative offices. While MCB Group’s banking activities contribute to the economic growth of the countries where it operates, it has had to reckon with substantial environmental or social issues faced by some of them.

In order to better understand and overcome those challenges, locally adapted approaches were taken in the respective countries. This allowed for a more inclusive contribution encompassing economic growth and socio-economic development. Individual and collective well-being as well as environmental conservation and/or cultural resilience are also part of the focus.

The chart below maps our countries of operation against their most important sustainability issues as defined under the Gapframe¹ analysis and the Human Development Index². These internationally recognised tools provide useful information on the sustainability context of the countries in which we do business.

¹ The Gapframe analysis translates the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into relevant issues and priorities for all nations, adding and amending aspects where needed (http://gapframe.org/). It was developed by a Swiss cross-sector initiative called the Swiss Sustainability Hub (SSH), which includes government & non-government institutions such as the WBCSD, WWF, IISD, Swiss Environmental Agency, universities and business schools, as well as companies like Swisscom, Migros, Unilever and IKEA.

² The Human Development Index (HDI) is a tool developed by the United Nations to measure and rank countries’ levels of social and economic development. The index combines four major indicators: life expectancy, mean and expected years of schooling, and Gross National Income per capita.