
25/09/2025
🗣️ Interview with Mr. Geoffrey Tassinari, Chairman & CEO of Madagascar Development Partners (MDP), for an upcoming Khaleej Times feature on Madagascar
Highlights:
🌍 Mission & Vision: For over two decades, MDP has been channeling international capital into high-potential opportunities across Madagascar and the Western Indian Ocean region. With a focus on frontier markets, the firm partners with seasoned global investors to scale businesses while driving sustainable development.
🌱 Priority Sectors: MDP is currently concentrating on agribusiness and tourism. Agriculture offers significant room for innovation despite operational challenges, while Madagascar’s unmatched biodiversity and scale position it as a unique long-term tourism destination.
🤝 Investment Approach: Opportunities are sourced through networks and trust, followed by rigorous due diligence that can take up to a year. MDP goes beyond capital by adding strategic insight, operational guidance, and access to networks, key ingredients for success in frontier markets.
♻️ Sustainability & Governance: While not an impact fund, ESG principles are embedded in every project. From governance to community development, MDP ensures its investments deliver broad social and environmental benefits, such as local job creation, schools, dispensaries, and biodiversity protection.
🏝️ Flagship Project: An eco-lodge on Madagascar’s northwest coast illustrates MDP’s model: blending financial returns with community upliftment, healthcare support, staff training, and conservation. A true showcase of responsible investment in action.
⚖️ Challenges & Solutions: Investor hesitation often stems from governance and political risk. Yet, with 20 years of proven resilience, MDP demonstrates that long-term, well-structured investments can thrive in Madagascar’s frontier economy.
💼 Partnership Potential: While MDP has worked with UAE-based investors in the past, Geoffrey Tassinari sees this as the perfect time to re-engage with partners from the Gulf. The ambition and energy of regional investors align strongly with Madagascar’s untapped potential.
📢 Final Message: “Madagascar is one of the last untouched frontier markets, rich in resources, talent, and opportunity. At MDP, we combine deep local knowledge with international standards of ex*****on. For investors seeking both strong returns and meaningful impact, Madagascar is the place to be, and MDP is the partner to make it happen.”
1. Could you introduce Madagascar Development Partners and its core mission in driving investment and development across Madagascar?