TOBY SHAPSHAK: Island of digital reinvention
With its strong European links, Réunion hopes to turn itself into a bridge to Africa in this techno age
Just three and a half hours’ flying time from Jo’burg, far out in the Indian Ocean, is the furthermost outpost of the EU. The tiny island of Réunion is technically still part of France — a "department" — and uses French law, the euro and has haughty waiters whose superiority is as good as anything in Paris. Geographically, of course, it’s closer to Africa. Like so many other places on our continent, it is trying to reinvent itself for the Internet era. It wants to be a bridge between Africa and Europe, something of the "gateway to Africa" SA has held itself up to be. In some ways Réunion is similar to SA, with its European background, solid financial services and other established industries. And many of its attempts to find a new income stream are also not dissimilar. Réunion, 63km long and 45km wide, is home to about 850,000 people and plays host to a steady stream of tourists. In the 16th century, Portuguese explorers saw Réunion as a stop-off point after rounding the Cape of Goo...
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