Property investors are increasingly buying on Maio, an island within the Cape Verde archipelago, says Noscasa, a real estate agent offering help for clients seeking holiday homes and real estate opportunities in Cape Verde.

The real estate agent said that the island is rapidly growing in stature in the international business arena as nations from around the globe are choosing to invest in Cape Verde.

“Cape Verde is already established as a paradise destination for tourists and holiday home investors but the level of international investment it is now attracting demonstrates that it is fast becoming much more than that. Now is the optimum time for serious investors to take advantage of this growth,” said Noscasa’s managing director Paul Akwei.

He said that property is available at very attractive prices and that the island's infrastructure is improving rapidly with more international flights going to Cape Verde and a new cross-island fast ferry service that will start next year.

Delta Airlines will start flying to Cape Verde from Atlanta in early 2010. This will create “a huge boost to the growing prosperity and international standing of Cape Verde,” said Mr Akwei.

“Atlanta is to replace New York as the major US/Africa hub and will connect key African nations including Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa and regional oil capital Angola. This is a major milestone in the advancement of Cape Verde’s fortunes.”

The Cape Verde economy has been steadily growing since the late 1990s and is now securely underpinning development of infrastructure and the island’s tourism industry, he said.

“For discerning UK buyers looking for a reliable investment, Maio ticks all the boxes,” said Mr Akwei.

He also added that China, which has a historically friendly relationship with the islands, is getting more and more engaged with Cape Verde.

A publically accessible “Fact Book” by the American secret service CIA says that Cape Verde’s economy is mostly service orientated, with three quarters of its GDP made up of commerce, transport, tourism and public service accounting. The book estimated Cape Verde's per capita GDP in 2008 to be $3.800.