10 Most Famous People From Seychelles   

Allisen Camille, Seychellois Badminton Player. Photo By Joena – Wikimedia Commons

10 Most Famous People From Seychelles   

The Republic of Seychelles is an island country in the Indian Ocean at the eastern edge of the Somali Sea. The country consists of 115 islands.  

With a population of over ninety-eight thousand people, it has the smallest population of any sovereign African country. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, lies 1,500 kilometers (932 mi) east of mainland Africa.  

Apart from excelling in sports, the country is a popular tourist destination and has many popular people who were born and raised there. These are the 10 most famous people from Seychelles. 

1. Kantilal Jivan Shah   

Kantilal Jivan Shah, simply known as Kanti, was a guru, historian, natural history expert, palmist, vegetarian cook, photographer, artist and sculptor, agronomist, and intellectual. He is remembered as a pioneer of environmentalism and ecotourism plus as a leading historian and folklorist.   

He could easily be the most written about Seychellois. He was born in 1922 and was featured in over a hundred newspaper and magazine articles plus radio and television programs.   

He hosted some influential global personalities like Queen Elizabeth II, Mother Teresa, and Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond. The latter featured Kanti as a character in his last Bond novel. He also acted in a movie with the actor Omar Sharif. 

2. Allisen Camille 

Allisen Camille, Seychellois Badminton Player. Photo By Joena – Wikimedia Commons

Allisen Camille is an Award-winning, Seychellois badminton player. She was born on 26th June 1992 in Victoria, Seychelles. Camille competed in the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Commonwealth Games.  

She has won three gold, three silver, and six bronze medals in women’s doubles, mixed doubles, and team events throughout her career. 

3. James Michel 

James Alix Michel is a Seychellois politician and the former President of Seychelles from the year 2004 to 2016. He was born on 16th August 1944 in Mahé, Seychelles. 

Michel was initially a teacher, but he later got into the country’s booming tourism industry. Afterward, he joined politics in 1976, before independence. 

He became the president on 14th July 2004 and was in office till 16th October 2016. After retiring from politics in 2016, Michel created the James Michel Foundation to fund and support projects that focus on the blue economy and climate change. 

4. Caroline Abel  

Caroline Abel – Seychelles’ first female Central Bank governor. Photo By Central Bank of Seychelles – Wikimedia Commons

Caroline Abel is a Seychellois economist and the Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles. She was born in Anse Boileau, Mahé, Seychelles, and was the daughter of Antoine Abel a poet and playwright who was considered the father of Seychelles literature. 

She started her career in April 1994 after she got employed as a senior bank clerk at the Central Bank of Seychelles. She served in several capabilities there before she was appointed deputy governor of the institution in July 2010. 

On 14th March 2012, Abel became the first woman to be appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles, making her the first woman in Seychelles to hold that office.  

She holds a first degree in Economics and a master’s degree in monetary economics from the University of Leeds and the University of Glasgow respectively. 

During the 6th African Business Leadership Forum and Awards, Abel was awarded a Special Commendation Award by Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. She was also presented with the African Female Public Servant of the Year Award by the African Leadership Magazine at the event. 

5. Joseph Sinon 

Joseph Sinon is a talented musician and king of comedy. He is popular for his stand-up comedy and comic songs.  

He draws inspiration from his life and bits and pieces of society. His humour is infectious and he easily makes his audience laugh. Joseph Sinon is considered one of the best Seychellois comedians of all time. 

6. Sandra Esparon 

Sandra Esparon. Photo By Louis Toussaint – Wikimedia Commons

Sandra Esparon is a Seychellois singer and musician. She was born on 15th May 1989 in the Takamaka district of Mahé Seychelles. She began her professional music career as a member of the Seychellois music band Dezil. 

Her music genres are Creole, Zouk, and ragga. She has so far released three studio albums and received multiple awards both locally and internationally. 

7. Dominic Dugasse    

Dominic Dugasse is a Seychellois judoka who was born on 19th April 1985 in Victoria, Seychelles. Judo is a system of unarmed combat, modern Japanese martial art, and an Olympic sport. A judo practitioner is called a “judoka” or judo performer and the judo uniform is called “judogi”.  

Dominic was the flag bearer for Seychelles during the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. In 2013, he was voted Sportsman of the Year at the Seychelles Sports Award. It was the first time a judoka had won the honour. 

8. Felicity Passon 

Felicity Passon. Photo By Joe Laurence – Wikimedia Commons

Felicity Elizabeth Passon is a Seychellois swimmer. She was born on 11th July 1999 in Seychelles. Felicity competed in the women’s 50-meter freestyle at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.  

She also represented Seychelles at the 2019 African Games, winning two gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal, and qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 

She received the Seychelles Sportswoman of the Year 2019 Award. Felicity competes at the collegiate level for the University of Arizona. 

9. Jean-Marc Volcy 

Jean-Marc Volcy is a Seychellois composer, performer, and songwriter who is regarded as one of the pioneering musicians to propagate creole music in Seychelles. He was born on 29th January 1966 in Baie Lazare, Mahé, Seychelles. 

His music genre is séga and a fusion of modern creole pop with traditional folk music. His contribution to music in Seychelles has seen him win numerous awards including the Airtel Music Awards, Les Voix de l’Océan Indien, and the Cable Tunes Awards. In February 2017, he was inducted into Seychelles’ Musicians Wall of Fame. 

10. Angie Arnephy 

Angie Arnephy commonly known as Angie is a Seychellois singer and a former beauty pageant contestant. She was born and brought up in Anse Boileau, a district on the western part of Mahé, Seychelles.  

Angie contested at the 2015 edition of Miss Seychelles and went on to be awarded Miss Photogenic. After this, she went into music and released a very good hit single that won her the Best New Artist at the Airtel Music Awards that year. 

Her music genre is Ragga, seggae, zouk.