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ComparisonsJune 2026 · 5 min read

yelo.mu vs Prouva: finding home services in Mauritius

If you're already in Mauritius, you may know yelo.mu (or Yellow Pages Mauritius) — broad, well-established local directories where you can look up almost any business. Prouva is newer and more focused: a free directory for home-service providers, built around verified reviews. Both have their place, so this guide sets out honestly how they differ and when each is the right tool.

Key takeaways

What yelo.mu is

yelo.mu is one of Mauritius's established online business directories. It spans more than a thousand categories and thousands of local businesses, and a listing typically carries contact details, an interactive map, a description, images, and customer ratings and reviews. It's a genuinely useful, broad reference for finding almost any kind of company on the island — from accountants to restaurants to tradespeople — and businesses can list themselves.

Because it covers everything, it works like a classic directory: a wide net that helps you find a business and its contact details. Prouva is built for a narrower job, done more deeply.

Where Prouva is different

Prouva does one thing — home-service providers — and builds a deliberate trust model around it. Three differences stand out.

Reviews are structured and verified, not just open ratings

On Prouva, reviews come from signed-in accounts through a short factual survey (one review per customer per provider), and the score is computed from those facts rather than a free-typed star rating. Crucially, a review backed by an invoice or contract is marked Verified and weighs far more, recent experience counts for more than old jobs, and the model is designed to make both fake positive and malicious negative reviews harder to sustain.

Providers can be verified

A provider can claim their listing and earn a Verified badge once their identity and, where applicable, their business registration number (BRN) have been checked — so the badge reflects something that was actually confirmed.

Focused and free, run as a non-profit

Because Prouva covers only home services, search results and the questions asked are tailored to that decision. It's free for customers and providers, with no paid placement, and is run as a non-profit community project.

Which should you use?

These aren't mutually exclusive. For a quick lookup of any business's phone number or address, a broad directory like yelo.mu is handy. When the decision matters more — you're hiring a plumber, electrician, builder or cleaner and want to know who is genuinely reliable — Prouva's verified reviews and provider verification are purpose-built for exactly that judgment. Many people will use both: a directory to find options, and Prouva to check who to trust.

How the two compare

yelo.muProuva
FocusAll business types (1,000+ categories)Home-service providers
Cost to useFreeFree
ReviewsOpen customer ratings and reviewsComputed from a factual survey; invoice-verified and recent reviews weigh more; one per account; moderated
Provider verificationDirectory listing of business detailsVerified badge after owner identity and BRN checks
Who runs itA commercial directory companyA non-profit community project
Best forLooking up any business's detailsChoosing a home-service provider you can trust

Finding a trusted provider on Prouva

  1. Search the trade and area you need, and shortlist two or three providers with solid, recent reviews.
  2. Favour providers with Verified reviews and, where it matters, a Verified business badge.
  3. Get a written, itemised quote before committing, and agree payment in stages.
  4. Leave an honest review afterwards — it's what keeps the directory trustworthy for your neighbours.

Frequently asked questions

Is yelo.mu free to use?

Yes, yelo.mu is free to search, and it's a long-established, broad directory of Mauritian businesses. Prouva is also free, but focuses specifically on home-service providers and adds verified reviews and provider verification.

Does Prouva replace yelo.mu?

Not exactly — they serve different jobs. yelo.mu is a broad directory for finding any business. Prouva is purpose-built for choosing a home-service provider you can trust, with verified reviews and a verification badge. Many people use both.

Why are Prouva's reviews more reliable?

Prouva reviews come from signed-in accounts through a factual survey, one per customer per provider. Reviews backed by an invoice or contract are marked Verified and weigh far more, recent experience counts for more, and the model is designed to make fake or malicious reviews harder to sustain.

Is Prouva only for home services?

Yes. Prouva deliberately focuses on home-service providers — plumbers, electricians, cleaners, builders, gardeners and the like — so the search and review experience is tailored to that decision.

Is Prouva free for businesses too?

Yes — free for customers and for providers, with no paid placement, membership or pay-per-lead. It is run as a non-profit community project for Mauritius.

Find a trusted provider on Prouva

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