BUYESWATINI.COM SEES GROWTH IN RETAILER SIGN UPS

MBABANE – After its launch last year, EIPA’s online shopping mall for local traders, BuyEswatini.com, has seen growth in retailer sign ups.

The number of Eswatini traders on the site now sits at 425 online shops, with over 800 retail goods on display to local, regional and international buyers. So far, the site has attracted visitors from mostly Eswatini and South Africa, with 1 270 unique visitors visiting BuyEswatini.com since its launch. Other regions which have attracted the interest of potential buyers include the United States (US), Germany, United Kingdom (UK), France, and Netherlands whose visitors have all interacted with the website on varying levels.    

Head of Trade at EIPA, Bongani Ntshangase said that this indeed showed positive results of BuyEswatini.com’s growth and adoption amongst consumers and the business community, “The increased activity on the online mall demonstrates the fact that business and market access is no longer restricted by physical elements such as venue and travelling. It further demonstrates that Eswatini is ready for a full-blown e-commerce economy as the society has embraced a lot of technology-based applications as a way of living. The more we promote our own, the more we are able to get more of our local goods into markets across the world,” noted Ntshangase.

He went on to add by saying platforms such as BuyEswatini.com were perfectly poised to position businesses who are export ready and are keen on taking advantage of trade agreements such as African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), SADC trade agreements, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) trade agreements, AGOA and the Economic Cooperation Agreement signed with Taiwan for example.

Opportunities

“The opportunities are boundless if businesses begin to look at new and modern ways of doing business rather than just trading with their immediate locale. The lessons we have learnt from COVID-19 have also made it all the more important to position ones’ brand in the globally competitive market space. Embracing the benefits of e-commerce may become one of the main ways in which businesses are able to scale-up and grow in the future owing to access to bigger and more diverse markets,” he said.  

The sectors listed on the website include Agriculture and Farming, Apparel and Clothing, Food and Beverages, Building and Construction, Forestry and Timber, Furniture and Supplies, Handicraft and Decorations, ICT and Communications, Packaging Goods, Machinery and Equipment, Automotive and Tourism to name a few.

Three such trade shows which have been held so far are the Eswatini Motor Show, an ICT B2B Matchmaking Webinar and an Agriculture B2B session with traders interested in the Asian market and the most recent being the Handicraft Fair. Ecolibri (Marteeza Investments), a local company that offers renewable energy solutions has an online store on Buy Eswatini.com.

Managing Director at Ecolibri Marcelino Silveira shared on their experience as a retailer on the site as he said, “Ecolibri registered for an online store mid 2021 as a way of marketing our products globally to attract new clients. Currently we have 13 products listed on our store, and as BuyEswatini.com continues to reach new markets we hope to grow in that aspect as well.”

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