ESWATINI-ZAMBIA BILATERALS AVAIL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

MBABANE - For a business sector in Eswatini to grow, the country needs to increase its bilateral diplomacy with other nations to maximise trade.

Eswatini’s agricultural output tops the charts in terms of trade and export, but the country still imports more vegetable commodities because of the unrest, COVID-19 and the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war. The Southern African Research Foundation for Economic Development (SARFED) yesterday said local businesses are to benefit from the bilateral diplomacy between the Kingdom of Eswatini and Zambia. This was mentioned by SARFED Regional Coordinator and economist Dr. George H. Choongwa in a statement yesterday.

He said research indicates that unlike most of the emergent and developed economies, most African countries are still challenged with the privilege of maximising their diplomatic cooperation and networks. “It is for this reason that Eswatini business community should be the leaders in this aspect,” Choongwa said. The economist added that one of the key initiatives that both countries (Eswatini and Zambia) can do while strengthening their diplomatic cooperation during the time of economic hardship of COVID-19 and Global economic meltdown is that of strengthening their respective Economic Intelligences (EIs) with each other so that both counties would maintain a win-win economic sustainability framework.

Geopolitical

He said both countries have a geopolitical advantage through Mozambique linkage which would help both to facilitate trade and industrialisation under their strategic foreign policy regulation. “His Majesty King Mswati III has demonstrated a positive and strategic attitude to maintaining a continued, bilateral diplomatic benefit between Eswatini and Zambian governments in spite of cyclical change of democratic administration in Zambia,” he said. Choongwa also mentioned that this has been through a continued promotion of healthy diplomatic relationship between the two states.

Platform

Otherwise, the relationship currently being formed between two countries is proving to be a platform for both governments’ mobilisation and use of  national recourses  for promoting  growth  in various areas such as increasing trade, promoting investments, collaboration on bilateral and multilateral trade agreements and as well as promoting foreign policy  objectives for both countries. He said that the emergency of a massive telecommunication sector in both countries gives a chance for a swift achievement of the digital diplomacy which has now become the central aspect for economic intelligence and sustainability.
Business segments to benefit include:
*    Agriculture
*    Mining
*    Trade Promotion (Advertising and Marketing)
*    Construction

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