ESWATINI ENHANCES TRAVEL SERVICES

MBABANE – Eswatini is taking bold steps to enhance its trade in services, with a particular focus on travel.

This is a part of broader efforts to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking at the opening of a three-day technical workshop on Trade in Travel Services held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Mbabane, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Ambassador Melusi Masuku, described the initiative as a strategic move to improve data collection and strengthen Eswatini’s competitiveness in regional trade.

“This workshop represents a critical milestone in our journey towards a more integrated and prosperous Africa. By focusing on travel services — one of Eswatini’s key export categories — we are working to ensure that our businesses can access timely and reliable trade intelligence,” said Masuku.

The workshop, supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the European Union (EU), is part of the African Trade Observatory (ATO) project, a flagship component of the AfCFTA. It aims to equip Eswatini with the technical capacity to gather, process and analyse data on trade in services — a sector that accounted for approximately 51.3 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023, according to the African Development Bank.

Representing the EU Delegation to Eswatini, Head of Cooperation Eva-Maria Engdahl emphasised the economic potential of travel services, which include tourism, hospitality and transport. She noted that in the EU, tourism alone contributes 10 per cent to GDP and employs over 12 million people.

“Travel services connect cultures, create jobs and unlock opportunities. With Africa moving closer towards integration under AfCFTA, this sector holds unparalleled potential to drive inclusive development, especially for MSMEs,” Engdahl said.

She pointed out that although services play a major role in modern economies, many African and Middle Eastern countries still do not report bilateral trade data, hindering regional integration. Only 56 countries globally provide geographic breakdowns of services trade, with Europe accounting for 90 per cent of bilateral coverage and Africa lagging behind.

The ATO, one of five operational instruments of AfCFTA, is expected to address these challenges by offering real-time data, market trends and access conditions. To date, the EU has contributed more than 10 million Euros (over E210 million) to the implementation of the ATO.

“We commend the Central Bank of Eswatini for already producing data in all principal services categories. This workshop is an opportunity to fine-tune that data and potentially move towards publishing bilateral trade statistics in travel services,” Engdahl added.

Over the course of the workshop, stakeholders from government, academia and the tourism sector will explore methodologies and best practices for compiling high-quality trade-in-services statistics.

Masuku concluded by acknowledging the critical role of international partners: “We are grateful for the continued technical and financial support from the EU and ITC. Your contributions are helping Eswatini to position itself as the Southern Africa Trade Hub — aligned with the vision of the Africa We Want.”

The event also marks a timely celebration of 25 years of EU-AU partnership, underscoring shared values and ambitions as both continents work together towards sustainable and people-centred development.

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