MBABANE – The German Co-operative and Raiffeisen Confederation (DGRV) has pledged more than E30 million between 2025 and 2027 to strengthen Eswatini’s co-operative sector.
This investment is set to transform financial inclusion, governance and digitalisation across the industry.
The announcement was made by the Minister for Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, during the official launch of the DGRV Raiffeisen House and the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Mbabane yesterday.
Khumalo hailed the commitment as a milestone in Eswatini’s co-operative roadmap, noting that the funding will directly support key reforms and innovations aimed at modernising the sector.
“Through the SUCOSA II Project, DGRV has committed more than E30 million from 2025 to 2027 to support our co-operative roadmap,” Khumalo said. “This includes designing the strategy for the establishment of a Co-operative Central Bank, modernising our co-operative legal framework, building capacity and accelerating digital transformation.”
“These priorities are not isolated projects,” Khumalo stressed. “They align with Eswatini’s broader vision of sustainable economic empowerment, inclusive growth and opportunities for all.”
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DGRV’s commitment reaffirmed
MBABANE – Veit Gesenhues, Head of the DGRV Southern Africa Office, described the opening of the Raiffeisen House as a celebration of shared values and a renewed commitment to Eswatini’s co-operative movement.
“It is with great pride and deep humility that I welcome you to the inauguration of our new DGRV offices – the Raiffeisen House – here in Mbabane. Today is not only the opening of a new space, it is a celebration of shared values, enduring partnerships and a renewed commitment by DGRV to the cooperative movement in Eswatini,” Gesenhues said.
He thanked the German Government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for enabling the milestone, noting that their support allows DGRV to work alongside Eswatini in building ‘sustainable, inclusive and future-ready cooperative systems.’
Gesenhues stressed that the work of DGRV will continue to be guided by the seven cooperative principles, including voluntary membership, democratic control, financial participation, autonomy, education, cooperation among co-operatives, and concern for community.
“In this spirit, I am especially proud to highlight one of our key strategic priorities: the digitalisation of co-operatives,” he said. “As the world becomes increasingly connected, we must ensure that co-operatives are not left behind.”
He closed by thanking the Government of Eswatini, the country’s co-operative apex organisations and the DGRV team in Mbabane, saying: “Together, let us continue to build a co-operative future – one that is inclusive, democratic and digitally empowered.”
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