MBABANE – Following the successful inaugural edition of the Eswatini Investment Conference (EIC), preparations for the second edition are already underway.
This signals government’s intention to entrench the platform as a cornerstone of the country’s investment promotion drive.
This was revealed by the Minister for Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, during a high-level engagement held on Monday with the Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC) and the Eswatini Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Chamber of Commerce (EMSMECOC).
The engagement formed part of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade’s (MCIT) structured stakeholder consultation programme, ensuring that national policies, legislative reforms and flagship programmes translate into tangible economic impact for emaSwati entrepreneurs and the broader private sector.
Khumalo reaffirmed MCIT’s central role in coordinating policy implementation, investment promotion and citizen economic empowerment.
“The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, through engagements such as this with our Chambers of Commerce, continues to provide comprehensive updates on legislative reforms, investment promotion initiatives, and flagship trade and investment programmes that are strengthening Eswatini’s business and investment climate,” said the minister.
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Legislative reforms to modernise business environment
MBABANE – Minister for Commerce Manqoba Khumalo briefed the business organisations on the ministry’s ongoing legislative reform programme.
He described legislative reforms as central to improving the ease of doing business and strengthening citizen participation in the economy.
The reforms include the review of the Liquor Licensing Act and the Trading Licences Act, the implementation of the Citizens Economic Empowerment Act and its Regulations, the Companies Bill of 2024, as well as the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act.
“These reforms are designed to modernise Eswatini’s regulatory environment, promote industrial growth and ensure that citizens are meaningfully integrated into economic activity,” he said.
The minister noted that the alignment of legislation with industrial and investment policy is critical if Eswatini is to attract quality investment while safeguarding local enterprise development.
On investment promotion, Khumalo highlighted progress under the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA), revealing that several projects endorsed by regional institutions such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Afreximbank have culminated in announced investments valued at E37 billion.
“EIPA continues to work closely with investors to support project implementation, resolve bottlenecks and ensure timely execution,” he said.
“Our focus is to move these projects from announcement stage to full operationalisation, where they can deliver jobs, industrial output and economic growth.”
He stressed that the real measure of success lies not in headline investment figures, but in the tangible outcomes of employment creation, skills transfer and industrial expansion.
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