MBABANE – Six emaSwati have secured employment opportunities at the much-anticipated International Convention Centre and FiveStar Hotel (ICC/FISH) following a recruitment process that attracted thousands of hopeful job seekers last year.
The development was revealed by Jane Simelane, Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, during a portfolio committee budget debate in Parliament. She said the six recruits are currently undergoing specialised training in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in preparation for operations at the international facility.
According to the minister, the training forms part of preparations for the operationalisation of the ICC and the adjoining Five-Star Hotel (FISH), which are expected to position the kingdom as a major destination for conferences and international events.
The hiring of the six emaSwati follows a recruitment process that drew an overwhelming response from the public in 2025. Thousands of hopeful applicants flocked to the Hilton Garden Inn after the operator of the ICC announced walk-in interviews for potential employment opportunities at the facility.
At the time, scenes of long queues dominated social media and news reports, as young emaSwati braved cold weather and crowded conditions in the hope of securing jobs at the new international convention facility.
A report by the Times of Eswatini indicated that more than 1 000 candidates attended the recruitment exercise, competing for roughly 50 available positions linked to the operation of the ICC. The large turnout caused congestion in the surrounding streets as job seekers gathered outside the hotel waiting for an opportunity to submit their curriculum vitae. Many of the hopeful applicants were youth and unemployed graduates seeking a breakthrough in the country’s competitive labour market.
While the turnout reflected the intense demand for employment opportunities in the hospitality sector, the recruitment process also served as an assessment of the local skills pool required to operate a facility of international standards.
Minister Simelane told the portfolio committee that the operator selected six emaSwati who have since been chosen to form part of the operational team for the ICC.
“These individuals are currently undergoing training in the United Arab Emirates so that they can acquire the necessary international hospitality standards required to run the facility,” she said.
The training programme is expected to equip the recruits with skills in hotel and convention centre operations before they return to Eswatini ahead of the facility’s opening. The ICC and the Five-Star Hotel are part of a multibillion-Emalangeni project designed to transform the kingdom’s tourism and conference industry.
The facilities are expected to attract thousands of international visitors annually while creating employment opportunities in hospitality, tourism and related sectors.
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