MBABANE – The Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC) has launched the Eswatini National Music Development Programme (NMDP) 2026.
This flagship initiative aims to develop, professionalise and commercialise the kingdom’s music sector.
While Eswatini boasts a growing pool of musical talent, the local industry faces several critical constraints. These include limited technical production skills in sound, stage and recording, alongside a distinct lack of professional artist management. Furthermore, the sector suffers from weak publicity, fragmented business support and an over-reliance on artists to self-manage their careers.
The Minister for Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Bongani Nzima, lauded the council for this programme, as the local industry currently faces several challenges, which hinder quality output. “Weak artist management structures and poor branding and publicity diminish visibility.
Fragmented creative-business linkages restrict growth, and limited access to finance and markets hampers scalability. The Eswatini National Music Development Programme is designed to address these issues comprehensively by creating a fully functional, sustainable music ecosystem that integrates talent, technical expertise and business acumen,” stated the minister.
Nzima further added that the programme will enable local artists to thrive both locally and on the international stage.
“The Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC) has demonstrated its unwavering dedication to developing our arts sector. Their recent investments in infrastructure, including their efforts in recording MTN Bushfire Top 10 Firefly artists at the Manzini Recording Studio, nurturing young talent through programs like the Inyatsi Schools Arts and Culture Competitions by inviting South African actress Phindile Mashabane to recruit and expose young talents abroad exemplifies their dedication to opening pathways for our creatives,” he said.
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