TheEastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) celebrated a milestone on Friday evening, marking 50 years of training leaders in the kingdom. The golden jubilee event, held at the Happy Valley Hotel, also saw the official launch of the ESAMI Eswatini Alumni Network under the theme: ‘Strengthening connections, building the future.’
The celebration brought together former students, teachers and senior officials to look back at five decades of growth and to build a stronger community for the future.
The evening began with a warm welcome from Country Manager, Winile Nxumalo, who thanked everyone for coming. Following her, the Director of the Business School, Professor Joseph Mumba, gave a brief talk about how the school has updated its courses over the years to keep up with the changing needs of local businesses and government departments.
A special highlight of the night was hearing directly from former students; Malangeni Gamedze, Nganono Magongo and Cabangile Dlamini. They shared touching stories about how their time studying at ESAMI gave them the practical tools and real-world skills they needed to succeed and climb the ladder in their different careers.
George Choongwa stepped up to introduce the new Alumni Steering Committee. He explained that the team was there to help former students stay in touch, support one another and work together on new projects, urging everyone to stay actively involved.
ESAMI Director General, Professor Peter Kiuluku, celebrated the 50-year anniversary. He shared that the institute was now well-known in 34 African countries and was even spreading globally, adding that over the last 25 years, thousands of professionals right here in Eswatini had earned their Master’s Degrees through ESAMI.
The main speech of the night came from the guest of honour, Judge Lungile Msimango of the Industrial Court. Judge Msimango, who earned her MBA from ESAMI between 2016 and 2019 while working a busy job, said she was proof of what the school can do.
“ESAMI gave me what my legal training alone could not: The leadership and management tools needed to run superior courts and manage budgets,” Judge Msimango said. “This degree is a toolkit to create lasting change in Eswatini.”
She encouraged others to join the school and urged alumni to keep learning, lead with honesty and help mentor the next generation. The memorable night ended on a high note with a special jubilee cake-cutting ceremony on stage.
Guests then enjoyed a lovely celebratory dinner while networking, closing a wonderful 50-year celebration.
