MBABANE – Eswatini is advancing an ambitious regional economic integration initiative that could transform the country into a key manufacturing hub.
This would be within a proposed cross-border Special Economic Zone (SEZ) platform linking Eswatini, South Africa and Mozambique.
The initiative, championed by the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA), centres on the proposed Nkomazi Cross-Border SEZ, which seeks to integrate South Africa’s industrial capacity, Eswatini’s competitive manufacturing base and Mozambique’s port infrastructure into a single regional value chain.
The platform is strategically positioned along the Maputo Development Corridor and is being promoted as Southern Africa’s first fully integrated cross-border industrial and logistics ecosystem.
According to EIPA, the proposed framework would enable production and beneficiation activities in South Africa to feed into manufacturing and assembly operations in Eswatini, with finished products exported through the ports of Maputo and Matola to markets across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
EIPA said the model would create a seamless production, trade and logistics chain that allows each country to focus on its comparative advantage.
Under the proposal, South Africa’s Nkomazi SEZ would serve as the regional industrial gateway, focusing on industrial processing, beneficiation, logistics consolidation and investment attraction. Eswatini would expand its role as a competitive manufacturing platform through increased light manufacturing, value addition and integration into regional and global value chains, while Mozambique would provide efficient global market access through its ports, strengthening the region’s export competitiveness.
The initiative is also being strengthened by reported investment interest from DP World and Grindrod in the Nkomazi SEZ, which EIPA said could unlock significant opportunities for regional supply chain development and new industrial investment. Source
For Eswatini, the proposal could represent one of the most significant industrial development opportunities in recent years. EIPA said the country would benefit from expanded light manufacturing, higher value-added production, increased industrial output linked directly to export markets and stronger participation in regional and global value chains.
The authority also expects growth in employment and improved industrial competitiveness as manufacturers gain easier access to regional logistics networks and international markets.
