MBABANE – Investment commitments made at Eswatini’s inaugural Investment Conference are increasingly moving from the boardroom to the ground.
Kellogg Tolaram and African Alliance are now advancing projects linked to pledges made at the landmark gathering last year.
The latest developments involving the two investors provide a glimpse of what is potentially becoming the next phase of Eswatini’s investment drive — the conversion of commitments into construction, expanded productive capacity and new economic opportunities.
Government has recently issued a tender for the expansion of the Kellogg Tolaram factory shell, marking a significant step towards the implementation of the investment commitment made by the joint venture at the 2025 conference.
The request for bids, issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade , covers the extension of the existing factory shell, construction of a canteen and ablution facilities, as well as an access road.
The tender was issued on July 28, 2026, with bids expected by September 1, 2026.
This means that what was presented as an investment commitment at the inaugural conference is now progressing through a formal construction procurement process.
The development comes against the backdrop of more than E37 billion in investment pledges announced during the 2025 conference, which was convened to position Eswatini as an attractive destination for domestic and international capital.
Kellogg Tolaram Eswatini is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Joint Venture between Kellogg Company USA and Tolaram Group of Singapore.
Kellogg Tolaram Eswatini (Pty) Ltd (KTEPL) was incorporated on the July 2019 to develop the cereal and snack business in Eswatini for the local and export market.
Named after one of the most prestigious naturally occurring granite rocks in the world found at the eastern borders of the capital city of Eswatini, ‘Sibebe’, the plant seeks to add value locally by operating a value-added manufacturing facility in Eswatini.
The integrated supply chain of the project will benefit various participants of the supply chain and it is expected to create spinoffs to various industries including transport and logistics, raw materials supplies and other professional services amongst others.
For the existing factory, Kellogg Tolaram invested E210 million, while government built the factory shell for E200 million.
Kellogg’s plan is to eventually open additional production lines at the plant for breakfast cereals and snacks.
Eswatini is the fourth country in which Kellogg Tolaram operates, after Nigeria and Egypt. Kellogg Tolaram also markets noodles in South Africa.
The wider Kellogg Tolaram expansion is also being accompanied by another factory shell development at Ngwenya, where the same Singapore-linked investors are expected to manufacture bleach products.
The development adds to the potential industrial and employment impact of the group’s expanding presence in Eswatini.
This major investment at Ngwenya is expected to create about 700 jobs. Government committed E78 million towards the project.
Minister for Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo emphasised that these manufacturing facilities align with King Mswati III’s call for decentralisation, easing urban congestion and proving that ‘Eswatini is open for business’.
The high-volume operations have also created beneficial supply chain spin-offs for local agro-industrial and milling sectors.
Leave a comment