MBABANE – DHL and the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA) have partnered to equip micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with practical export skills.
The two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last week, bringing together EIPA’s Export Readiness Programme and DHL’s GoTrade Initiative to help local businesses identify international markets, understand customs procedures and navigate the logistics of delivering products across borders.
The capacity-building programme is expected to begin next month with EIPA set to invite qualifying businesses and aspiring exporters to register for the training. EIPA Chief Executive Officer Sibani Mngomezulu said the partnership was designed to bridge the gap between businesses interested in exporting and those equipped to compete successfully in international markets.
He said the collaboration would combine EIPA’s knowledge of the local business environment, market analysis and export opportunities with DHL’s international expertise in trade facilitation, customs and logistics.
“Together we can help SMEs move from having an interest in exporting to becoming export-ready,” Mngomezulu said. He explained that while Eswatini had businesses producing goods with the potential to compete regionally and internationally, many continued to encounter difficulties identifying suitable markets, understanding export procedures and moving products efficiently across borders.
These challenges can prevent enterprises from converting their production capacity into actual export sales, even where demand for their products exists.
Mngomezulu said the programme would therefore focus on practical capabilities rather than providing businesses with general information about international trade. Through DHL’s GoTrade Initiative, participating enterprises will access training based on the Trade and Grow Beyond Borders curriculum. The modules will cover customs requirements, logistics and the processes involved in moving goods between countries.
The GoTrade Portal will also provide learning resources and tools to support businesses in understanding international trade requirements.
EIPA, meanwhile, will contribute its expertise through the Export Readiness Programme, helping enterprises assess their preparedness for exporting, analyse potential markets and identify opportunities suited to their products.
The authority will assist businesses in understanding where demand exists, which markets offer the strongest prospects and what requirements they must meet to position their products competitively. Mngomezulu said the two organisations’ complementary strengths would address different stages of the export process, from identifying a potential buyer to fulfilling an order. A business may have a competitive product but lack knowledge of the market in which it could sell. Another may secure a buyer but struggle to meet customs requirements or arrange the delivery of goods. The partnership seeks to help businesses overcome these gaps by developing their understanding of both market access and the practical requirements of international trade. EIPA will identify suitable enterprises through its networks and database, support the implementation of the training and monitor participating businesses’ progress.
Where resources permit, the authority will also provide coaching and mentoring to help enterprises advance their export ambitions.
The programme is expected to connect participating businesses to wider opportunities offered through EIPA and its partners, potentially including market intelligence, trade missions and other market-access initiatives. Mngomezulu said the partnership supported EIPA’s organisational strategy and the national ambition to achieve E50 billion in exports by 2030. He said reaching the target would require the country to increase the number of businesses capable of exporting while broadening the range of products sold in international markets. EIPA’s strategy targets the development of 250 export-ready businesses, forming part of efforts to expand the country’s exporter base and diversify its export earnings.
“The impact of this partnership should therefore not be measured only by the number of businesses trained, but also the number of businesses that become export-ready and actually enter new markets,” he said.
He added that the results should also be reflected in the export revenue generated by participating enterprises.
