EZULWINI – The King’s Cup is back with a bang.
The annual tournament was officially launched at the Royal Swazi Spa yesterday by the Minister for Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Jane Simelane, in the presence of the organising committee led by Sam ‘Styles’ Richard, sponsor representatives and the media.
The main tournament will run from September 1 to 3, culminating in a grand dinner at the International Convention Centre (ICC) on September 4.
During her address, Minister Simelane unveiled a total prize purse of E1 million divided into four categories: the main prize, the best Liswati category, an award for upcoming regional golfers and an amateur pool.
Delivering her keynote address, the minister highlighted that the prestigious tournament—held under the patronage of His Majesty King Mswati III, has secured a high-profile partnership with the Big Easy Tour, a globally recognised development circuit within the Sunshine Tour family.
“This partnership significantly elevates the stature of the King’s Cup and places our tournament firmly on the regional professional golfing calendar,” the minister stated, adding that tournament highlights will be broadcast on SuperSport to give the kingdom unprecedented continental exposure.
The launch detailed the exact allocation of the historic financial backing. The main professional prize purse stands at an impressive E700 000. Bolstering local talent, an additional E300 000 bonus pool has been dedicated solely to the top three emaSwati professionals, with E100 000 for first place, E75 000 for second and E50 000 for third.
Furthermore, transformational player bonuses ranging from E20 000 to E15 000 and E5 000 have been set aside for visiting regional African golfers, alongside an exclusive E35 000 pool reserved for top amateurs in the main Pro-Am.
Following the minister’s address, Organising Committee Chairperson Richard took to the podium to outline the operational milestones of the committee, expressing profound gratitude to government and corporate partners for creating an enabling environment for the sport to thrive. He noted that the committee has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure smooth logistics, expanded participation fields and a world-class standard befitting a tournament held under royal patronage.
Representing the founding sponsors and corporate partners including MTN, Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation (ESRIC), Nedbank, Luphohlo Commodities, Eswatini Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), Ubombo Sugar, Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) and Eswatini Railways, James Mabundza emphasised that corporate sponsorship is a vital engine for economic development. He noted that corporate partners must remain actively involved and protect their brand reputations to ensure long-term mutual success.
Eswatini Professional Golfers Association (EPGA) President Musa Mdluli expressed profound gratitude to the sponsors, noting the pride of seeing local players competing successfully on circuits in South Africa and Europe.
Delivering the concluding remarks, Tournament Director and Organising Committee member Vusi Dlamini wrapped up the briefing by detailing the competitive framework and technical readiness of the course. Dlamini noted that the committee’s objective is to foster deep competitive grit among local talent; ensuring players are battle-tested under pressure.
Highlighting the grandeur of the upcoming events, organising leadership also reminded guests that hosting the official welcome dinner at the state-of-the-art ICC on September 4th makes attendees the very first group to host a major sports function at the landmark venue.
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