MBABANE – The construction industry and the entire economy of the country are under siege.
It has emerged that Eswatini has been importing building blocks made of cement and concrete.
Concrete blocks, which are manufactured in the kingdom, were imported from South Africa to the value of E6 million.
The quantity was 4 017 050 kg.
This information was sourced from World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS). The World Bank, in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and in consultation with organisations such as the International Trade Centre, the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) and World Trade Organization (WTO), developed what would later be known as WITS
It must be said that not only are major tenders being awarded to foreign companies, but building materials that are manufactured locally are also being imported, with economists complaining that such, tendency is directly and heavily hurting the economy and government’s cash flow.
Precast products or articles of cement that are made in Eswatini and available in bulk are reportedly being imported as well.
It is understood that the bulk of these precast products come from South Africa.
Based on Trade Economics data, Eswatini has been importing E41 million (US$2.55 million) worth of construction materials from South Africa and other parts of the world, particularly China.
On the other hand, a Comtrade database, seen by this newspaper, shows that E18 million was spent on imports of “concrete and artificial stone”, which are readily available in Eswatini.
The Comtrade database is used by the United Nations (UN). In fact, it is the official UN repository, aggregating detailed annual and monthly international trade statistics from around the world.
Investigations by the Times SUNDAY indicate that local small-scale manufacturers are now agents for precast companies in South Africa. Realising that they cannot compete with the South African companies, they have decided to team up with them instead.
For instance, a certain Matsapha-based company stocks products from Global Precast. Global Precast issued a statement saying that Eswatini can place orders for its products through the company. At its premises in Matsapha, this newspaper found a few articles of cement from Global Precast.
It must be said that while Eswatini and South Africa are trading partners, the kingdom has well-established firms that manufacture heavy-duty and standard precast concrete products catering for structural, civil and residential construction.
The Eswatini companies specialise in infrastructure, civil engineering and general precast solutions that include portal culverts, concrete pipes and factory-moulded stormwater and sewage pipes. They also manufacture heavy-duty utility access rings, roadway and walkway edging blocks.
Local producers do make building blocks, pavers (standard wet-cast and dry-cast blocks and paving slabs), concrete bollards, bus shelters, retaining blocks and precast VIP sanitation toilets.
Despite the call for local support through the ‘Buy Eswatini’ campaign, the materials mentioned above are imported.
Major South African infrastructure suppliers such as Global Precast distribute SANS-compliant precast items (pipes, culverts and manholes) into Eswatini through local entities. This is happening despite Eswatini’s strong domestic precast production. Companies such as Nkonyeni Precast (NPC) at Sidvokodvo and Infracast in Matsapha manufacture SABS/SWASA-compliant blocks, pavers, pipes and roof tiles, supplying both the local market and parts of South Africa.
Imports of articles of cement, concrete or artificial stone from China have fallen sharply, now standing at only E7 000.
On August 17, 2026, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini stated that it wanted 80 per cent of construction materials used in public projects to be sourced locally in order to create jobs and keep more money in Eswatini.
According to the Times of Eswatini, our sister publication, Thulani Mkhaliphi, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said reforms were being developed with the Construction Industry Council (CIC) to address unemployment and strengthen the domestic construction value chain.
It was further stated that the ministry was overhauling its procurement system to ensure that infrastructure spending generates greater economic benefits for the country.
Mkhaliphi said the current system allowed much of the money borrowed to finance infrastructure projects to leave the country, because construction materials and other inputs were largely imported.
“We are literally improving other economies while our own backyard is living hand-to-mouth,” Mkhaliphi was quoted as saying.
He said this had contributed to concerns among local construction companies that the country was effectively exporting jobs.
The principal secretary stated that the problem went beyond the awarding of contracts to foreign companies, because Eswatini had not developed the value chain needed to supply the construction industry locally. He said government wanted to create an ecosystem capable of producing the supplies required by the building sector, retaining value, skills and outputs within the kingdom.
The proposed procurement policy would, therefore, require 80 per cent of the products needed for construction projects to be sourced locally.
Where materials could not be obtained in Eswatini, procurement would, as a second option, be directed to suppliers within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The policy also proposes a one per cent import levy on selected foreign-manufactured building materials. The levy is intended to protect domestic producers from foreign competition and encourage greater investment in local manufacturing.
Another proposed measure is a centralised platform for advertising and allocating government construction contracts.
Mkhaliphi said the platform would improve transparency and ensure that local firms had fair access to government tenders. He said the objective was to create sustained demand for local manufacturers, suppliers and contractors while generating employment.
The opportunity is not limited to large construction companies, as the policy also provides for the development of artisanal skills and greater participation by local businesses. Mkhaliphi illustrated the scale of the potential market by noting that the construction sector uses more than three billion nails a year, yet all of them are imported. Basic construction products such as shovels and steel pipes are also imported, highlighting gaps in the domestic supply chain.
The reforms are aligned with the National Construction Industry Policy 2025–2031, which seeks to strengthen local participation through procurement preferences, support for local firms and skills development. Mkhaliphi said government and the CIC, led by Chief Executive Officer Maqhawe Mnisi, were working on policies to position local businesses to benefit more from infrastructure expenditure. Under the proposed framework, government-funded infrastructure projects would give preference to local manufacturers and contractors. The broader aim is to turn public construction expenditure into a driver of domestic production, rather than simply a means of delivering roads, bridges and public buildings.
It is understood that government expects the approach to stimulate manufacturing, strengthen the construction supply chain, develop skills and create employment.
The reforms would also seek to ensure that more infrastructure spending generates local wages, tax revenue, supplier opportunities and small-business growth.
The draft regulations for the construction industry come with major changes. Much of the spadework has been done on the CIC’s draft regulations, which now await tabling in Parliament.
Several countries enforce Local Content Requirements (LCRs) or buy-local mandates that compel companies to purchase cement, steel and building materials domestically for public and infrastructure projects.
In South Africa, under the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA), government has implemented a strict circular banning the use of imported cement on all State-awarded and government-funded infrastructure projects, requiring 100 per cent local cement sourcing. To enforce these domestic mandates, South Africa relies heavily on domestic funding pools and public-private partnerships (PPPs), or selectively negotiates bilateral loan conditions where acceptable.
China, under its Government Procurement Law, legally mandates that all public buyers purchase domestic products and building materials unless the required items cannot be acquired on reasonable commercial terms.
The United States has what is called the Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA), which mandates that, for all federally funded or assisted infrastructure projects, 100 per cent of the iron, steel, manufactured products and construction materials used must be produced in the USA.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) regularly imposes temporary bans and restrictions on cement, clinker and lime imports, specifically to safeguard its domestic manufacturing base amid massive infrastructure and mining expansion.
