Times Of Swaziland: ESWATINI-ZAMBIA BILATERALS AVAIL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

ESWATINI-ZAMBIA BILATERALS AVAIL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
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Mhlengi Magongo on 07/06/2022 15:03:00


MBABANE - For a business sector in Eswatini to grow, the country needs to
increase its bilateral diplomacy with other nations to maximise trade.
Eswatini’s agricultural output tops the charts in terms of trade and export,
but the country still imports more vegetable commodities because of the unrest,
COVID-19 and the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war. The Southern African Research
Foundation for Economic Development (SARFED) yesterday said local businesses are
to benefit from the bilateral diplomacy between the Kingdom of Eswatini and
Zambia. This was mentioned by SARFED Regional Coordinator and economist Dr.
George H. Choongwa in a statement yesterday.
He said research indicates that unlike most of the emergent and developed
economies, most African countries are still challenged with the privilege of
maximising their diplomatic cooperation and networks. “It is for this reason
that Eswatini business community should be the leaders in this aspect,”
Choongwa said. The economist added that one of the key initiatives that both
countries (Eswatini and Zambia) can do while strengthening their diplomatic
cooperation during the time of economic hardship of COVID-19 and Global economic
meltdown is that of strengthening their respective Economic Intelligences (EIs)
with each other so that both counties would maintain a win-win economic
sustainability framework.
Geopolitical
He said both countries have a geopolitical advantage through Mozambique linkage
which would help both to facilitate trade and industrialisation under their
strategic foreign policy regulation. “His Majesty King Mswati III has
demonstrated a positive and strategic attitude to maintaining a continued,
bilateral diplomatic benefit between Eswatini and Zambian governments in spite
of cyclical change of democratic administration in Zambia,” he said. Choongwa
also mentioned that this has been through a continued promotion of healthy
diplomatic relationship between the two states.
Platform
Otherwise, the relationship currently being formed between two countries is
proving to be a platform for both governments’ mobilisation and use of 
national recourses  for promoting  growth  in various areas such as increasing
trade, promoting investments, collaboration on bilateral and multilateral trade
agreements and as well as promoting foreign policy  objectives for both
countries. He said that the emergency of a massive telecommunication sector in
both countries gives a chance for a swift achievement of the digital diplomacy
which has now become the central aspect for economic intelligence and
sustainability.
Business segments to benefit include:
*    Agriculture
*    Mining
*    Trade Promotion (Advertising and Marketing)
*    Construction