Development

MBABANE – Companies interested in tendering for Phase 1B  of the Mkhondvo–Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Programme (MNWAP) will be required to provide a bid security of E40 million.

This is part of the procurement conditions.

This requirement was outlined in a specific procurement notice issued by the Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (EWADE), officially inviting bids for the construction of the much-anticipated project.

The MNWAP represents one of the country’s largest water infrastructure investments, aimed at transforming irrigation, agriculture and food security.

The scale of the project and the high bid security reflect its significance to the kingdom’s development agenda.

The current tender relates to Phase 1B of the MNWAP, which covers the construction of a 36 kilometre main conveyance pipeline from the Mpakeni Dam to irrigation zones.

The pipeline, ranging between DN2000 and DN1800 in diameter, is expected to be completed over a period of 1 095 days or just over three years.

The project is financed through a loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB), with procurement conducted under the Bank’s Open Competitive Bidding (International) framework.

This ensures that the bidding process is transparent and open to all eligible international firms with the technical and financial capacity to deliver.

Interested bidders are required to purchase the bidding documents for E5 000, payable through bank transfer or cash deposit.

A pre-bid meeting will be held on September 12, 2025, at KaMsholo Bushveld Safaris, with a virtual link provided for those unable to attend in person.

All bids must be submitted to EWADE’s Lubovane Damsite Offices in Siphofaneni by October 17, 2025 at 2pm. Bids will be opened publicly at 2:05pm on the same day.

The MNWAP has been on Eswatini’s development agenda for several years, conceived as a strategic response to the kingdom’s water security challenges and the growing demand for irrigated agriculture.

The project involves harnessing water resources from the Mkhondvo and Ngwavuma rivers to supply irrigation, particularly in the drought-prone southern Lowveld.

This region, historically vulnerable to erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells, has long required a sustainable water supply system to support both commercial and smallholder farming.

The MNWAP is designed to address these challenges by enabling large-scale irrigation infrastructure, which, in turn, will boost agricultural productivity and resilience.

Full article available in our publication.

The current tender relates to Phase 1B of the MNWAP, which covers the construction of a 36-kilometre main conveyance pipeline from the Mpakeni Dam to irrigation zones. (Pic: Courtesy)