MBABANE – Eswatini has taken a decisive step towards unlocking alternative financing for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The European Union (EU) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), in partnership with the Government of Eswatini, convened regional and international impact investors for the MSME Investment Roadshow which started on Tuesday and ends today.
The high-level engagement, held under the banner of promoting inclusive and sustainable economic transformation, connects investment-ready MSMEs with global capital providers seeking impactful and commercially viable opportunities.
The roadshow builds on discussions from the inaugural MSME Conference held in November 2025, where alternative financing mechanisms were identified as a critical solution to persistent barriers in access to capital. For many small businesses in Eswatini, limited collateral, high interest rates and rigid lending models have historically constrained growth.
This week’s event aims to bridge that gap.
Speaking at the welcome reception, the EU Ambassador – represented by Political and Executive Assistant Ask Gudmundsen described the roadshow as a strong vote of confidence in Eswatini’s entrepreneurial base.
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… milestone in country’s investment calendar - EIPA
MBABANE – Chief Executive Officer of the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA), Sibani Mngomezulu, described the visit by international impact investors as a milestone in the country’s investment calendar.
“You are going to get a picture of unlocking the value from the Kingdom of Eswatini starting this evening and over the next three days,” he said.
Mngomezulu highlighted Eswatini’s strategic position in Southern Africa, as well as its established trade arrangements with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), the EU and the United States of America.
He further referenced government’s transformation agenda, which seeks to drive high-impact projects expected to yield no less than E10 billion in investment flows into the country.
“That is a bold ambition, and we believe today’s event and your visit to the kingdom is one step in the right direction,” he added.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Ambassador Melusi Masuku, emphasised Eswatini’s stability and investor-friendly environment.
“Eswatini is open for business. We are safe and stable. Our kingdom is a haven of peace and stability in the complex world. We want you to succeed here because when you do, our MSMEs also succeed,” he said.
Minister for Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, expressed appreciation for the EU–ITC partnership, particularly its intentional focus on MSMEs. “We particularly treasure this relationship because there is an intentional focus on MSMEs,” he said.
Addressing structural inequality, the minister acknowledged that wealth concentration remains a pressing challenge in the country.
“The problem, though, is the wealth in Eswatini is concentrated on a few, and we see MSME development as one of the key solutions to this particular problem,” he said.
He identified access to finance and entrepreneurial skills as persistent gaps limiting MSME scalability. “I do believe there is a lot of bankable projects across all the sectors of the economy, where our impact investors partnering with local MSMEs can make a big difference. We think these partnerships will actually help us to cross that particular hurdle,” Khumalo said.
Unlike traditional commercial bank lending, impact investors typically blend financial returns with measurable social or environmental impact.
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The visiting impact investors representatives from Tshiamo Impact Partners, MsFiT Ventures, Fidelity Bank Ghana Ltd, Altree Capital, Alterfin. (Courtesy pics)