MBABANE – Eswatini’s sugar industry has once again been recognised as one of Africa’s most efficient and competitive sugar sectors.
A new regional study positions the kingdom as the leading exporter of raw sugar in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The findings are contained in a regional sugar industry study conducted by the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC) in collaboration with the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED), which examined the sugar sectors of Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The report paints a picture of an industry that continues to outperform many of its regional counterparts despite increasing pressures from climate change, input costs and evolving international trade dynamics.
According to the study, Eswatini, together with Zambia and Mauritius, remains among the lowest-cost sugar producers in the region and is a substantial net exporter of sugar. The report notes that Eswatini exports well over half of its total sugar production, underlining the industry’s importance to the national economy and export earnings.
One of the strongest endorsements of Eswatini’s sugar industry comes from the country’s position as the leading exporter of raw sugar among all countries analysed in the study.
The report found that Eswatini recorded raw sugar exports of 439 581 metric tonnes in 2024, significantly higher than other countries in the survey. This translated into a positive raw sugar trade balance of 437 367 metric tonnes, making Eswatini the largest net exporter of raw sugar in the group.
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The study states that extensive irrigation, combined with efficient production systems and high-quality cane, allows Eswatini to consistently achieve high productivity levels. (Courtesy pic)