Agriculture

MBABANE - The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Eswatini’s sugar industry and projects aligned with global transitions towards sustainable energy.

This is a development expected to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries.

This commitment was made during a high-level courtesy call hosted by Business Eswatini (BE) on Tuesday, where Colin Wells, the British High Commissioner to Eswatini, met with the BE leadership to explore avenues for deeper collaboration.

The meeting, held at the BE War Room, placed emphasis on boosting trade, unlocking investment opportunities and supporting private sector-led growth in Eswatini.

The dialogue identified five major areas of collaboration: Deepening trade relations, investing in skills development, facilitating business and travel, financing green growth and strengthening governance.

High on the agenda was the UK’s interest in supporting Eswatini’s sugar sector, which remains one of the country’s largest export earners. The British high commissioner expressed optimism about opportunities under the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and existing trade frameworks that enable tariff-free access for Eswatini’s sugar exports to the UK market. The UK’s willingness to explore green energy investments, particularly linked to the sugar industry, signals a strategic alignment with global climate change commitments and Eswatini’s aspirations for a more sustainable industrial base.

The UK also committed to investing in people through programmes such as the Chevening Scholarship programme, which has enabled many young emaSwati to gain global exposure and policy expertise. BE commended this programme for contributing to the country’s human capital development, a critical component in achieving sustainable growth.

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Business Eswatini CEO Nathi Dlamini (L) and Colin Wells, the British High Commissioner to Eswatini. (Pic: Courtesy)