MBABANE – The Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) is banking on the power of local content creators and regional digital media as the central pillar of its ‘Choose Eswatini’ Festive Season Campaign.
This strategy, which relies on authentic, influencer-led storytelling, is designed to push the country toward its one million visitor milestone and beyond. Launched on Wednesday at Brookside Lodge, the campaign’s success hinges on a select group of local personalities who were unveiled at the event and tasked with generating fresh, high-quality content.
The influencers and media personalities who have participated in the ETA’s recent campaigns and are leading the #ChooseEswatini drive include:
- Gcinisizwe ‘Nurse Wekhantri’ Buthelezi
- Luleka Mdluli
- Nomzamo Dlamini
- Temlandvo Vilakati
- Bonkhe Shabangu
ETA CEO Vusie Dlamini highlighted the proven effectiveness of this digital approach. During the Easter campaign, 54 influencer posts generated 1 517 088 views across social platforms.
Familiarisation tours for the content creators are scheduled for November and December to ensure they can fully experience and authentically share the best of the nation’s tourism offerings.
The ETA’s strategic reliance on content creators mirrors a successful global and regional trend, notably in South Africa, where the national tourism board frequently partners with digital personalities.
- In the tourism sector, influencers and content creators are crucial because they offer:
- Authenticity and trust: Unlike traditional advertising, influencers provide first-hand experiences that are highly trusted by their followers, leading to stronger destination belief and conversion.
- Hyper-targeted reach: Their content reaches specific, engaged demographics like adventure seekers, foodies or youth travellers that are difficult to capture through mass media.
- Visual storytelling: They are experts at creating viral, shareable content (images and short videos) that showcases the destination’s appeal effectively on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Countries like South Africa use influencers to market niche experiences, cultural festivals and hidden gems, moving beyond major cities to promote rural and regional tourism. By using local voices, Eswatini ensures its narrative remains genuine and culturally relevant, boosting both domestic and regional interest.
The campaign is further boosted by major corporate partnerships. TotalEnergies Eswatini and MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) have teamed up to offer competitions, rewarding emaSwati who fuel up and pay using MoMo. This leverages the MoMo network’s half a million subscribers to inject vital digital revenue into the tourism sector.
The ETA is also extending its reach regionally, advertising on Rise FM in Mpumalanga (over 400 000 listeners) and Radio 2000 in Gauteng (over two million listeners). This is coupled with Eswatini Railways’ announcement of the 2025 Seskhona Tourist Train trip to Mozambique, which will bring Mozambican tourists to Eswatini in December.
Also to speak was ETA Board Chairperson Penelope Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi noted that the campaign builds on the country’s 12.3 per cent year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals and supports the ETA’s targets of two million arrivals and E2 billion receipts by 2027.
“May this #ChooseEswatini festive season campaign remind us all that there is something for everyone in Eswatini, regardless of your age and where you come from,” ETA Board Chairperson Penelope Mkhwanazi concluded.
(L-R) The content creators Bonkhe Shabangu, Nomzamo Dlamini, Temlandvo Vilakati, ETA Head of Marketing Chunky Mdluli, Gcinisizwe ‘Nurse Wekhantri’ Buthelezi and Luleka Mdluli. (Pic: Nombuso dlamini)