More Taiwan jobs for Emaswati under consideration – King

THERE could be more job opportunities beyond teaching English for Emaswati in Taiwan in the near future.

This follows engagements between His Majesty the King and Taiwan President Lai Ching-te where consideration was put forward to put together a formal agreement that would open doors for more jobs in various sectors.

Speaking to Emaswati students at a dinner hosted by the founder of EDA World in honour of his visit to Kaohsiung, His Majesty said the president, the government and the people of Taiwan were very happy with the character and work ethic of Emaswati and therefore, had a wish to see the locals stay beyond their studies to work in Taiwan for several years before returning home.

“When you live with someone and they keep asking you to prolong your stay, it is an indication that you have been good ambassadors of the country. We commend this because you have laid a good foundation for future generations to benefit from this opportunity,” he said.

Should this consideration become formalised, these jobs would add to the existing bilateral agreement to hire teaching professionals in the country, mainly to teach English as part of the island country’s objective to transform the nation into a bilingual society.

Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 policy is a national strategic initiative launched to transform the nation into a bilingual society by 2030. It has been formulated to elevate national competitiveness and cultivate widespread English proficiency. The programme focuses on optimising learning platforms, modernising school curricula and scaling up English-medium instruction across educational institutions from primary schools to universities.

This national drive has formed the basis of bilateral educational arrangements which have created a demand for international teaching professionals, including educators from Eswatini, to teach in classrooms across the island.

Addressing the locals, His Majesty said he looks forward to having an expanded jobs agreement in place, as this would not just provide employment, but valuable skills that would also help the kingdom in its national development objectives.

The king called on the students to use these opportunities well and serve as good ambassadors for the country. He said he was eagerly looking forward to them returning home to share their expertise in the various fields.

He further urged them to remain as one, reminding them that they are, in fact, one family.

His Majesty then shared a bit of history about the identity of Emaswati and their roots, reminding them that they were all Dlamini descendants. He said the different surnames we have today were in fact names of people within the clan. He asked rhetorically if they knew why the Dlamini clan names refer to Dlamini as a people who scaled the length of the Lubombo plateau along the seashore. (Wena lowacedza Lubombo ngekuhlehletela). This, he explained, was because they did not want to go inland for fear of getting lost in the forests.

He said the clan had a very productive leader known as Matalatala (Dlamini I) who guided the people through successive migrations across southeastern Africa, adding that the Tembe are also part of the Dlamini family. There were no more than 30 students this time around, and they also received US$500 from the king, which was gifted to the over 650 students and Emaswati workers in Taipei on Tuesday evening.

They too broke out in song of jubilation when the announcement was made by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Pholile Shakantu.

King, E-DA World founder hold talks

HIS Majesty has held a meeting with the prominent Taiwanese industrialist Lin Yi-shou, the founder of E-United Group that owns EDA World.

E-DA World is one of Taiwan’s most remarkable master-planned suburban developments and is located in the Dashu district of Kaohsiung City.

It is a complex stretching across a vast hillside area that integrates retail, medical science, academic institutions and leisure infrastructure. The facility is the flagship consumer and lifestyle venture of the E-United Group, a massive industrial conglomerate founded by Lin Yi-shou. The meeting was aimed at fostering deeper economic partnerships and attract foreign direct investment into Eswatini.

The talks highlighted the longstanding academic partnership maintained through the institution’s healthcare framework, which has seen approximately 89 Emaswati graduate as qualified medical doctors over the years.

Both leaders explored avenues to enhance human capital development, vocational training pipelines and technological collaboration between Eswatini institutions and the Taiwanese enterprise.

Accompanying His Majesty during the meeting were Minister of Foreign Affairs Pholile Shakantu, Minister of Commerce Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo, Eswatini Ambassador to Taiwan Vulindlela Kunene and the King’s Private Secretary Mbongeni Simelane.

While the conglomerate built its initial reputation on heavy manufacturing and stainless steel production, it expanded into a diverse empire encompassing advanced healthcare, real estate, hospitality and education.

According to its profile, the expansive E-DA World complex houses several major commercial and institutional pillars.

Among them is the E-DA Theme Park, which holds distinction as Taiwan’s only ancient Greek Aegean Sea–themed amusement park, featuring a giant outdoor Trojan Horse structure and indoor attractions.

Adjacent to the park sits the EDA Outlet Mall, a pioneering neoclassical shopping center topped by the iconic 80-metre tall E-DA Ferris Wheel.

Hospitality assets within the complex include the five-star EDA Royal Hotel and the adjacent E-DA Skylark Hotel, providing luxury accommodation and convention spaces for international visitors and business delegations.

For Eswatini, the educational and medical components of EDA World have served as a vital cornerstone for bilateral cooperation. The complex houses the I-Shou University, a comprehensive institution featuring the School of Medicine for International Students, which works in direct coordination with the advanced E-DA Hospital network.

Over the years, this academic institution has provided rigorous clinical training for international scholars, including approximately 89 Emaswati who successfully completed their medical degrees and returned home to serve in the kingdom’s healthcare sector.