MADE in Eswatini Consumer Choice Awards 2026 has confirmed that this year’s celebration of local products, services, experiences and designs will take place on September 17.
The celebration will be held at Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane, under the theme ‘Imagine the Impact’.
With public voting closing on September 16, the competition has now entered its final and potentially most decisive stage.
Speaking ahead of the awards ceremony, A Peculiar People Executive Chairman Melusi Zox Dlamini said the response to this year’s awards demonstrated the growing power of consumer choice in shaping the local economy.
“These awards were never intended to simply be a popularity contest. They are an opportunity for consumers to say which local brands they believe deserve to be seen, supported and celebrated,” said Dlamini.
He stated that the 2026 awards introduced a transparent digital voting process powered by MTN MoMo, with each vote costing E1.
Dlamini said consumers could support one or multiple nominees and allocate multiple votes across their preferred brands.
According to the official awards platform, votes are only counted once successful payment is confirmed, with mechanisms in place to prevent double counting.
Dlamini said the emerging voting patterns suggested that several nominees were mobilising strongly within their respective categories, making the final days particularly important.
“What is exciting is that we are seeing different kinds of support emerge. Some brands have strong consumer loyalty, some are mobilising their communities, while others are benefiting from the strength of their products and the stories behind their businesses,” he said.
“The leaderboard can change very quickly in a consumer-voted competition. A brand that is behind today can potentially close the gap tomorrow. That is why we are encouraging all nominees not to assume the result may already be decided,” he added.
For Dlamini, however, the significance of the awards extended beyond who walks away with the symbol of excellence.
“The bigger story is that every vote represents a consumer making an economic choice,” he said.
“Every buying decision is economic activism. When we deliberately choose a product, service, experience or design created here in Eswatini, we are helping create demand. Demand creates markets, markets create businesses and businesses create opportunities and jobs.”
The Consumer Choice Awards form part of the broader Made in Eswatini movement, which seeks to build greater consumer trust, visibility and market access for responsible enterprises producing, transforming, designing or delivering from the country.
The Made in Eswatini definition, launched by Princess Sakhizwe on July 10, describes qualifying products, services, experiences and designs as those genuinely created, produced, transformed or delivered from Eswatini by responsible enterprises.
With voting closing on September 16, Dlamini urged consumers to make their voices count before the deadline.
“This is the final stretch. If there is a local brand you believe in, now is the time to show it,” he said.
“Don’t simply tell them you support them. Vote for them. Share their story. Buy from them. Recommend them. Because ultimately, the impact we imagine for Eswatini has to be built through millions of small decisions made by consumers every day.”
The winners will be announced at the Made in Eswatini Consumer Choice Awards 2026 on September 17 at Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane, bringing together nominees, previous winners, partners, sponsors, business leaders and other stakeholders to celebrate the enterprises helping shape the country’s economic future.
Voting remains open until September 16 via the official Made in Eswatini Consumer Choice Awards platform, with votes processed through MTN MoMo.
