Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has called on investors to invest in the country, stating that Eswatini can serve as a gateway to the rest of Africa.
This was during a tour of stalls at the eighth edition of the Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival.
Dlamini said the kingdom was “a gem waiting to be discovered”.
He said the country was ready for business and that anyone wanting to invest in a safe environment with good infrastructure would find that Eswatini had much to offer.
He said the country had good roads and the qualities of a well-developed nation.
He added that investors could use the kingdom as a platform to reach the whole of Africa, which has a population of 2.4 billion.
Dlamini stated that investors could invest in the country and then export to people in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
He highlighted that the country was part of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), which investors could also access, and assured them of stability when they invest in the kingdom.
“We have significant investors. Investors who have been with us for the past 30 years can attest that this is the right place to be,” he said.
Meanwhile, Standard Bank Chief Executive Officer Mvuselelo Fakudze said the event was important for the bank and the country’s economy.
He said last year they hosted an audience from 26 different African countries.
He said the demand for tickets, not only from the country but beyond its borders, was “unbelievable”, which showed that many people were coming from all over to experience Swati hospitality.
He added that people wanted to experience the food and fashion stalls, which meant the event was a true lifestyle event.
“It is about bringing African cultures together and getting African people to interact,” he said.
The chief executive added that through Phokophela Sinawe, the bank was encouraging people to pursue their dreams.
He said the bank allows small businesses to grow, become bigger, export and expand into other regions.
Fakudze said trade between Eswatini and South Africa stood at E60 billion per annum.
He said the people of the two countries had much in common and that, through Phokophela Sinawe, they were creating a platform where a person’s success could not be limited by anything but their imagination.
‘If we don’t focus on culture, we won’t understand the people’
Standard Bank Chief Executive Officer Mvuselelo Fakudze said that, as a bank, if they did not focus on culture, they would not understand the people.
Fakudze said this was an important cultural event for Standard Bank, which promotes African culture and food. He said it was therefore important for the bank to promote what the country had to offer.
“As a bank, if we do not focus on culture we will not understand the people. We see ourselves as an institution that creates connections between large corporates and the events that happen in the country. This is a good platform for traders who get to sell their products at the festival and for artists,” he said.
The chief executive stated that locals got to connect with nature and with each other, something they did not get in other countries.
Fakudze said they were therefore expecting people to enjoy themselves through the fashion, food and music on offer.
