HIS Majesty King Mswati III has called for increased investment in Africa’s seed sector, urging private investors and development partners to bring capital, technology and skills.
Speaking at the African Union Seed Summit dinner at Ezulwini Palazzo on Tuesday evening, the king said a reliable seed sector was critical to Africa’s food sovereignty and agricultural future.
He made a direct appeal to development partners and the private sector to support the continent’s seed industry, saying investment was essential to building a dependable supply of viable, high-yielding and affordable seed.
“Africa’s seed sector is ready for your capital, your technology and your skills,” he observed.
He also said investors, however, would need confidence in the operating environment before committing resources to the sector.
He urged governments to provide stable policies, harmonised regulations and predictable conditions capable of attracting long-term investment into seed production and related agricultural value chains.
The king also called for greater regional cooperation, noting that seed systems, genetic resources, pests, diseases and markets do not stop at national borders. “No single member State can build a secure seed system alone,” he pointed out.
His Majesty said the African Union had an important role in providing common frameworks, harmonised standards and accountability mechanisms to enable countries to work together. Furthermore, he linked stronger seed systems to Africa’s broader agricultural transformation, calling for countries and regions to focus on crops suited to their production capabilities while supporting one another through regional trade.
The African Continental Free Trade Area, articulated His Majesty, could help connect producers to wider markets, but this would require better transport infrastructure, including road, rail, shipping and air links.
On climate change, the king said Africa needed to improve its plant genetic resources and breeding programmes to develop varieties capable of withstanding changing climatic conditions. He also highlighted Eswatini’s efforts, including the upgrading of its gene bank for indigenous plant genetic resources, multiplication of seeds and germplasm, farmer training and support for small-scale seed production groups.
He said these efforts needed to be expanded through partnerships and investment. He stressed the importance of protecting Africa’s genetic resources and combining scientific innovation with indigenous knowledge, particularly in supporting vulnerable communities and smallholder farmers. For His Majesty, the summit should ultimately move beyond policy commitments to practical action, stronger investment and growth across the seed industry. “Frameworks that remain on paper feed no one,” he added. He said Africa’s future food security would depend on turning the continent’s seed policies and programmes into functioning, resilient systems capable of supporting farmers and agricultural value chains.
King links seed sector to youth jobs
AFRICA’S seed industry can create meaningful opportunities for young people as countries seek to tackle unemployment.
His Majesty King Mswati III said the youth should see agriculture not only as farming, but as an industry offering opportunities in seed production, processing and trade.
“A young person who produces, processes or trades in quality seed is not looking for work; that young person is creating it.”
The message comes as Eswatini continues to grapple with youth unemployment. The 2025 Labour Force Survey put youth unemployment among 15–24-year-olds at 26.8%, although this was down from 27.1% in 2023.
Government’s National Development Plan identifies agriculture as one of the sectors where investment in vocational training can help absorb labour while adding value, also calling for greater youth participation in agricultural value chains.
The ministry of agriculture similarly identifies job creation as a core pillar of its strategy to transform agriculture into a commercial and sustainable sector.
Key Excerpts from His Majesty’s Keynote Address
- On Private Investment: “Africa’s seed sector is ready for your capital, your technology and your skills.”
- On Regional Integration: “No single member State can build a secure seed system alone.”
- On Concrete Action: “Frameworks that remain on paper feed no one.”
- On Youth Enterprise: “A young person who produces, processes or trades in quality seed is not looking for work; that young person is creating it.”
- On Food Sovereignty: “Seed is the genesis of all and central to food sovereignty.”
