MBABANE – Business leaders, tech developers and financial regulators gathered at Happy Valley yesterday for Finnovation 2025, an event organised by Digimage in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to explore the role of innovative financial technology in driving inclusive growth in Eswatini.
The one-day gathering pulled together key players from the UNDP, Eswatini Bank, Eswatini MTN, ESCCOM, SNAT SACCO, SwaziMobile, ICDF and others. Their shared focus was on using data-driven solutions to bridge gaps in the financial ecosystem and create platforms that benefit both businesses and communities.
UNDP Resident Representative Nessie Golakai called for stronger partnerships between regulators, innovators, financiers and tech entrepreneurs. She said collaboration and co-creation were essential if innovation is to deliver prosperity rather than just digital convenience. Golakai credited Digimage for uniting stakeholders from fintech, government, banks and academia under one roof.
“Shared prosperity through innovation is possible when we stop working in silos,” said Golakai.
Her deputy stressed that innovation alone is insufficient. To unlock meaningful development, both public and private capital must be mobilised and channelled effectively. He pointed to ongoing UNDP projects such as the Integrated National Financing Frameworks and green bonds as examples of how finance can be made to serve development goals.
ESCCOM Director Lwazi Maziya told participants that Eswatini must go beyond infrastructure and use imagination to unlock growth. He said young people spend most of their time on platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, and understanding how and why they use these platforms is crucial for building smarter digital services.
Umelusi CEO Thabo Magagula focused on capital flows and funding, stating that while technology-driven projects offer promise, they remain underfunded due to the shortage of bankable opportunities. He noted that young people in Eswatini are not yet economically active in ways that attract large-scale investment, particularly in sectors like agri-tech and fintech.
Greaves Motsi, CEO of Solvate, a payment solutions provider, called for fintechs to design more customer-centred systems that elevate the retail sector. He said technology must enhance business intelligence and allow retailers to develop better strategies for growth.
The event comes as Eswatini grapples with how to integrate more of its youth into the digital economy, while also ensuring that innovation supports sustainable development.
Discussion about this post