Mbabane – Staff at the Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPARC) spent Friday at Sibebe Resort, trading spreadsheets and boardrooms for team-building and wellness exercises. The retreat, held under the theme “Building a Stronger Future Together,” brought the entire workforce together for a full-day session focused on connection, reflection, and collective growth.
Led by Executive Director Dr. Thabo Sacolo, the session was organised to build stronger interpersonal relationships among staff while promoting a workplace culture rooted in trust, collaboration, and innovation. Dr. Sacolo opened the day by urging staff to see such moments not as breaks from work, but as essential to how the organisation performs.
“This is also part of the work,” said Sacolo. “It’s how we strengthen the bonds that help us deliver better results back at the desk.”
The event featured training facilitated by Evolving Heads Corporate Consultants, with organisational development expert Siphiwo Nyoni taking staff through exercises centred on team dynamics. Nyoni focused on the value of active listening, mutual respect, and shared responsibility. She spoke on how dismissive behaviours—such as arriving late or shutting down ideas—can gradually harm team cohesion.
She called on the team to build a workplace where mistakes are not punished but seen as learning moments. Her closing message drew from the words of Henry Ford: “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success.”
The session formed part of ESEPARC’s ongoing commitment to cultivating a resilient, people-first work environment. Rather than a once-off event, the wellness retreat fits into the organisation’s long-term view of staff development and institutional agility.
Dr. Sacolo, in his closing remarks, urged the team to honour their collective responsibility by mentoring one another and strengthening group success over individual gain.
“Someone once believed in us even when we were still learning,” he said. “Now it’s our turn to invest in each other and keep building together.”
Discussion about this post