Mbabane – Mr Dumisani Masilela, former Commissioner General of the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS), has been named Executive Secretary of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), the Ministry of Finance announced today. He will assume the role on 1 March 2026.
SACU, the world’s oldest customs union, brings together South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, and Eswatini. The union, in operation for over 115 years, contributes significantly to Eswatini’s national revenue, providing about 11.4 billion rand this year, which accounts for roughly 30 percent of the government’s budget, while nearly 18 billion rand comes from other sources.
The executive secretary position became vacant after the previous holder from Lesotho resigned two months ago following a recall for other duties. SACU’s secretariat is based in Namibia, where it has operated since 2005. All member states except Lesotho were eligible to submit candidates.
Eswatini nominated Masilela after careful consideration of potential candidates. At the time, he was working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a Revenue Management Specialist, first in Central Africa and currently in Washington D.C., a position he has held since February 2022. He agreed to the nomination and flew to Johannesburg for interviews with finance ministers from all SACU member states. Masilela ranked first in the selection process, with unanimous support for Eswatini’s nomination.
Masilela has over two decades of experience in finance and revenue management. He served as Commissioner General of the Swaziland Revenue Authority from May 2010 to March 2022, overseeing its establishment and strategic direction after it became fully operational in January 2011 as a semi-autonomous agency. From January 2007 to May 2010, he was Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, acting as the administrative head of the ministry. Earlier, from 2001 to 2006, he worked as a Program Officer at the Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa.
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