Manzini – MTN Eswatini is helping digitally emancipate businesses of the future where SMEs and corporations can apply artificial intelligence (AI) to improve productivity.
Not only can AI in business sharpen decision-making, it also unlocks new levels of competitiveness.
Hosted at The George Hotel, in Manzini, the session moved beyond hype and theory, focusing on real, practical ways businesses can use AI tools to work smarter, cut operational costs, and scale more efficiently.
Professor Sandile Motsa, who delivered the keynote presentation, urged entrepreneurs to rethink how they engage with AI, noting that many small businesses still underestimate its potential to drive growth.
“SMEs do not realise how AI can help their businesses grow and attract value,” he said. “Most people ask AI questions, but few know how to prompt it properly to get strategic, useful results that can transform their operations.”
Motsa stressed that prompting is now a critical business skill, especially for entrepreneurs who want to compete in a rapidly digitalising economy. He explained that AI responds best when users supply relevant background information, objectives, and context about their business.
“When using AI, you must give it as much valuable context as possible so the results match what you are looking for,” he said. “If you want information presented as a table, a paragraph, a marketing plan, or a financial forecast, you just instruct the AI, and it will give you exactly that,” he said.
Motsa highlighted that many entrepreneurs still treat AI as a tool for casual queries, instead of the powerful business engine it can be.
“AI can solve real problems in your business,” he explained. “You can automate AI to work as an entire department or as your co-worker,” he elaborated.
He emphasised that AI can act as a marketing department, capable of producing campaigns, social media content, brand messaging, and customer insights at a speed unmatched by traditional teams.
“AI can do the work of ten people,” Motsa said. “It can help you design ads, write proposals, analyse competitors, plan your sales strategy and even draft financial projections. SMEs that learn how to leverage AI will operate with the efficiency of large corporates,” he added.
Lungile Mzizi from MTN Eswatini noted that the initiative is part of the company’s commitment to supporting digital transformation among local businesses. By empowering SMEs with cutting-edge knowledge and tools, MTN aims to close the digital skills gap and enhance the competitiveness of Eswatini’s economy.
Participants were also shown how AI can improve customer experience through personalised engagements, automated responses, and data-driven decision-making. According to MTN, adopting AI could help SMEs reduce operational costs by up to 30% while speeding up key processes.
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