MALKERNS — FNB Eswatini has described strong business journalism as a pillar of national economic development, with the bank’s chief executive officer Thokozani Dlamini saying ethical and well resourced financial reporting plays a direct role in shaping the country’s development path.
Dlamini made the remarks while closing the inaugural FNB Eswatini Business Reporters’ Capacitation Workshop held in Malkerns. The initiative brought together local business and finance journalists for a full day of intensive engagements aimed at strengthening Eswatini’s business and financial reporting space.
He said the workshop was not a once off exercise but a long term investment in the quality of economic information available to emaSwati.
“As a business, we fully believe in the power of honest and fair journalism to keep society informed and to challenge us to do business in an ethical way, for the benefit of emaSwati and our beautiful Kingdom,” Dlamini said.
The chief executive linked the initiative to FNB Eswatini’s 30th anniversary commitment, Sitintile Eswatini futsi asiyindzawo, which focuses on delivering measurable value across different sectors of society.
During the workshop, journalists took part in sessions designed to sharpen analytical skills, improve story construction and strengthen the interpretation of financial data. Discussions covered areas such as national budgets, corporate financial results, economic outlooks and market movements.
Dlamini said the fast changing nature of the business and finance environment requires journalists to constantly update their skills in order to serve the public effectively. He said business journalists play a critical role in translating complex financial information into language that ordinary citizens can understand, with a direct influence on household decisions, business confidence and trust in economic institutions.
To support the training, FNB Eswatini brought in veteran journalists Rob Rose and Vernon Wessels, who together have more than 40 years of newsroom experience from international platforms including Financial Mail and Bloomberg. Both are founding members of Currency News. Participants were taken through practical newsroom style exercises focusing on investigative thinking, data interrogation and storytelling depth.
Dlamini said the experience and background of the facilitators reflected how seriously the bank views the initiative, adding that the training is expected to contribute to more rigorous and insightful business reporting in the country.
The workshop also formed part of FNB Eswatini’s 30 Acts of HELP programme, a social impact campaign under which the bank committed to rolling out 30 community focused initiatives as it marks 30 years of operating in Eswatini. The journalism workshop is the 13th project under the programme.
Other projects under the campaign include the donation of infant equipment to 11 hospitals and the provision of supplies and food to SOS Children’s Village in Mbabane.
Dlamini said by including journalist development within its social investment work, FNB Eswatini is broadening corporate social responsibility to support institutions that promote transparency, accountability and informed public discourse.
The workshop received additional support from the Eswatini Stock Exchange and Business Eswatini. Dlamini said the collaboration reflects a shared understanding that a strong business media sector benefits the wider economic ecosystem.
Six final year Journalism and Mass Communication students from the University of Eswatini also took part in the workshop, giving them early exposure to professional newsroom standards and the opportunity to interact with practicing journalists.
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