MBABANE – Preparations are well underway for the highly anticipated Ntjilo Ntjilo Choral Music Competition 2026, with organisers promising an unforgettable celebration of choral music, talent, and culture when the event takes place on 20 September 2026 at the UNESWA Sports Emporium.
Speaking during the official launch, Ntjilo Ntjilo Director Mathokoza Sibiya revealed that tickets will soon be available through Moja Ticket, with corporate tables going on sale first. Corporate tables are priced at E15 000, while VIP tickets cost E450 and General Admission tickets are E150.
Sibiya also announced that this year’s competition will feature seven exciting categories, showcasing a variety of classical and indigenous choral performances. These include Baritone/Bass Duet, Female Choirs, Mixed Standard Choirs, Mixed Large Choirs, SSSATB Sextet, Male Choirs, and SATB Quartet, with participants expected to perform works by internationally renowned composers such as Giuseppe Verdi, Vincenzo Bellini, Gioachino Rossini, Felix Mendelssohn, alongside compositions by local composers Mathokoza Sibiya, Melisizwe Zwane, Lungelwa Shabalala, and H.D. Magagula.
The competition will see choirs competing in two major divisions.
The Standard Category will feature:
- FTM & JJ Choir
- Gebeni Choristers
- Eswatini Methodist Choir
- Emmanuel Methodist Choir
Meanwhile, the Large Category will see performances from:
- Royal Eswatini Police Service Choir
- Dolce Harmony Singers
- Manzini Choir
- Pure Voices
- Mbabane Methodist Church Choir
- Sweet Sounds
- HM Correctional Services Choir
This year’s competition has attracted significant corporate support, demonstrating growing confidence in the development of choral music in Eswatini.
Among the major sponsors are the Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC), Montigny, which contributed E50 000 and pledged to double its sponsorship next year, Eswatinimed, which committed E200 000, including E150 000 dedicated to marketing and sponsorship of the Best Conductor award, as well as Al Mona Group, which invested E150 000 into the competition.
The competition will be adjudicated by an experienced panel comprising Dr Elmon Shongwe, Sidumo Nyamezele from South Africa, and Professor Patrick Tikolo, also from South Africa.
Speaking on behalf of the Eswatini National Choral Music Association, Sihle Gumbi applauded Ntjilo Ntjilo for consistently pushing boundaries to ensure the growth of the competition and creating opportunities for local talent to gain exposure.
“We would like to thank Ntjilo Ntjilo for always pushing beyond limits for the project to continue growing and help expose talent. We are also grateful to the sponsors for choosing to support this initiative, and we hope they will continue supporting the programme in the years ahead,” said Gumbi.
He also acknowledged ENCAC for its continued partnership with the competition, saying the collaboration demonstrates that the development of choral music in Eswatini is moving in the right direction.
Gumbi further encouraged more choirs to participate in future editions while calling on the public to support the event by purchasing tickets instead of relying on complimentary access.
“Let us normalise buying tickets and avoid getting complimentary tickets. Buying tickets will help sustain the Ntjilo Ntjilo project,” he urged.
ENCAC Chief Executive Officer Stanley Dlamini described Ntjilo Ntjilo as an important platform that celebrates talent while recognising organisations investing in the country’s creative sector.
“Events like Ntjilo Ntjilo help us celebrate talent and the people who invest in such programmes,” said Dlamini.
He challenged sponsors to increase their visibility during the competition through stronger branding and encouraged them to consider long-term partnerships that could secure the festival’s future.
“On the day of the show, it would be wonderful to witness aggressive branding from our sponsors. I would also like to see sponsors committing themselves to supporting the festival over the next five years,” he said.
Dlamini concluded by thanking all sponsors for investing in the development of local talent, saying their contributions continue to place Eswatini’s choral music industry firmly on the map.
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