Mbabane – The Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA) has postponed the country’s flagship investment conference, saying it wants to strengthen the quality and credibility of the event by securing confirmations from key international panelists before bringing investors together.
The second edition of the Eswatini Investment Conference (EIC), which was scheduled to take place from July 29 to 31 at the Ezulwini International Convention Centre, has been deferred to a date yet to be announced, with organizers now targeting early next year.
Briefing the media on Tuesday morning at the Mounting View Hotel, EIPA Chief Executive Officer Sibani Mngomezulu said the decision followed consultations with key stakeholders and was aimed at ensuring the conference delivers greater value to investors by featuring high-calibre speakers and industry leaders.
He said while preparations for the conference were at an advanced stage, the authority believed it was more important to host an event with the right participants than proceed without securing all the strategic panelists needed to enhance its credibility.
“The conference remains a strategic platform for attracting investment into Eswatini. We have generated significant interest locally, regionally and internationally, but we believe giving ourselves more time to secure confirmations from relevant panelists will result in a stronger and more impactful event,” said Mngomezulu.
He said the conference had already attracted registrations from investors, companies, institutional investors, policymakers, financiers and delegates from around the world, demonstrating sustained confidence in Eswatini as an investment destination.
Mngomezulu stressed that the postponement should not be interpreted as a loss of momentum but rather as a strategic decision to maximise the conference’s impact.
“We remain fully committed to hosting the investment conference because it is a key vehicle for positioning Eswatini as a competitive investment destination. All existing registrations, sponsorship commitments and partnerships will remain valid and will automatically be carried over to the new conference dates,” he said.
He added that EIPA, with the backing of government, remained confident that the interest already shown by investors and stakeholders would translate into an even stronger conference capable of unlocking new investment opportunities for the country.
The authority said attracting foreign and domestic investment remains central to government’s economic agenda, with the conference expected to connect investors, innovators, project promoters and policymakers while showcasing bankable investment opportunities across key sectors of the economy.
According to EIPA, discussions are ongoing with government to finalise the new conference dates, which will be communicated in due course.
The authority also urged members of the public, prospective delegates and the media to monitor the conference website for official updates regarding the revised schedule and related announcements.
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