Mbabane – The Eswatini National Spelling Bee says its partnership with FNB Eswatini is helping the competition expand while exposing young learners to financial literacy at an early age.
Speaking during a sponsorship handover ceremony at the FNB Eswatini headquarters in Ezulwini, Eswatini National Spelling Bee Communications Officer Musawenkosi Mantinto thanked the bank for its E30 000 sponsorship, saying the support has contributed to the competition’s growth and created more opportunities for learners.
Mantinto said the competition has grown significantly since it was established.
“Everything started in 2024, and we held our first competition in 2025 with 30 schools participating. This year, we had more than 38 schools and over 250 learners from all four regions of the country taking part,” he said.
He said the competition began with regional contests before concluding with the national finals, where the country’s best young spellers competed for top honours.
Mantinto said FNB Eswatini’s involvement goes beyond sponsoring the competition, as learners also benefit from financial education through the bank’s Future Accounts initiative.
“FNB did not only promote literacy, they also promoted financial literacy. The bank opened Future Accounts for our learners, giving them an opportunity to learn how to save, budget and manage their money from a young age,” he said.
He said introducing children to banking at an early age equips them with practical money management skills that will benefit them in the future.
Mantinto said the organisation values its partnership with FNB Eswatini and hopes it will continue to benefit more learners in the years ahead.
“We are grateful to FNB Eswatini for believing in our vision, and we look forward to continuing this partnership so that the competition reaches even more young people across the country,” he said.
He also announced that Eswatini’s top spellers will represent the country at the Africa Spelling Bee Championships in Zambia later this year.
“Our team will proudly represent Eswatini at the Africa Spelling Bee in Zambia, and we are thankful to FNB for helping make opportunities like these possible,” said Mantinto.
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