Ezulwini – The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Honourable Manqoba Khumalo MP, on Wednesday delivered a keynote address at the Eswatini United Kingdom Business Forum held at Royal Villas in Ezulwini, where government and business leaders gathered to discuss trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.
The forum brought together officials from Eswatini and the United Kingdom at a time of ongoing global economic pressure, with discussions centred on strengthening commercial relations and unlocking new opportunities for growth.
Khumalo spoke about the long standing partnership between the Kingdom of Eswatini and the United Kingdom, pointing to trade and investment as key pillars of the relationship. He said Eswatini is positioning itself to expand its export base, with a national target to surpass E50 billion in exports by 2030.
The Minister outlined opportunities created through the SACU plus Mozambique United Kingdom Economic Partnership Agreement, which provides Eswatini producers with access to the UK market. He encouraged businesses to look beyond traditional export destinations and pursue broader market diversification, particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises.
Attention was also drawn to reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business in the country. Khumalo referred to the Business One Stop Shop, known as BOSS, as one of the measures designed to simplify investment processes and attract both local and foreign investors.
Eswatini’s business climate was further placed in a continental context following its ranking as the 10th best performing country in Africa in the 2025 World Bank Business Ready Report.
According to the Minister, the country offers investment opportunities across agro processing, manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics and services, sectors seen as critical to economic diversification and job creation.
“As we move forward, let us translate dialogue into action and unlock the full potential of Eswatini–UK trade and investment relations.”
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