EZULWINI – Business Eswatini has called on the private sector to take a more strategic and coordinated approach to fully utilise the Eswatini–United Kingdom trade agreement, which marks five years since its signing.
Musa Maseko, Head of Trade and Commerce at Business Eswatini, said discussions during the recent Eswatini–UK Business Forum revealed ongoing challenges, including underutilisation of the agreement and limited diversification of export products.
“We first have to appreciate that this marks five years since the agreement was signed. What was revealed today were issues of underutilisation of the agreement, as well as the need for diversification. We now need to be strategic on how we utilise the agreement going forward,” Maseko said.
He noted that certain sectors already show promise, with products such as macadamia nuts and pineapples having existing market footprints in the UK. He added that success depends on assessing production capacity and scaling up output to meet demand.
“There are some areas in which we can strengthen. We already have a footprint in certain products, so now it is about looking at our production capacity and scaling up,” he said.
Maseko also highlighted the need to strengthen market linkages with UK counterparts, stressing that trade relies on strong relationships between buyers and suppliers.
“As a chamber, we need to extend our footprint to our counterparts in the UK, because trade can only be established once you have those market linkages,” he said.
While some Business Eswatini members are multinational corporations with established international connections, Maseko said efforts must now focus on integrating emerging and modern businesses.
“We want to broaden the scope and integrate some of these modern businesses. The best way to do this is by utilising existing footprints, existing products and supply chains, and strengthening them,” he said.
Beyond traditional agricultural exports, Business Eswatini is advocating for diversification into other sectors, including handicrafts, to promote inclusive economic growth.
“For us, a big concern is the need to diversify as much as possible, not just food products, but also to expand more into handicrafts, because that integrates women and other applications into the value chain,” Maseko said.
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