Mbabane- The Eswatini National Agricultural Union (ESNAU) is looking to turn its 14 500-strong membership into a source of capital as it moves to establish an investment fund aimed at improving farmers’ access to finance and creating income-generating assets.
ESNAU Chief Executive Officer Tammy Dlamini said the farmers’ union was working towards building its own financial muscle, arguing that collective contributions could provide the foundation for investments that would ultimately benefit members.
Speaking during the 2026 ESNAU Annual General Meeting at Eclipse House, Dlamini said the organization’s membership presented an opportunity to mobilise more than E3 million in subscriptions.
The proposed approach would see farmers move beyond being recipients or applicants of external financing and become contributors to an investment pool that could support projects, financing initiatives and income-generating assets.
Dlamini said the objective was to develop a fund capable of strengthening ESNAU’s investment capacity while creating opportunities for farmers to benefit from returns generated through the union’s investments.The ESNAU AGM programme includes an ESNAU Growth Fund among the organization’s initiatives, alongside research, training, business mentorship and capacity-building programmes.
The move comes against the backdrop of persistent financing challenges facing farmers, particularly those seeking to expand production, invest in equipment, develop value-added businesses or participate more effectively in agricultural value chains.
Dlamini encouraged farmers to remain committed to the organization and urged more farmers to join, highlighting collective organisation as a potential source of financial strength.
With about 14 500 members, even relatively small individual contributions could create a sizeable pool of capital when combined.The proposed fund could therefore shift part of the financing equation for farmers, from reliance on commercial lenders and other external financiers towards collectively owned financial resources.
For ESNAU, the bigger ambition is not simply to raise membership subscriptions but to convert the union’s membership base into an economic asset capable of supporting investment and generating value for farmers.
The initiative also fits into ESNAU’s broader strategic focus on markets, finance, investment, value chains and farmer organization. If successfully implemented, the fund could give farmers a greater stake in the financial infrastructure supporting their businesses, allowing them to participate not only in agricultural production but also in investment and asset ownership.
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