By Phesheya Ian Kunene
MBABANE – It was brains, business cards, and a whole lot of ambition as over 30 suppliers packed into the Hilton Garden Inn this week for a high-powered workshop that is set to reshape rural education across Eswatini.
The Ministry of Education and Training, with backing from the World Bank, rolled out the red carpet for local suppliers at a Supplier Development Workshop that unpacked procurement rules with the power to unlock over E480 million in support for rural schools.
With World Bank regulations on the table and opportunities up for grabs, the message was clear: “Know the rules, play the game, and help build a better Eswatini.”
The project, worth a jaw-dropping E480 million (USD 27 million), is targeting 340 schools across the country, most of them deep in the rural heartlands. And this is not just talk. Laptops, tablets, photocopiers, and play tools are already finding homes in places like Makhava High School and schools in Gege and Sigwe.
Project Coordinator Khanyisile Mokoena, speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Education, told attendees that the pilot phase is already in motion, with 22 schools benefitting so far.
She laid out the blueprint: 20 primary schools, 20 secondary schools, 20 Early Childhood Care and Development Education (ECCDE) centres, and 16 OVC boys and girls clubs, all locked in for transformation.
“This is not about ticking boxes,” Mokoena said. “It is about real lives, real learners, and real results.”
Dr Phumzile Magagula from the World Bank, who delivered the keynote, urged attendees to go beyond business as usual. “Procurement is not just a formality, it is a force for good,” she said. She emphasized the Bank’s core values of transparency, fairness, competition, and value for money.
Magagula encouraged suppliers to treat the workshop as more than just a classroom.
“This is your moment to align with global standards, to ask questions, and to understand the why behind every procurement rule,” she said. “Let us ensure that procurement is not just a step in the process but a driver of quality, accountability, and development success.”
Stepping into the spotlight with a no-nonsense presentation, Ministry Procurement Specialist Lomakhosi Wendy Magagula gave a crash course in winning World Bank tenders. From conflict of interest to choosing the right market approach, from tender thresholds to writing winning proposals, she did not just teach the rules, she schooled the room.
“Respect the process. Stick to the principles. Compete like you mean it,” she advised, drawing nods and notepads from the room full of business-savvy participants.
The buzz at Hilton Garden Inn was not just about regulations, it was about responsibility. With early childhood development and basic education at the heart of the project, suppliers were reminded that they are not just delivering goods, they are delivering futures.
All Grade Zero classrooms across Eswatini are expected to benefit from the programme, with the Ministry calling for full ICT integration so that no child is left behind in the digital age.
Eswatini Positive News, which attended the workshop, can confirm that the energy in the room was electric, a true meeting of minds determined to fuel development through smart procurement.
As one supplier put it during a coffee break: “This is more than just a contract. It is a calling.”
With the World Bank’s support, the Ministry’s vision, and suppliers ready to rise to the challenge, rural classrooms may soon become centres of innovation where chalkboards meet keyboards and young dreams take flight.
