BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
MBABANE – Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini says the forthcoming Taiwan Innovation Industrial Hub at Phocweni will position Eswatini as a gateway for Taiwanese manufacturers seeking access to Africa’s market of more than 1.4 billion consumers.
The Prime Minister has been in Taiwan since departing Eswatini on Monday on behalf of His Majesty King Mswati III for the Ketagalan Forum: 2026 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue, with the visit also serving as a strategic investment promotion mission. During the five-day visit, he has engaged with a number of investors courting them to come and invest in Eswatini.
Speaking during strategic trade talks with representatives of the Taiwan Packaging Association in Taipei today, the Prime Minister said the industrial hub forms part of Eswatini’s broader industrialisation agenda, which aims to attract export-oriented industries capable of creating jobs, adding value to local products and expanding the country’s manufacturing base.
He said the Phocweni hub is being designed to provide Taiwanese investors with a strategic production base from which they can manufacture goods destined for markets across the continent under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Prime Minister noted that Eswatini offers significant opportunities for industries that support value addition, particularly packaging, as many companies currently import packaging materials despite the country’s growing agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
He said establishing a world-class packaging industry in Eswatini would strengthen local value chains while increasing the competitiveness of exports such as sugar, citrus, vegetables, coffee and other agricultural products.
“Many companies operating in Eswatini currently import their packaging materials. As you consider partnering with Eswatini, it is important to appreciate that packaging is value addition, and value addition translates into job creation. Our vision is to build an export-oriented economy, and your industry can play a significant role in helping us realise that vision,” said the Prime Minister.
Chairman of the Taiwan Packaging Association, Biao Kuo, welcomed the opportunity to engage with Eswatini and expressed confidence that the Association’s membership has the expertise required to support the country’s industrial ambitions.
He said the Association brings together more than 300 member companies, most of them micro, small and medium-sized enterprises specialising in packaging solutions for sectors including healthcare, chemicals and consumer goods.
“With more than 300 member companies, we have more than enough expertise and capacity to assess Eswatini’s needs and identify opportunities for meaningful collaboration,” said Kuo.
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