BY NELIWE NGUBANE
EZULWINI – Twenty years may be a milestone worth celebrating, but for Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC) CEO Stanley Dlamini, the real test begins after the anniversary cake is cut.
Speaking during the Swazi Boy Entertainment 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner at Happy Valley Hotel, Ezulwini, Dlamini challenged the entertainment brand to use its next two decades to move beyond establishing its identity and create a lasting institution that can define entertainment in Eswatini.
His remarks shifted the focus from celebrating what has already been achieved to questioning what Swazi Boy Entertainment will build next, particularly through its relationship with Happy Valley Hotel.
Dlamini acknowledged that the past 20 years had come with both achievements and losses, noting that some people who were once part of the journey were no longer at the table.
“In these 20 years, we have also seen other friends walking away from this table. It is time to look back and celebrate,” he said.
While recognising the importance of celebrating the milestone, Dlamini cautioned against allowing the anniversary to become the destination.
“But don’t prolong the celebration. The biggest challenge is in the next 20 years,” he said.
According to Dlamini, the brand has spent the past two decades working to establish and locate its identity within the entertainment industry, and he believes that work has now produced a recognisable brand.
“Past 20 years, we have been trying to locate a brand. We have apparently done that. Then the next 20 years, what are we going to do?” he asked.
A key part of Dlamini’s remarks was his call for a stronger and more defined relationship between Swazi Boy Entertainment and Happy Valley Hotel.
He pointed to Happy Valley’s role in hosting entertainment events and suggested that the relationship should develop beyond individual events into a long-term platform.
Dlamini noted that the hotel could become part of a festival identity that is associated with the entertainment brand, rather than the relationship being limited to one-off occasions.
“We don’t want this once-off relationship,” he said.
He proposed a model in which entertainment could be clearly defined, located and sustained over time.
“Let it be defined specifically around a proper definition, an institution that provides entertainment. Entertainment that is defined. Entertainment that can be located. Entertainment that stands time and season,” Dlamini said.
Dlamini also raised the possibility of creating a major festival linked to Happy Valley that could become an annual fixture on Eswatini’s entertainment calendar.
He argued that the Kingdom needs festivals that can establish a strong identity around specific destinations while attracting audiences from across the country.
He highlighted Happy Valley’s potential to become a destination associated with a major festival, saying the hotel could create an event that calls the country together under one entertainment platform.
The idea, according to Dlamini, is not simply to host another event, but to develop a tradition that can stand the test of time.
“A festival that will define a particular day in our national calendar where we celebrate festival,” he said.
Dlamini’s message placed responsibility on Swazi Boy Entertainment and its partners to think beyond the immediate anniversary celebrations.
While the first 20 years have been about establishing the brand, he suggested that the next chapter should focus on sustainability, institutional growth and creating entertainment platforms that can become part of Eswatini’s cultural calendar.
His remarks also reflected the wider role of the creative sector in building experiences that bring people together and create lasting cultural memories.
For Swazi Boy Entertainment, the challenge is therefore no longer simply reaching another milestone, but determining what its legacy will look like when the next 20 years are measured.
As the anniversary celebrations continue, Dlamini’s message leaves the brand and its partners with a question that extends beyond the gala dinner:
What will Swazi Boy Entertainment build in its next 20 years that will still matter long after the celebrations are over?
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