BY PHUMELELE GAMEDZE
MBABANE – As many family businesses struggle to survive beyond their founders, Eswatini’s third Family Business Summit will challenge owners to build enterprises strong enough to carry their families, employees and communities into future generations.
Hosted by REDI on September 24, 2026, at Happy Valley Hotel & Casino, the summit will focus on “Building Resilient Legacies: Embracing a Multi-Generational Mindset.”
The gathering comes at a time when succession, governance and long term planning remain critical challenges for family owned businesses.
While many enterprises begin with one family member’s vision, hard work and sacrifice, organisers say some local businesses experience limited growth or collapse after the founder’s death.
The summit aims to change this pattern by helping family businesses put structures in place that can support leadership transitions, protect wealth and prepare younger generations to take responsibility.
Rather than focusing only on how businesses can make money today, the summit will explore how they can remain relevant and sustainable tomorrow.
Family businesses are an important part of economic life, ranging from small shops and farms to larger enterprises that provide employment and support communities.
Their survival therefore has implications beyond individual families.
When a family enterprise succeeds across generations, it can preserve jobs, create opportunities for younger family members and contribute to local economic development. When it fails during a transition, years of investment and experience can be lost.
The 2026 summit builds on discussions from its first two editions, which placed emphasis on governance, succession planning, resilience and protecting family wealth.
Delegates will have an opportunity to learn from international and local business experts through keynote addresses, panel discussions and practical workshops covering governance, succession planning, financial structuring and business transformation.
The programme will also include networking opportunities and confidential one-on-one sessions aimed at helping family businesses address specific challenges.
The summit is supported by KPMG Family Enterprise as Knowledge Partner, Standard Bank as Financial Services Partner and Sothaba Enterprises, whose business development and leadership mentorship expertise will add to the programme.
The official opening by the Minister of Commerce and Industry will further demonstrate the importance attached to family enterprises in Eswatini’s economic development.
REDI Chief Executive Officer Dr Sikhomba Gumbi says family businesses should be viewed as more than profit making enterprises, describing them as vehicles for legacy, community and continuity.
The summit therefore seeks to encourage families to think beyond the founder and prepare businesses for the generation that will eventually take the reins.
Ultimately, the message is simple: building a successful family business is one achievement; building one that survives generations is the legacy.
Registration for the September 24 summit is open through the Family Business Summit platform.
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