BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
EZULWINI – Investing in educational technology, strengthening agricultural research, and leveraging international trade agreements are among the most promising strategies to drive Eswatini’s economic transformation.
This was the key message delivered on August 05, 2025 during the Unleashing Eswatini’s Growth Potential seminar, hosted by the Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPAC) at Sibane Hotel in Ezulwini.
According to Ralph Nordjo, Project Director at the Africa Directorate Copenhagen Consensus Center, stressed the need for targeted investment to improve learning outcomes and strengthen innovation in farming.
“One key thing, and I take that clearly from SDG 4, is that while we have succeeded in getting more children into school, enrollment alone does not guarantee learning,” said Nordjo. “We need to move towards technology-assisted teaching methods that respond to the learners’ abilities, not just their age.”
He further emphasized the importance of enhancing Eswatini’s agricultural research and development systems to ensure food security and climate resilience.
“Local researchers understand the country’s climatic conditions, seeds, and produce. Supporting them means boosting productivity from the ground up,” he added.
ESEPAC Executive Director, Dr. Thabo Sacolo, explained that the seminar was inspired by the need to support government-led economic transformation. He underscored the value of cost-benefit analysis in guiding national investment choices.
“In economics, we always deal with scarcity. We can’t do everything at once. That’s why prioritization is critical,” Dr. Sacolo said. “Our partnership with the Copenhagen Consensus Centre helps us identify which areas of investment will deliver the highest return for the country.”
UNICEF economist Shen also presented data from recent studies on Eswatini’s development landscape. While she noted steady GDP growth as a positive trend, she raised alarms about deep-rooted social challenges.
“Multidimensional child poverty in Eswatini is still over 46%, while monetary child poverty exceeds 60%,” she said. “We also remain one of the most unequal countries in the world, ranked sixth by the World Bank. These are issues that require urgent and inclusive policy responses.”
The seminar concluded with a call for evidence-based policymaking and cross-sector collaboration to ensure that Eswatini’s development path is both equitable and sustainable.
