BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – The country’s economy is anticipated to expand by 8.3 percent in 2025.
Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg made this announcement on February 14, 2025, during the pre-budget conference held at the Ministry of Finance in Mbabane. The minister underscored that the nation’s economy had experienced a growth of 4.8 percent in 2024.
The growth of the budget aligns with the theme of the 2025/26 budget, entitled ‘Transformation for Growth.’ Rijkenberg indicated that this theme resonates with the vision of His Majesty King Mswati III. He stated that the king had consistently emphasised in his public addresses his desire to witness the country undergo a transformation to facilitate growth.
Rijkenberg articulated their intention to integrate the king’s vision into the budget. “As a country, we are entering into new territory when it comes to GDP growth. We have two pressing challenges in this country: poverty and unemployment. We can exert our utmost efforts to address these issues, but we must realise growth to resolve these problems,” Rijkenberg asserted.
According to the minister, the economy has been experiencing steady growth over the years. He noted that the country had emerged from a period of two percent growth. Subsequently, the nation faced the challenges posed by the COVID crisis. In 2023, the confirmed figures for economic growth stood at five percent, while the figures for 2024 reached 4.8 percent.
During the Beginning of the Year Prayer Service, His Majesty the King proclaimed that 2025 would be the year of the Promised Land. He expressed that the country would be entering the Promised Land in terms of growth. Minister Rijkenberg remarked that what the king was referring to was not merely a narrative or an ‘empty promise’ regarding the Promised Land. The reality is that the country is indeed stepping into a new realm of growth.
