BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE — Eswatini’s established sugar industry has emerged as an important player in the COMESA regional sugar market as Kenya considers new arrangements to manage sugar imports and strengthen its domestic production.
The development follows Kenya’s decision to end its long-standing COMESA sugar safeguard in November 2025, opening its market to increased competition from established sugar-producing countries within the regional bloc.
In a September 16, 2026 report, The EastAfrican said Kenya is now considering alternative protection measures, including the possibility of quota arrangements with major COMESA sugar producers.
Kenya’s Investment, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said the government was seeking a “win-win” arrangement that would protect Kenya’s developing sugar industry while respecting the objectives of COMESA regional integration.
For Eswatini, the development highlights the strength and competitiveness of a sugar industry that has already established a presence in the Kenyan market.
The EastAfrican reported that during Kenya’s previous COMESA safeguard regime, which allowed the country to import up to 350 000 tonnes annually from COMESA to cover domestic shortages, Eswatini was among the major sources of sugar supplied to Kenya.
Eswatini was listed alongside Mauritius, Uganda and several non-COMESA countries among the origins of sugar entering the Kenyan market.
The renewed Kenyan discussions therefore provide further recognition of Eswatini’s position as a competitive sugar producer within the regional market.
The country’s sugar sector has also demonstrated significant benefits for local growers.
A recent regional study by the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission, covering sugar industries in Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe, found that Eswatini’s growers receive a comparatively strong share of returns from the sugar value chain.
The study showed that about 68.1 per cent of distributable sugar industry proceeds in Eswatini goes to growers, while 31.9 per cent goes to millers. Small-scale farmers account for 93 per cent of the country’s active grower base and contribute approximately 29 per cent of total cane harvested.
The figures underline the wider economic importance of sugar production to Eswatini, particularly through its linkages with smallholder farmers and the broader agricultural economy.
Kenya’s latest position also comes at a time when its own sugar industry is undergoing significant reforms. The Kenya Sugar Board has said domestic production is recovering following improvements in cane availability, factory efficiency and the leasing of former state-owned mills.
Kenya’s production increased from 472 773 tonnes in 2022 to 815 454 tonnes, although annual demand remains around 1.1 million tonnes. The country consequently continues to require imports to bridge the supply gap.
This situation creates an important regional dimension for established producers such as Eswatini.
While Kenya is seeking ways to strengthen its own sugar industry, the discussions also recognise that COMESA contains countries with more established and competitive sugar industries. Kinyanjui acknowledged that some producers have lower production costs than Kenya and suggested that regional arrangements could allow countries with stronger production capacity to diversify their export markets beyond COMESA.
For Eswatini, such discussions reinforce the importance of maintaining competitiveness, expanding value addition and continuing to access regional and international markets.
The Kenyan debate also demonstrates the significance of COMESA as a platform for balancing national industrial development with regional trade and market access.
Rather than simply restricting regional trade, Kenya is exploring a framework that could accommodate the development of its domestic industry while recognising the production strengths of other COMESA members.
For Eswatini, whose sugar industry has built a reputation as a significant regional supplier and whose growers receive a substantial share of value generated by the sector, the development offers an opportunity to further position the kingdom as a reliable agricultural and sugar partner within the regional economy.
The discussions could ultimately contribute to a more structured regional sugar market in which established producers and emerging industries can coexist while strengthening food security, agricultural investment and intra-African trade.
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(Courtesy Pic)
