BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE – The European Union (EU) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), through the Eswatini Livestock Value Chain Development Programme (ELVCDP), are supporting eight Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) trading within the livestock value chain to showcase their products at this year’s MTN Bushfire Festival at House on Fire, Malkerns.
This marks the first group of MSMEs supported under the programme to participate in the festival, creating a valuable platform for local enterprises to engage with consumers, buyers, visitors, and potential partners in one of the region’s most vibrant cultural and commercial spaces.
The ELVCDP is part of the broader “Eswatini: Promoting growth through competitive alliances” programme, funded by the EU and implemented by ITC.
The programme supports the growth and competitiveness of Eswatini’s livestock sector while empowering MSMEs operating and trading within the value chain. It focuses on strengthening enterprise capacity, improving market readiness, and opening new opportunities for businesses to grow, connect with buyers, and access wider markets.
The MSMEs will showcase under two dedicated spaces: the Nguni Craft Lounge and the Nguni Food Lounge. Five MSMEs will trade under the craft lounge, presenting leather-based, creative, and livestock-inspired products, while the food lounge will feature value-added food products linked to the livestock value chain.
The participating businesses are:
• D-Tempt Creations
• Melane Leather
• Vuvutela
• Luphondvo Designs
• Queen Bee
• Beef Boys Butchery
• Bliss Burgers
• Interactive Jungle Investment
Speaking on the initiative, EU Programme Officer Bhekani Magongo said the showcase reflects the EU’s continued commitment to inclusive private sector development and practical market access for Eswatini’s entrepreneurs.
“The EU is proud to support initiatives that move MSMEs closer to markets and give them the confidence to compete in spaces where buyers, consumers and partners are present,” he said. “This showcase is about helping businesses build relationships, strengthen their brands and unlock opportunities that can contribute to sustainable growth within the livestock value chain.”
Ahead of the festival, the MSMEs were capacitated to engage professionally with buyers, present their brands effectively, and make a memorable impression on festivalgoers. This preparation is intended to help the businesses move beyond one-time sales and build relationships that can lead to market linkages, partnerships, and long-term business growth.
ITC’s Phila Dube said participation at MTN Bushfire represents an important step in connecting enterprise development with real market exposure.
“For MSMEs, access to a platform such as MTN Bushfire is powerful because it allows them to meet the market directly,” said Dube. “These businesses have been supported to think beyond selling products for a weekend. The real value is in how they present themselves, tell their stories, engage buyers, and use this opportunity to grow beyond the festival.”
Dube added that the showcase also tells a broader story about the potential of Eswatini’s livestock sector.
“Through the Nguni Craft Lounge and Nguni Food Lounge, we are showing that livestock is not only about production, but also about creativity, food, design, value addition, and enterprise. This is the story of farm to fork and farm to wear,” she said.
“We extend our appreciation to the festivalgoers, buyers, partners, and supporters of local enterprise who visited the MSMEs, engaged with their products, listened to their stories, and contributed to supporting the growth of Eswatini’s livestock value chain.”
The showcase also highlights growing youth participation in livestock enterprises, demonstrating opportunities beyond traditional production, including leather craft, food processing, branding, retail, and creative enterprise development.
About the European Union Delegation to Eswatini
The EU Delegation to Eswatini is responsible for managing diplomatic relations between the EU and the Kingdom of Eswatini. These relations cover political relations, development cooperation, economic and trade relations as well as other areas of mutual interest between the two partners. The central objective of this partnership is to reduce and ultimately eradicate poverty through sustainable development, the progressive integration of Eswatini into the world economy, and the promotion of the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.
About ITC
The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transitioning economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable and inclusive economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About the Programme
The ITC-Alliances for Action programme ‘Eswatini: Promoting growth through competitive alliances’, funded by the EU, supports job creation for small farmers, entrepreneurs, and artisans. Eswatini offers the global market unique organic produce, artisan roasted coffee, handmade cultural creations, and gourmet condiment lines.
ITC works closely with smallholder farmers, agro-processors, and artisans in Eswatini to support them in ways that are sustainable and benefit both people and the planet. In this way, ITC fosters and preserves cultural heritage, and draws on artisan skills and concepts of green growth.
Alliances for Action is an ITC initiative that seeks to transform food systems through producer partnerships that cultivate ethical, climate-smart, sustainable agricultural value chains.
#EU #Eswatini #ICT #Agriculture #Livestock #Climate
