BY THEMBA ZWANE
EZULWINI– Government plans to use post offices across Eswatini as community digital centres to bring public services closer to emaSwati, particularly those living in rural and underserved areas.
Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), Prince Mashishimba Andreas Dlamini, said the government envisioned a transformed postal network that would serve as a gateway to digital services, financial inclusion and economic opportunities.
He said the initiative would build on Eswatini Post’s nationwide presence to ensure that communities could access government services without necessarily travelling long distances to major towns.
Prince Mashishimba was speaking during the commemoration of World Post Day 2026 at Happy Valley Hotel on October 9, under the theme, “One Postal Network, Infinite Possibilities”.
“Government is actually looking forward to using the post office as community digital centres in the dissemination of government services,” he said.
The PS said the future of postal services should not be judged by the decline in traditional letter mail, but by the sector’s ability to adapt to technological changes and identify new opportunities within the digital economy.
He revealed that his perception of the postal sector changed after attending a Universal Postal Union (UPU) meeting early last year, where he realised that the industry was not necessarily dying, but transforming.
“I’ve always been under the notion that the post office is a declining business until I attended the UPU meeting last year, early in the year. I was surprised that rather than declining, it is just an issue of transformation. It is just an issue of adapting,” he said.
According to Mashishimba, post offices have an important advantage over many other service providers because of their extensive physical presence, established public trust and ability to reach communities that commercial enterprises may consider uneconomical to serve.
He said this network represented more than buildings and delivery routes, as it could provide a foundation for delivering digital services to citizens in both urban and remote areas.
The PS said government intended to integrate Eswatini Post into broader electronic government initiatives, allowing the institution to support services such as citizen authentication, document verification and access to public services.
He noted that although government services were increasingly becoming digital, physical access points remained important for people who faced barriers to accessing modern technology and online platforms.
The proposed community digital centres would therefore help connect communities to government services while supporting wider participation in the digital economy.
Prince Mashishimba said the transformation of the postal network would also create opportunities in e-commerce, logistics, digital payments and financial services.
He explained that the growth of online shopping had created new demand for reliable and affordable parcel delivery, presenting an opportunity for Eswatini Post to strengthen its role in facilitating trade.
“By modernising logistics networks, expanding last-mile delivery services, improving parcel tracking systems, and partnering with online marketplaces, Eswatini Post can become a key enabler of digital trade and entrepreneurship,” he said.
He added that an efficient postal and logistics network could help small businesses reach customers beyond their immediate locations, opening access to regional and international markets.
According to the PS, the postal sector could contribute to economic growth and job creation by supporting entrepreneurs and making it easier for businesses to move goods to customers.
He also highlighted the potential for post offices to expand access to affordable financial services, including digital payments, remittances and savings products.
Mashishimba said combining digital technology with the postal network would help address financial exclusion, particularly among people in rural and underserved communities.
He emphasised that the objective should be to ensure that no citizen was left behind as the country continued its digital transformation.
“The postal network is an important access point for affordable financial services, digital payments, remittances, savings products, and other innovative solutions,” he said.
The PS further acknowledged the importance of partnerships between Eswatini Post and other institutions, including banks, insurance companies, utility service providers, government ministries and agencies, and private sector organisations.
He said cooperation between these institutions could enable more services to reach communities through infrastructure that was already established and trusted.
Prince Mashishimba said government envisioned Eswatini Post becoming a catalyst for economic inclusion, digital participation and sustainable development.
He described the desired future as one in which the postal network connected businesses to markets, emaSwati to financial services, communities to government services, and the country to regional and global trade opportunities.
He said this vision was aligned with national development aspirations and the goal of building a digitally enabled economy that benefited all emaSwati.
However, Prince Mashishimba challenged the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) board, management and employees to ensure that strategies and plans translated into tangible improvements for customers.
He said the success of the postal sector’s transformation would ultimately depend on the experiences of the people using its services, rather than the strategies discussed in boardrooms.
“The real test of whatever change or whatever strategy implementation is the change to the experience of the customer,” he said.
He urged the institution to focus on service delivery as it pursued modernisation, stressing that technological advancement should make services more accessible, reliable and convenient.
The PS congratulated Eswatini Post, its board, management, employees and stakeholders for their continued commitment to serving the nation and driving innovation within the postal sector.
He said the future of the post office would be determined by its capacity to embrace technology and position itself as an active participant in the country’s digital transformation.
Prince Mashishimba called for continued collaboration between government and its partners to build a modern, resilient and digitally enabled postal service capable of responding to the changing needs of emaSwati.
His remarks placed the postal network at the centre of government’s broader digital ambitions, with the proposed community digital centres expected to represent an important avenue for bringing public services closer to the people.
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