BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
MBABANE – Eswatini is preparing for what promises to be a historic week for its tourism and hospitality industry as three major international conferences converge on the Kingdom from October 5 to 9, bringing thousands of visitors and placing the country at the centre of continental discussions on food security, education and climate resilience.
Minister of Tourism Jane Mkhonta-Simelane on Monday disclosed that the country is expecting more than 3000 people for the African Union Inaugural Africa Seed Summit 2026.
That figure represents only the largest of three simultaneous continental gatherings scheduled for the country, with the 17th EUMETSAT User Forum in Africa and the Pan-African Conference on Teachers’ Education (PACTED 2026) adding hundreds of further delegates, officials, experts and other participants to the hospitality ecosystem.
Speaking at a cocktail welcoming dinner at Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane on Monday night, Mkhonta-Simelane said the unprecedented concentration of international meetings would place significant demand on the country’s accommodation sector.
“More than 3000 people” would be coming into the country for the agriculture conference alone, she said, while noting that the meteorology and education conferences would also bring international communities to Eswatini.
For a tourism industry seeking to strengthen Eswatini’s position as a destination for business events, the timing could hardly be more significant.
The Africa Seed Summit, scheduled for October 5 to 7 at the Palazzo Convention Centre in Ezulwini, is a high-level African Union gathering focused on resilient seed systems and food security. The summit is expected to bring together agriculture and foreign affairs ministers, heads of state, farmer organisations, private-sector players and other stakeholders. The AU programme indicates that the summit will culminate in a Heads of State Summit and the adoption of a summit declaration.
Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka confirmed that 23 Ministers of Agriculture have already confirmed attendance for the high level conference and the total budget for the conference is E10.7 million. This is the first time the country will be hosting the summit.
Running alongside it is the 17th EUMETSAT User Forum in Africa, taking place in Manzini from October 5 to 9. EUMETSAT says about 150 participants from all African countries are expected, with discussions focusing on satellite meteorology, early-warning systems, Meteosat Third Generation data and the establishment of the African Meteorological Satellite Application Facility (AMSAF).
The third major gathering is PACTED 2026, hosted by Eswatini from October 5 to 7. The African Union says the conference will bring together education ministers, policymakers, teacher regulatory bodies and unions, universities, development partners, civil society, private-sector and EdTech actors, researchers and innovators.
The conference will focus on transforming the teaching profession through professionalisation, teacher mobility, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, while also culminating in the African Union Continental Teachers’ Awards.
The agriculture summit alone is bringing a population larger than that of many major conference events hosted in the Kingdom, while the meteorology forum is expected to add about 150 participants. PACTED’s predecessor in 2025 attracted more than 350 participants from 32 AU Member States and over 120 regional and international stakeholders, illustrating the scale of continental networks involved in the education gathering.
The numbers indicate that hotels, conference facilities, restaurants, transport operators, tour operators and other tourism businesses are set to experience an unusually concentrated demand for their services over a single week.
International conferences expose visitors to the country beyond the conference venue, creating opportunities for delegates to experience its landscapes, culture, attractions, cuisine and hospitality. They also place Eswatini’s facilities and service providers before organisations and decision-makers who may return for future meetings or recommend the destination to others.
Mkhonta-Simelane said this growing demand demonstrated why investment in quality accommodation was important, particularly as Eswatini continues to position itself as a destination for international events.
She was speaking against the backdrop of the country’s observance of World Tourism Day under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism”, saying technology and innovation presented opportunities for Eswatini to showcase its culture, heritage, landscapes and hospitality to an increasingly connected world.
The Minister welcomed the investment by Hilton Garden Inn and other tourism partners, saying their investments create jobs, stimulate local businesses and strengthen Eswatini’s position in the global tourism market.
With more than 3000 arrivals already identified for the agriculture summit, about 150 expected for the EUMETSAT forum and a substantial continental education gathering running concurrently, Eswatini is heading into a historic week in which conference tourism will take centre stage.
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