BY GCWALISILE MHLABANE
MATSAPHA– Finding a home or business in Matsapha could soon become as simple as entering an address on Google Maps, instead of relying on landmarks, verbal directions or asking around. The municipality has become the first in Eswatini to roll out the National Postcode and Addressing Project, with street sign installation expected to be completed within eight weeks.
The development was announced during a stakeholder engagement where the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) presented the project and its potential to transform how properties are identified and services are delivered.
The national project is designed to give every property in Eswatini a unique formal address linked to Google Maps, making homes, businesses and other properties easier to locate.
For residents, the change could be particularly important when receiving parcels, calling emergency services or directing utility and government service providers to their properties.
Presenting on behalf of ESCCOM, Postal Services Manager Vuyelwa Mashwama said having a recognised address was more than simply putting up a street sign.
“An address makes it easier for people and services to locate you,” Mashwama said.
She said the system would improve access to emergency response, deliveries and utility and government services, while supporting the country’s transition towards a modern addressing system.
Mashwama said the initiative was aligned with the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) programme, “Addressing the World – An Address for Everyone”.
For Matsapha, the next step is already being put into action, with physical street signs set to change the way streets and properties are identified across the municipality.
Matsapha Town Planner Thulani Maphalala said the installation programme had a clear timeframe.
“The rollout of the street signs is expected to be completed in the next eight weeks,” Maphalala said.
The municipality’s position as the first to implement the project makes Matsapha an important testing ground for the wider national rollout.
The stakeholder engagement brought together the Acting Mayor, ward councillors, Matsapha Chief Executive Officer and management, emergency services, law enforcement agencies and businesspeople with an interest in deliveries.
The National Postcode and Addressing Project was initiated in 2020 with support from the Ministry of ICT. In October 2021, ESCCOM began a study to establish the state of addressing in Eswatini.
The Commission subsequently consulted government, municipalities, businesses, courier operators and consumers to identify challenges with the existing system and understand what stakeholders needed from an effective national addressing framework.
The findings informed recommendations that led to the development of the addressing system by the Eswatini Standards Authority (ESWASA), which also participated in the Matsapha stakeholder engagement.
Mashwama said the project would have an important economic impact, particularly for the postal, courier and e-commerce sectors.
“Having a formal addressing system will ease business and facilitate e-commerce in the country,” she said.
For businesses that depend on deliveries, precise addresses could reduce the time spent searching for customers and minimise failed or delayed deliveries.
Emergency and law enforcement agencies could also benefit from being able to identify specific properties more accurately, potentially improving response to incidents and emergencies.
Acting Chief Executive Officer Ozzie Thakatha said the municipality recognised the importance of the project as Matsapha prepared to adopt the new system.
“This initiative is important for Matsapha because it will improve how properties are identified and accessed,” Thakatha said.
However, the first phase of implementation will focus on properties within Matsapha’s municipal boundaries. ESCCOM explained that peri-urban and rural areas were more complex and would require further development of the system.
The rollout is expected to provide a practical demonstration of how formal addressing can support everyday life, from finding a family home to delivering a parcel or responding to an emergency.
For Matsapha, the countdown is now on. Within eight weeks, the industrial town is expected to have street signs that could replace landmarks and lengthy directions with something much simpler — an address that can be found.
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(Courtesy Pic)
