BY SIBUSISEKILE NDLANGAMANDLA
MANZINI– Mbabane Municipality has won the Best Overall Exhibitor award at the Eswatini International Trade Fair (EITF) 2026, after showcasing innovative solutions focused on the green economy, sustainable waste management and community empowerment.
The Municipality’s exhibition stood out for its focus on turning waste into an economic opportunity while addressing gaps in waste collection services across the capital city. CEO Gciniwe Fakudze said this year’s EITF theme, “Unlocking Green Economic Opportunities for Sustainable Trade Promotion,” was closely aligned with the Municipality’s work and focus on the green economy.
She said the Municipality is data-driven and its information showed that while waste collection services currently reach about 95% of residents, there was still a need to find solutions that could extend services to communities that are not fully reached.
She said this led to the development of a solar-powered waste collection unit designed to support communities, particularly informal communities where people are already engaged in different forms of economic activity.
“This idea came about because we realised that we need some power in our communities, especially in communities that are informal, where people sell in their own ways, but equally to monetise it,” she said.
The unit uses solar power, reducing the need for fuel and therefore lowering the costs associated with waste collection. Fakudze said its relatively affordable capital cost also makes it possible for young people and businesses to participate in waste collection as an income-generating activity.
She said the initiative reflects the principles of a circular economy, where waste is not simply viewed as something to be discarded, but as a resource that can be reused and create economic value. “The circular economy is about shifting the focus from waste to reusing it, to creating a whole economy around it,” Fakudze said.
The initiative could provide young people and businesses with an opportunity to turn waste collection into a livelihood. “It means that as a young person or a business person living in any space within the urban area, you can monetise this and make waste become your job, and make waste become your main source of income,” she said.
Mbabane Municipality wants to work closely with communities to expand waste collection coverage beyond the current 95% and move as close as possible to 100%. She said the recognition as Best Overall Exhibitor was an important achievement for the Municipality and demonstrated the value of presenting practical solutions to environmental and economic challenges.
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