BY NELIWE NGUBANE
...The countdown is officially on!
MALKERNS- As the aroma of kota meets the rhythm of live music, the Eswatini Kota Festival is preparing to serve up more than entertainment, with organisers projecting over 2,000 direct job opportunities and a boost for local businesses ahead of Saturday, 24 October 2026.
Set to take place at Malkerns Country Club from 10am to 10pm, the festival, presented by Goldex Events and Bambelela, is positioning itself as more than a gathering of music lovers. Through local procurement, employment opportunities, vendor participation and tourism spending, the event aims to ensure that emaSwati businesses and workers benefit from the entertainment industry.
With the official countdown to the festival weekend underway, organisers have highlighted four key ways the event is expected to contribute to Eswatini’s economy: supporting local suppliers, creating jobs, providing opportunities for businesses and attracting visitors who can spend money within the Kingdom.
The message is clear: while festivalgoers may come for the kota, music and atmosphere, the economic benefits are intended to reach people whose work helps bring the experience to life.
One of the festival’s economic priorities is ensuring that money spent on beverages and other supplies circulates within Eswatini.
Through Ebevs, a platform that assists event organisers with beverage procurement and enables festivalgoers to secure their preferred drinks before an event, the festival’s beverage supplies are sourced from suppliers within the country.
This approach is intended to direct spending towards local businesses rather than relying entirely on suppliers from outside Eswatini.
Local procurement can help suppliers generate sales, strengthen their business relationships and create opportunities for continued commercial activity beyond the festival itself.
Organisers have also indicated that vendors and service providers will be sourced locally, giving businesses an opportunity to participate in the event and benefit commercially.
For small businesses, festivals can provide access to large audiences within a concentrated period, creating opportunities to sell products, promote services and attract potential customers.
The organisers’ vision is therefore to create an environment in which local businesses grow alongside the festival, rather than simply watching the entertainment industry expand around them.
Beyond the music and food stalls, the festival is expected to create more than 2,000 direct job opportunities for emaSwati.
According to the organisers, these opportunities are expected to span several areas, including event operations, security, catering, logistics, technical production, cleaning, vending and other essential services.
Such activities require a wide range of skills, from food preparation and customer service to equipment installation, event coordination and crowd management.
This means the economic activity generated by the festival could extend beyond the performers on stage to the people working behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
For young people seeking work and individuals earning a living through small businesses, these opportunities can provide an important entry point into the events and hospitality industries.
However, the projected figure represents expected opportunities, rather than a confirmed number of people already employed.
The festival’s potential employment contribution also highlights the role that entertainment events can play in creating temporary work and opening doors for people seeking experience in specialised fields.
The festival’s economic ambitions extend beyond the gates of Malkerns Country Club.
Organisers say the event is expected to attract visitors travelling from different parts of the world to experience Eswatini, creating potential business for accommodation providers, restaurants, transport operators and other tourism-related services.
Visitors may require places to stay, transport to and from the venue, meals, shopping and other services during their time in the country.
This creates opportunities for businesses throughout the tourism and hospitality value chain to benefit from visitor spending.
The approach also presents an opportunity to showcase Eswatini as a destination for entertainment, cultural experiences and leisure activities.
If visitors enjoy their experience, they may be encouraged to return for future events or explore other attractions in the country, potentially extending the benefits beyond a single festival weekend.
For a country seeking to strengthen its tourism and creative industries, events such as the Eswatini Kota Festival can help connect entertainment with wider economic activity.
While economic empowerment is a major part of the festival’s message, the entertainment offering remains central to its appeal.
The line-up features established and emerging artists from the region, promising festivalgoers a full day of music and entertainment.
Music lovers can look forward to performances by Ringo Madlingozi, Amanda Black, Vusi Nova, Young Stunna, Mörda, Xowla, Young Zesh, Supta and Spokza.
The line-up also features Gifted Kosie, Tilungu and ZeeThe, alongside DJs Obsession, Bean, Ayacity, Sgitha, President and Ayany, among other announced acts.
The event’s masters of ceremonies will be Somizi, Napo Modise and Asa D, who are expected to help keep audiences engaged throughout the programme.
With a mixture of established names, popular performers and DJs, the festival aims to bring together different musical tastes while creating a platform for entertainment and social interaction.
The combination of music, food and business opportunities is central to the festival’s identity, with organisers seeking to attract audiences while ensuring that local businesses can benefit from the gathering.
The organisers have stressed that their vision goes beyond hosting a successful entertainment event. They want to bring people into Eswatini, create opportunities for local businesses and workers, support domestic suppliers and contribute to the growth of the country’s tourism and entertainment industries.
This approach reflects the growing importance of viewing festivals as economic platforms that connect performers, vendors, suppliers, service providers and audiences.
For the benefits to be meaningful, however, opportunities must translate into actual business transactions, fair employment and income for the people involved.
The festival’s projected job opportunities and commitment to local procurement therefore provide important measures against which its wider economic contribution can be assessed.
As Saturday, 24 October approaches, the Eswatini Kota Festival is inviting emaSwati to be part of an event that combines entertainment with an ambition to support livelihoods.
For festivalgoers, it promises a day of music, food and celebration. For local businesses and workers, it presents an opportunity to participate in an industry that can generate income and support economic activity.
Ultimately, the organisers want the festival to demonstrate that entertainment can do more than bring people together: it can also create opportunities for emaSwati to earn, trade and grow.
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(Courtesy Pic)
