By Nomsa Dlamini (Intern)
MBABANE – Across Eswatini, a quiet revolution is taking shape, driven not by speeches or slogans, but by the clank of welding tools, the hum of sewing machines, and the confident footsteps of young artisans stepping into independence.
The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Start-up Toolkit Programme is igniting a new era for Eswatini’s youth. In a country where unemployment and underemployment remain key challenges, this bold national initiative is shifting the narrative, from job-seeking to job-creation, from potential to productivity.
Launched with energy and hope in the Manzini Region at Ludzeludze Youth Centre, and followed closely by a powerful rollout in the Shiselweni Region’s town of Nhlangano, the programme is already making visible impact. Over 45 youth have received starter toolkits in fields such as carpentry, sewing, plumbing, welding, motor mechanics, and electrical work both in Manzini and Nhlangano not as handouts, but as business beginnings.
“This is not just a toolkit. It’s your key to financial freedom,” declared the Honourable Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Bongani Nzima, as he addressed youth at both launch events. “What you do with it will define your future.”
Spearheaded by the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development and the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund (YERF). The programme represents a strategic push to equip skilled youth with practical resources and entrepreneurial skills to establish viable trades.
But the initiative goes beyond the distribution of tools. Earlier in June, all 103 selected beneficiaries gathered at Caritas for an intensive business development workshop. There, under the guidance of ENYC and YERF facilitators, they explored the realities of running small enterprises, from costing and marketing to compliance and record keeping. The aim is to ensure that technical training is paired with entrepreneurial intelligence.
“There is life in vocational skills, and I’m living proof of that today,” said Nhlanhla Maseko, a young beneficiary, beaming with pride as he received his toolkit.
ENYC CEO Lwazi Mamba, speaking to the recipients in Manzini, offered both encouragement and challenge: “Don’t let this become a failure, build something real with what you’ve been given.”
This blend of mentorship, technical training, and start-up support is redefining how youth empowerment is done in Eswatini. No longer passive recipients of aid, young people are being equipped to become active participants in the national economy.
As the programme moves forward to Lubombo and Hhohho in the coming weeks, its message remains clear, Eswatini’s youth are ready not just to work, but to lead, one toolkit, one trade, one thriving business at a time.
(Courtesy Pics)
