BY GCWALISILE MHLABANE
MANZINI– While most people may find it difficult to imagine running a business that involves handling money without sight, visually impaired entrepreneur Ncamiso Phillip Maseko has turned that challenge into a story of determination, independence and success.
Through his mobile services business, Maseko uses his phone to provide mobile money and other services to customers, proving that visual impairment has not stopped him from pursuing his entrepreneurial dream.
Despite being visually impaired, Maseko independently operates Lungisa Emahiya Mobile, personally serving customers and managing the daily operations of the business. His remarkable achievement has now been recognised after he won the Regional Outstanding Business Owned by Person with Disabilities category at the Manzini Regional Emaswati Youth Awards (EYA) 2026.
Maseko’s victory in the disability category is a celebration of his determination to build a successful business despite the challenges associated with visual impairment. It also highlights the potential of entrepreneurs living with disabilities to participate meaningfully in Eswatini’s MSME sector.
Maseko started his mobile services business in 2017, providing mobile money and related services for MTN and Eswatini Mobile. His journey into entrepreneurship was not without challenges, but he remained determined to build and grow his business.
Reflecting on the early days of his journey, Maseko said running a business involving money presented unique challenges.
“At the beginning, there were challenges—working with money without seeing the results or profit. But I managed to continue and grow since 2017,” he said.
Rather than allowing the challenges to discourage him, Maseko continued serving his customers and developing his business. His perseverance has since seen Lungisa Emahiya Mobile expand its services to customers using both networks.
“It has grown because now I am able to offer services for both networks,” he said.
His hard work was rewarded when he entered the EYA competition for the first time and emerged as the regional winner in the Outstanding Business Owned by Person with Disabilities category.
Maseko said he was delighted by the achievement, which marked an important milestone in his entrepreneurial journey.
“I feel happy to succeed today; it was my first time entering this competition,” he said.
The victory was particularly significant because Maseko had initially been hesitant to enter the competition. He admitted that he feared competing against entrepreneurs whose businesses appeared to be much bigger than his own.
“I used to feel afraid, telling myself that those at the constituency level have big businesses,” Maseko said.
However, his success has shown that the size of a business does not determine the size of an entrepreneur’s potential.
One of the most inspiring aspects of Maseko’s story is the independence with which he runs his business. Despite his visual impairment, he personally attends to customers and manages the services offered through his mobile phone.
Asked whether someone assists him when serving customers, Maseko responded confidently: “The customers are attended to by me; I handle them myself.”
His response captures the determination behind his journey.
Through Lungisa Emahiya Mobile, Maseko has built more than a business. He has built a powerful example of what can be achieved when people are given opportunities to participate in entrepreneurship regardless of disability.
For Maseko, winning the Regional Outstanding Business Owned by Person with Disabilities category is more than receiving an award. It is recognition of the journey he has travelled since starting his business in 2017 and a celebration of his resilience, independence and entrepreneurial spirit.
His achievement sends a message of hope to other aspiring entrepreneurs living with disabilities: challenges may be part of the journey, but they do not have to determine the destination.
Maseko’s story is a powerful reminder that disability is not an inability—and that with determination, courage and opportunity, barriers can be overcome.
#EYA2026 #ManziniRegionalAwards #DisabilityIsntAnInability #DisabilityEmpowerment #LungisaEmahiyaMobile #SEDCO #MSMEGrowth #EswatiniBusiness
