BY GCWALISILE MHLABANE
MANZINI– Women are dominating Eswatini’s entrepreneurial landscape, emerging as a powerful force in the country’s business sector as they account for a significant share of entries in the 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (EYA) across the regions.
The growing dominance of women entrepreneurs was highlighted by Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo during the Manzini Regional EYA Awards held at The George Hotel on Monday, 27 July 2026, as the prestigious programme celebrates its 20th anniversary under the theme “20 Years of Nurturing Future Growth.”
Khumalo revealed that 56 of the 101 applications received from the Manzini Region came from women, representing about 55 per cent of the region’s entries and giving women-led businesses a clear majority in one of the country’s key commercial centres.
“Of the 362 applications received nationally this year, 101 came from right here in Manzini,” Khumalo said.
“But what stands out most is that 56 of the 101 are women, which is about 55 per cent, a steady majority, in keeping with a pattern we have now seen in every region this edition. Congratulations to all the women-led businesses from this region,” he said.
The Manzini figures form part of a wider national picture showing strong participation by women entrepreneurs across the country’s regions.
In Hhohho, 81 of the 362 applications received nationally came from the region, representing close to a quarter of the total. Of the 81 applicants, 43 were women and 38 were men, making Hhohho the region with the most even split between women-led and men-led enterprises this year.
Business services led the Hhohho applications, followed by agriculture and retail, reflecting the region’s diverse economic character and its range of commercial, professional and agricultural activities.
Lubombo also recorded a strong showing, with 87 of the 362 national applications coming from the region, again representing close to a quarter of the total. Women accounted for 73 per cent of Lubombo’s applicants, well above the 64 per cent national average cited for women’s participation this year.
The figures from the three regions demonstrate the growing role women are playing in Eswatini’s micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector, with female entrepreneurs increasingly active across agriculture, retail, business services and other industries.
Khumalo said MSMEs were central to the country’s economic development and should be recognised as a foundation of the national economy.
“You are the foundation of our economy, not a peripheral part of it,” he said.
Khumalo said the EYA provided entrepreneurs with an opportunity to compete on merit while gaining recognition for their contribution to economic development.
“A title earned here carries weight because it has been contested, scored, and judged fairly,” he said.
He encouraged all 101 Manzini entrants, saying that participating in the competition was itself an achievement.
“Whether or not your name is called this morning, all 101 of you have already met that standard by competing, and that is worth honouring,” Khumalo said.
He also thanked the judges for their diligence in maintaining the credibility and integrity of the awards.
The EYA is delivered through a partnership involving the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, the Small Enterprises Development Company (SEDCO) and FNB Eswatini, alongside corporate and development partners.
Khumalo thanked FNB Eswatini and the FNB Foundation, the 20th anniversary Legacy Partner, for investing more than E2 million in the programme this year. He also acknowledged the support of the Eswatini National Provident Fund, Taiwan ICDF, FINCORP and Infinity Links, while commending SEDCO for delivering the awards across the regions.
As Eswatini marks 20 years of celebrating entrepreneurial excellence through the EYA, the strong participation of women has emerged as one of the defining features of the 2026 edition.
From women accounting for 55 per cent of Manzini’s entries, to Hhohho’s near-even gender split and Lubombo’s 73 per cent participation, the figures show that women are increasingly taking the lead in building businesses, creating employment and contributing to Eswatini’s economic growth.
The 2026 EYA has therefore delivered a powerful message: women are not only participating in Eswatini’s entrepreneurial economy—they are increasingly helping to shape its future.
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