Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) has launched a nationwide initiative, “Bafundzise,” aimed at educating, enabling, and empowering local businesses to comply with their tax and customs obligations. This door-to-door educational campaign, launched on March 17, 2025, in Manzini City Centre, signifies a significant shift towards fostering a culture of voluntary compliance across the Kingdom of Eswatini.
The ERS’s vision is clear: to achieve 100% voluntary compliance for a better Eswatini. To realize this, the organization is transitioning from coercive to persuasive measures, delivering exceptional customer service, and removing compliance barriers through digitalization and customer education. This shift has already yielded impressive results, with the Net Promoter Score (NPS) rising from 6% in 2022 to 70% currently.
Recognizing that many small businesses may have missed traditional training sessions, the “Bafundzise” campaign brings tax and customs education directly to their doorsteps. Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule emphasized, “By bringing tax and customs education to them, we ensure that no business is left behind. This campaign is about more than just education—it is about empowerment.”
This campaign is more than just education; it’s about empowerment. A dedicated team of ERS officers, easily identifiable by their branded apparel and official ID cards, has been deployed to explain compliance requirements, highlight simplified tax solutions like the Presumptive Tax system, and provide information on customs solutions.
Key Objectives of the ERS Officers:
• Clearly explain compliance requirements.
• Highlight simplified tax solutions, such as the Presumptive Tax system.
• Provide information on customs solutions to facilitate regional and global market access.
• Collaborative Effort and Phased Rollout
The campaign’s success hinges on collaboration. The ERS has expressed deep appreciation to the CEOs of Manzini, Matsapha, and Mbabane for their support. The campaign is being implemented in phases, starting with these major business hubs before expanding nationwide.Since its launch, the “Bafundzise” campaign has engaged with 182 businesses, revealing critical insights:
68.1% of businesses visited already have Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs), while 31.9% do not.
Many unregistered businesses were unaware of their tax obligations, believing they were exempt.
A significant number of businesses were unfamiliar with the Presumptive Tax system.
These findings underscore the importance of the campaign in bridging the knowledge gap among SMEs.
The ERS plans to extend the campaign to other municipalities and regions, ensuring no business is left behind. This year-long initiative aims to demystify tax obligations and reinforce a culture of voluntary compliance.
The ERS encourages the business community to welcome their teams, ask questions, and leverage this opportunity to better understand their tax obligations. Compliance is not a burden but a foundation for growth and national development. “Tax remains the most sustainable source of funding for government programmes—it is preferable to relying on donations and borrowing. By complying, businesses play a vital role in building a stronger economy and a prosperous Eswatini,” Commissioner General Nkambule stated.
The “Bafundzise” campaign represents a proactive and collaborative approach to fostering a compliant and prosperous business environment in Eswatini.
ERS Director of Client Services, Riccardo Kruger said that they will primarily target micro and small businesses in the country. “This initiative underscores our unwavering commitment to supporting local businesses by providing them with the knowledge and tools necessary for tax compliance and growth,” Kruger said.
The Director of Client Services further stated, “The ‘Bafundzise’ campaign embodies our commitment to standing alongside our clients as partners, not just as tax collectors. Through this initiative, we are taking a proactive approach to educating and enabling all businesses, especially small and micro segments, to navigate tax compliance with ease. Our consultants will visit businesses across the country to inform business owners about what is required to remain compliant and showcase the various channels and options available to meet their obligations.”
Kruger added that the campaign will highlight how customs operations may assist businesses in navigating and expanding outside of the Eswatini markets.
He further encouraged Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and micro-business owners to take full advantage of this initiative by asking questions and actively engaging with ERS teams.
“This campaign provides a unique opportunity for ERS to simplify the tax compliance process, offer meaningful education, and equip businesses with essential knowledge on tax and customs compliance, all within the comfort of their business premises,” he concluded.
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