Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Made in Eswatini Consumer Fair 2026 has received a significant technological and financial boost following a landmark E75 000 strategic sponsorship commitment from homegrown ride-hailing leader, Leap Taxi App. The official handover took place on February 12, 2026, at the Mountain View Hotel.
The agreement was formalized by A Peculiar People Chairman Melusi Zox Dlamini and Leap Taxi App Director Vusani Matsebula. The event was attended by high-profile industry leaders, including Marc Ward (often cited as Mark), Chairman of the Hospitality & Tourism Association of Eswatini (HOTAES), and Toby Motsa, underscoring the corporate significance of the partnership.
Under this three-year agreement, Leap Taxi App commits E25 000 annually through 2028. The company assumes the role of the Fair’s official transportation service provider and technology partner. Beyond logistics, the collaboration aims to strengthen the digital systems that help local businesses scale.
Leap Taxi App is a premier, Eswatini-owned digital ride-hailing platform created to modernize urban mobility. By connecting passengers with verified local drivers via a mobile app, it provides a safe and transparent transport solution. The app represents a major step in Eswatini’s digital gig economy, offering flexible earning opportunities for citizens.
A central pillar of the sponsorship is the creation of a dedicated Futuristic Tech and Innovation Space at the Fair. Curated by Leap Taxi, this specialized pavilion will serve as a hub for solution-driven enterprises offering digital services, platforms, and applications.
Director Vusani Matsebula highlighted the vision behind this space by explaining that they want to prove that Eswatini has the capacity to build and manage the digital systems that power its own economy. He noted that the Tech Space is a strategic intervention to show how technology-driven mobility can solve modern logistics challenges for MSMEs.
Chairman Melusi Zox Dlamini of A Peculiar People lauded the partnership’s impact on local industry, observing that seeing young business people stepping up to support local initiatives is exactly what the economy needs. He added that the collaboration highlights how ride-hailing acts as a critical enabler for inclusive economic participation and modern tourism.
The announcement sets the stage for the grand Fair on May 1, 2026. With the new Tech and Innovation Space at its heart, the event is expected to transform Mbabane’s Dr. Sishayi Road into a “living local superstore” that celebrates Eswatini’s ingenuity and sustainable growth.
