Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) has officially launched the third phase of its Bafundzise campaign in the capital city, Mbabane.
The announcement was made by the organisation through a strategic meeting between ERS Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule and the Acting CEO of the Municipal Council of Mbabane, Bongani Dlamini, along with the Council’s management team.
After three weeks of engagement in Matsapha, the Bafundzise campaign now shifts its focus to Mbabane, aiming to strengthen tax education and compliance support for local businesses.
Commissioner General Nkambule shared key lessons from earlier phases in Manzini and Matsapha, noting the positive reception from clients in those areas.
“The feedback from Matsapha especially showed us that when clients understand their obligations clearly, they are more willing to comply. That’s the spirit we are bringing to Mbabane.” said Nkambule.
He encouraged the city’s municipal team to support the initiative by working collaboratively and engaging openly with stakeholders.
The Bafundzise campaign will officially begin its outreach in Mbabane on Monday, June 2, 2025, at Corporate Place.
Local businesses will have the opportunity to meet directly with ERS officials for one-on-one consultations, guidance, and answers to their tax-related questions.
The campaign is part of ERS’s broader effort to improve taxpayer services through education and awareness. It empowers businesses by demystifying tax obligations and creating channels for support, especially for small and medium enterprises.
Launched in March 2025, the Bafundzise campaign is a nationwide, door-to-door educational drive by the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) aimed at empowering local businesses on voluntary tax compliance.
The initiative focuses primarily on micro and small enterprises, providing them with the knowledge and tools necessary for tax compliance and growth.
ERS Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule
ERS officers, identifiable by their branded uniforms and official ID cards, visit businesses to engage in meaningful conversations, educating them about tax obligations and customs opportunities.
The campaign underscores ERS’s commitment to supporting local businesses by simplifying the tax compliance process and offering meaningful education within the comfort of their own business premises.
The ‘Bafundzise’ campaign embodies the revenue institution’s commitment to standing alongside its clients as partners, not just as a tax collector.
Through this initiative, ERS takes a proactive approach to educating and enabling all businesses, especially small and micro segments, to navigate tax compliance with ease.
ERS encourages Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and micro-business owners to take full advantage of this initiative by asking questions and actively engaging with their 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.
The Bafundzise Campaign is a national door-to-door educational initiative launched by the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) as part of its strategy to increase tax compliance across the Kingdom.
The campaign directly supports ERS’s ambitious target of generating E16 billion in tax revenue for the 2025/26 financial year.
Worth noting is that, the name Bafundzise, which means ‘Let them be taught’ in siSwati, reflects the campaign’s primary mission: to educate business owners on the importance of tax compliance and guide them through the process of meeting their legal obligations.
Through face-to-face engagements, the campaign brings tax officers directly to businesses, offering on-the-spot support with registration, clarification of tax requirements, and introductions to systems like the Presumptive Tax, which is tailored for small enterprises based on their turnover.
Since its launch, Bafundzise has already visited 1,800 businesses in hubs like Manzini and Matsapha. Approximately 70% of these businesses were found to be tax compliant, a figure the ERS considers encouraging.
The remaining 30% often lacked basic requirements like a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), something the ERS teams are now actively helping them acquire during visits.
The campaign also addresses key challenges in the tax ecosystem, including limited awareness of tax benefits, mistrust in institutions, and operational knowledge gaps.
By deploying educators and field officers from the Taxpayer Education Unit, the ERS is attempting to close those gaps not by punishing businesses, but by building a culture of compliance grounded in understanding and support.
Having successfully rolled out in Manzini and Matsapha, the campaign has now moved to Mbabane, where ERS Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule recently met with city officials to share feedback and align goals for the third phase of outreach.
The Mbabane leg began on Monday, June 2, 2025, at the Corporate Place, with plans to expand through the capital in the weeks that follow.
Bafundzise is more than a revenue push it’s an accountability movement designed to ensure sustainability in Eswatini’s economy while giving business owners the tools to thrive legally and transparently. It is, at its heart, a national conversation about civic duty and financial integrity, happening one door at a time.
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