Africa-Press – Eswatini. Eswatini is ready to host the second edition of the Family Business Summit, scheduled for 7th August 2025 at the Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini. This year’s theme, “Growing Legacies, Embracing Change,” signals a renewed commitment to strengthening family owned enterprises, ensuring they not only succeed today but survive across generations.
Hosted by local consulting firm REDI, the Summit brings Eswatini into a growing global network of countries focused on supporting family businesses as drivers of economic resilience, job creation, and long term wealth. REDI has partnered with KPMG Family Enterprises and Standard Bank as knowledge partners. Both organisations bring decades of experience and research in helping family businesses navigate governance, succession, and growth.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Gumbi, CEO of REDI and founder of the Family Business Summit, spoke about the need to protect and grow family businesses for future generations. “Starting a business from nothing is hard it takes time, energy, and money,” he said. “But when you take over a family business, you already have the name, the systems, and the connections. In many countries, family businesses are passed down. Children step in after their parents retire or pass away and these businesses often grow, change, and even open branches in other countries.”
Also during the event, Principal Economist Thembumenzi Dube from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport encouraged entrepreneurs to build businesses in areas they understand and are passionate about. He cautioned against entering unfamiliar industries just to chase profits, noting that such ventures often lack a strong foundation. “When you build around what you truly understand, you’re not only more confident, you are also more likely to sustain that business,” Dube said.
The Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry, Hon. Manqoba Khumalo, will officially open the Summit. Local entrepreneurs are strongly encouraged to attend, connect with experts, and take advantage of one on one sessions designed to offer tailored advice.
And also the Family Business Summit will feature international speakers including Alan Barr and Creagh Sudding from KPMG South Africa, and Dr Manessah Alagbaoso from Standard Bank Group. A panel of local family business owners will also be announced soon, sharing their real life experiences in navigating legacy, expansion, and governance.
This year’s edition builds on the foundation laid in 2024, which focused on unlocking intergenerational wealth. The 2025 theme reflects the challenges many businesses face today: not only sustaining performance but passing the baton smoothly from one generation to the next.
Family owned businesses from global giants like Volkswagen, Samsung, Tata, and Walmart, to regional leaders such as Dangote, Pick n Pay, and Italtile stand as powerful examples of long term vision and generational planning. Here in Eswatini, enterprises like United Holdings, Monsoor Group, and the Thorne family reflect the same potential to build enduring legacies. As the Summit embraces the theme “Growing Legacies, Embracing Change,” these examples remind us that with the right strategy and succession planning, family businesses can evolve, adapt, and thrive across generations.
This year’s event is more than a conference ,it’s a call to rethink how businesses are built, how wealth is transferred, and how a culture of sustainability and purpose can transform Eswatini’s economic future.
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