Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Ministry of Finance has announced plans to increase the cash limit travellers can bring into Eswatini at border entry points, which currently stands at E1,000.
The increment, revealed by Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg during this week’s Finance in Focus address, forms part of the Government’s broader efforts to modernise and digitise border and revenue services.
Rijkenberg said the decision is intended to align the country’s entry regulations with evolving trade and financial trends across the region.
“There are some lovely things in the pipeline, looking at increasing the limit of E1,000 at the border gates to a higher amount of entry things,” he said.
Although he did not disclose the exact figure or implementation date, the minister confirmed that the review is already underway. He explained that the increase is one of several measures being developed to make government processes more efficient and accessible to citizens and businesses.
“We are trying to make sure the man on the street really gets a feel for what’s going on and why we do it. We’re looking at digitising a lot of the services outside of revenue services. A lot of these things are in the pipeline, and I normally like to talk about them when they are actually being done so we can announce them properly,” said the Minister.
According to the Ministry, the new entry limit will be established through consultations between the Ministry of Finance, the Eswatini Revenue Service, and other border management agencies.
Officials are said to be assessing how best to balance easier cash movement for travellers with measures that prevent illicit financial activity.
Economist and trade analyst Dr Thulani Dlamini said the move could be beneficial for both small traders and cross-border investors.
“The current E1,000 limit has been restrictive for people doing legitimate small business transactions, especially in the informal sector. Raising it to a reasonable amount would make Eswatini’s border policies more responsive to regional trade realities, but it must be coupled with strong monitoring systems,” he said.
Financial governance consultant Nompilo Mabuza added that while the review is long overdue, it must be approached carefully.
“An increase in the entry limit could improve cash flow for small traders and business travellers, but there should be robust reporting and compliance mechanisms to prevent abuse,” she said.
The Ministry of Finance said the new framework would also be tied to its ongoing digital transformation agenda. This includes the introduction of automated systems to process declarations and payments at border gates.
Rijkenberg noted that the digitisation process aims to reduce manual paperwork and improve transparency, making transactions easier for both the government and the public.
Worth noting is that, the government is also positioning these reforms as part of a larger strategy to attract investment and facilitate smoother trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“The increase is being paired with a move toward digitisation of revenue and border services systems,” the Minister confirmed, adding that the ministry is working to ensure that the new processes align with global anti-money-laundering standards.
Although no specific timeline has been given, Rijkenberg indicated that the changes would be implemented once technical and legal reviews are complete.
“We prefer to make announcements when things are actually being done so that we can communicate details clearly,” he said.
The adjustment comes amid ongoing efforts to streamline Eswatini’s financial systems and create a more business-friendly environment.
Analysts believe the change could attract more regional traders and encourage compliance at border gates, as higher limits reduce the incentive for undeclared transactions.
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