Africa-Press – Eswatini. Eswatini is poised for a transformative leap in its global tourism stature as Palazzo Hospitality steps in to manage the nearly completed Multibillion International Convention Centre and Five-Star Hotel (ICC&FISH).
With expectations of bolstering the Kingdom’s visitor growth and cementing its reputation as a top conference destination, this partnership promises to elevate Eswatini’s profile on the international stage.
Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Jane Mkhonta-Simelane, has confirmed that Palazzo Hospitality is in Eswatini to operationalise the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and ensure all preparations are in place for the internationally acclaimed company to commence management early next year.
The world-class facility, whose construction is being finalised by Inyatsi Construction, is set to be a game-changer for the Kingdom’s tourism and hospitality sector, boosting Eswatini’s standing as a premier conference and leisure destination in Southern Africa.
Expected to attract over 50,000 visitors annually, with an average stay of three nights and an anticipated increase in average spending by 20%, the facility promises to significantly enhance the economic impact on the region.
Speaking on the sidelines of the company’s working visit at the Hilton Garden Inn, Minister Mkhonta-Simelane highlighted that the MOU signed with Palazzo Hospitality last year is now moving into its implementation phase.
“The country will recall that we have identified Palazzo as the operator for both the convention centre and the hotel. We signed an MOU with them, and now we are organising and preparing for them to be in place.
This involves a lot of logistical and technical work to ensure that everything meets the standards required for a five-star international facility,” she explained.
The Minister emphasised that the visit by Palazzo representatives includes inspecting infrastructure, reviewing equipment needs, and engaging with key stakeholders across government to ensure readiness.
“Some of the preparations involve them coming into the country to ensure the availability of specific equipment and infrastructure. They are also here to engage with various stakeholders to coordinate efforts in strategic areas.
This includes ministries grouped under investment facilitation, such as Commerce, Industry and Trade, and Economic Planning and Development, as well as ministries under infrastructure readiness and compliance, including Finance, Home Affairs, and Works and Public Transport.
These engagements are crucial to address issues such as ease of access to the country, registration processes, taxation, and compliance with standards,” she said.
Mkhonta-Simelane noted that standards relating to communication, transport, and ICT are central to Palazzo’s preparations.
“They need to be assured that Eswatini has the systems in place to meet the expectations of international guests and business travellers,” Mkhonta-Simelane said.The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that Palazzo is ready to operate the hotel by the end of December 2025.
She outlined a phased readiness roadmap that includes key milestones to build confidence among potential investors and partners. The roadmap consists of three clear phases: initial staffing and recruitment, systems testing throughout the facility, and conducting soft-opening trials to fine-tune operations.
“Come December, we want to be ready. Not necessarily to start operations immediately, but to ensure that everything is in place so that Palazzo can hit the ground running from then on. December is our milestone for readiness,” she emphasised.
While specifics around job creation and economic opportunities will be announced once Palazzo completes its internal assessments, preliminary estimates suggest that the project could create between 500 and 700 direct jobs in the hospitality sector.
In addition, an estimated 300 to 500 indirect roles could be generated in related industries such as tourism, transportation, and retail. The Minister stressed that these figures are subject to refinement, but they signal the significant opportunities expected in hospitality, tourism, and related industries.
“Palazzo is still reviewing the structures, analysing operational requirements, and will also be engaging with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
Once they finalise their plans, they will speak to the numbers in terms of probable job opportunities and other openings linked to the hotel and convention centre,” she added.
The ICC&FISH is expected to transform Eswatini into a competitive player in the global meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) market, while also elevating the hospitality experience for international and local guests.
Minister Mkhonta-Simelane concluded by noting that the partnership with Palazzo Hospitality marks a major step forward for the country:“What this means is that the MOU is no longer just on paper-it is now being implemented. With Palazzo in place, we are preparing Eswatini to showcase to the world that we are ready to host international events at the highest standard,” she concluded.
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