Africa-Press – Eswatini. Two young men from different corners of Eswatini are proving that with the right mix of grit, support, and opportunity, dreams can grow into thriving empires.
Sandile Mavuso and Duncan Dlamini, both beneficiaries of a youth entrepreneurship programme co-led by the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), have gone from bold thinkers to business trailblazers.
Their journey began in 2017, when a national call was made for youth to submit entrepreneurial ideas. It was a time when youth unemployment stood at a staggering 58%, and many young people were grappling with hopelessness. But for Mavuso and Dlamini, that call planted a seed – one that has now blossomed into a success story the entire nation is applauding.
According to the UNDP Eswatini, the initiative has supported 29 youth-led start-ups to date. The results have been more than just profits and products – they have been about dignity, jobs, and national progress.
Mavuso, who heads Sibongile Beverages in Matsapha, told a visiting delegation last week that his journey started with brewing kombucha in his mother’s kitchen. Today, he owns a fully operational beverage factory, producing a colourful mix of kombucha, kefir, iced teas, and vitamin waters – all now available on major retail shelves. He employs seven people and has set his sights on regional expansion.
“This is bigger than just drinks,” Mavuso reportedly said. “It’s about health, opportunity, and showing other young people that it’s possible.”
In the Lubombo Region, another revolution is sizzling.
Duncan Dlamini, founder of DJD Investments at Matsetsa, has been making waves in Eswatini’s pork industry. His once-small operation now boasts upgraded facilities and a committed workforce of 24 staff members. Dlamini supplies pork products to some of the country’s biggest retail outlets and is currently scaling up to meet rising demand.
He reportedly told delegates, “We’re not just farming pigs, we’re building a value chain that feeds families and fuels local economies.”
The story of these two entrepreneurs recently caught the attention of heavyweights from the UNDP, the U.S. Embassy, the German Liaison Office, the RSTP, and UNDP Student Ambassadors, who visited their operations last week to witness the impact firsthand.
The visit was not just ceremonial. It reaffirmed what development partners have long believed – that Eswatini’s youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but the innovators of today.
“The transformation we’re seeing is a testament to what happens when young people are given more than just motivation – when they are equipped with tools, mentorship, and access to funding,” said a representative from UNDP during the tour.
The success of the programme has also been buoyed by partnerships with the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority, Eswatini Bank, and the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund, all of whom have played critical roles in nurturing the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
From Matsapha to Matsetsa, the message is loud and clear – Eswatini’s youth are done waiting for doors to open. They are building their own.
And if the stories of Mavuso and Dlamini are anything to go by, those doors are opening not just for them, but for hundreds more standing behind them, ready to dream, dare, and do.
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