By 
By Kwanele Dhladhla
There has been a strong call by stakeholders that the supply of goods and services within the agricultural sector should be reserved for targeted Eswatini citizens for all procurement below E20 million.
In stakeholder submissions for the Citizens Empowerment Act Regulations, it was recommended that public procurement contracts of more than E20 million shall be awarded on condition that at least 40 per cent of the equity is held by targeted citizen-owned companies and targeted citizens.
“Stakeholders also felt that the government and private sector should consider breaking the large supply contracts or tenders into smaller lots to allow for citizen Micro, Small and Medium (MSME) participation, without compromising price and quality,” reads the report on stakeholder submissions in part.
It was mentioned that stakeholders raised the issue of the role that local supermarkets have taken, with most selling small packets of vegetables and even cooking traditional foods, which takes the market away from them.
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It was pointed out that foreigners had also been noted in local vending markets or spaza shops, with local groceries also selling small packet vegetables and all other stuff, under one roof, creating concerns on consumer health and fair market competition.
“The retail of agricultural inputs, equipment, and produce was to be reserved for targeted citizens. Inland haulage and distribution of agricultural inputs and chemicals can only be done by a targeted citizen-owned transporter,” it was recommended.
Stakeholders also raised a concern that access to land remains one of the major constraints to agricultural development in the country.
Players in the agricultural industry lamented that on the small land parcels, there was a need for better aggregation strategies to improve economies of scale.
Foreigners now taking or buying Eswatini National Land was raised as critical by stakeholders, owing to the limited land size, which has affected farmers for years, and could only get worse, as the little land that Eswatini has was given to foreigners.
“The issue of pricing for SNL was also raised by stakeholders as the prices seem to vary from Chiefdom to Chiefdom, with some Chiefdoms charging very high Kukhonta fees. While the system of land ownership is fair, the policies in place to facilitate development on that land have not been updated.
Current regulations do not adequately support or incentivize development, hindering economic growth and failing Emaswati with foreigners becoming more important, as they have money,” it was submitted.
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It was recommended that policies should be revised to promote sustainable development projects, creating opportunities for the land to be used productively to stimulate the economy.
“Eswatini Nation Land should be transformed from family-owned land into an asset for business development, particularly in agriculture. This shift will not only enhance land utilisation but also stimulate employment opportunities and encourage entrepreneurship,” stakeholders advised.
“When land is actively used for agricultural production and business ventures, it becomes a powerful tool for economic diversification and national development. The idea of moving from permanent landownership to long-term leases (such as 90-year leases) offers a practical solution to underutilised land.
Many properties remain dormant due to inherited land being passed down without clear development plans. Introducing policies to encourage development on such land would ensure that it contributes to the economy,
boosts local businesses, and attracts investment in critical sectors such as agriculture and real estate,” stakeholders added.
