By 
By Lwazi Dlamini
The Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise has not only expanded its footprint across the country but has contributed a staggering E517 million in taxes to the Government since 2000.
EWADE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Samson Sithole in a wide-ranging interview with our sister newspaper, Eswatini Sunday, revealed that through farmer companies supported by EWADE, they have also managed to create 7,000jobs, supporting 42,000 livelihoods.
Sithole also revealed that they have recorded gross revenues of E5.587 billion since 2000.
“Our community development efforts are also closely linked to economic empowerment. To date, we have facilitated the creation of 7,000 jobs, supporting an estimated 42,000 livelihoods.
RELATED: EWADE Targets December to Complete MNWAP Homestead Resettlement
Through Farmer Companies, supported by EWADE, we’ve recorded gross revenues of SZL 5.587 billion with SZL 517 million remitted to the government in taxes and SZL 474.6 million paid out as dividends to shareholders.
Additionally, our facilitation of access to finance has resulted in SZL 524 million in loans being secured, with a commendable 63 out of 80 businesses successfully settling their loans,” Sithole said.
He stated that they have expanded their footprint across Eswatini with a strong emphasis on inclusive rural development, infrastructure enhancement, and commercial agriculture.
“Today, we manage a portfolio of 14 major projects, impacting over 155,000 people across all four regions of the country. Remarkably, 51% of our beneficiaries are women, reflecting our commitment to gender-responsive development,” he said.
Sithole added: “From an infrastructure standpoint, we’ve constructed and rehabilitated 19 small earth dams, directly benefiting around 6,500 farmers and indirectly supporting 39,000 people, with more water security projects in the pipeline.
On the agricultural front, we’ve enabled the transformation of over 18,000 hectares of land into productive use; 15,200 hectares under sugarcane and 3,200 hectares under other diversified crops.
This excludes the additional 30,000 hectares earmarked under the strategic Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Project (MNWAP), which is poised to further scale our impact.”
RELATED: Bean Pilot Project expected to yield 100 per cent profit -EWADE
Sithole said EWADE’s impact has evolved from basic infrastructure development to enabling sustainable agricultural economies, financial inclusion, and holistic rural transformation, all while staying rooted in our mission to improve livelihoods and unlock the economic potential of Eswatini’s rural communities.
(Read the full interview in our sister newspaper, the Eswatini Sunday)
