By 
By Kwanele Dhladhla
His Majesty King Mswati III has described the visit to Eswatini by Mozambique’s President, Daniel Chapo, as a step in the right direction, as discussions on development projects aimed to improve both countries were discussed.
The King said this after closed discussions with the Mozambican president at Mandvulo Hall on Monday evening. His Majesty expressed gratitude to Chapo’s display of political will to see the development projects that the two countries have, some of which are also shared with South Africa.
It is particularly pleasing to note the political will by the Mozambican President and a sign that the relations between Eswatini and Mozambique will continue to grow towards improving the economies of both countries,” the King said.
Chapo also committed that the republic was ready to do business with Eswatini and was willing to improve relations. The visiting President had earlier met with the local business community to explore vital business opportunities that could be implemented by the neighbouring countries with an aim to improve the livelihoods of the populace through the creation of much-needed jobs.
In a historic address, Business Eswatini (BE) President Mvuselelo Fakudze suggested a roadmap to significantly strengthen trade relations between the two countries.
He called for a series of reforms aimed at deepening economic cooperation, reducing trade barriers, and building a more integrated regional market.
President Chapo minced no words in declaring to BE that Mozambique had vast opportunities in many different sectors, including energy and tourism.
He said Mozambique had natural gas and coal, minerals that could be useful in generating electricity. Chapo mentioned that in Mozambique, they had rivers, sun, and even wind.
He pointed out that all these things could be used to produce electricity in a way that could be friendly to the environment.
The president disclosed plans to build power stations to produce more energy so that they could supply electricity to many countries in the SADC region, including Eswatini.
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He said they wanted to construct a 540MW power plant in Inhambane, which could also be beneficial to Eswatini and other SADC countries.
In the tourism sector, President Chapo said they had a long coastline and beautiful islands, which could be attractive to tourists. However, the president mentioned that they a lot of work to do in that sector and he noted that Eswatini was on the right track. He made an example of what he identified as golf tourism.
He said South Africa, for instance, had more than 500 golf courses, with Eswatini also having many of them. However, Mozambique only has one golf course, which was also not fully developed.
He said Mozambique had a lot to learn from Eswatini in that aspect, so that businesspeople could be able to network, enhancing production from their businesses.
In a boost to Eswatini-Mozambique trade, two companies signed a lucrative business deal that will deepen trade relations and stimulate job creation.
According to a statement released by Business Eswatini, Chapo’s visit has already started yielding results as Interfreight of Eswatini and Corredor Logístico de Maputo (CLM) of Mozambique signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Upon its implementation, Interfreight anticipates a substantial increase in employment, particularly in rural areas near the border posts.
Business Eswatini (BE) mentioned that the signing ceremony was witnessed by BE President Mvuselelo Fakudze and the Head of Trade and Commerce and Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BE, Musa Maseko.
The federation of businesses in Eswatini stated that the partnership was founded on a clear vision of expanding and stimulating bilateral trade by recognising the untapped potential for goods movement between Eswatini and Mozambique.
It further mentioned that the MoU leverages Interfreight’s expertise in freight movement and CLM’s extensive warehousing network across SADC.
“This synergy creates an ideal platform to facilitate seamless cargo flow and unlock new trade avenues,” said BE.
Additionally, the federation stated that the MoU’s vision was to deepen market presence.
The agreement provides Interfreight with a strategic pathway to significantly expand its footprint within the Mozambican logistics market.
Moreover, the federation indicated that the partnership would ensure enhanced efficiency in the reception, handling, storage, and dispatch of consignments, particularly cargo moving from CLM/Maputo to Eswatini and South Africa.
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It has been stated that there was also an aim to increase freight traffic between Mozambique, Eswatini, South Africa, and other SADC countries utilising Mozambican ports.
The partnership also seeks to develop integrated logistics solutions to support clients, business partners, and traders operating between Eswatini and Mozambique.
According to the statement issued on Thursday, BE quoted Interfreight Director Phesheya Dlamini, who spoke during the signing ceremony.
“The signing with CLM marks a pivotal moment for Interfreight and Eswatini’s access to regional markets. This partnership leverages our combined strengths to create a seamless logistics bridge, driving efficiency for traders and creating vital jobs for Emaswati, particularly in our border communities.
We are excited about the growth this enables.” Once again, the federation stated that the successful implementation of this MoU promises significant positive outcomes, including job creation,” said Dlamini.
