Made in Eswatini Awards, a celebration of local brilliance

By Mrs. M

Eswatini’s homegrown brands are once again stepping into the spotlight, as public voting officially opens for the 2025 Made in Eswatini Consumer Choice Awards.

Organised by A Peculiar People, this year’s edition shines a spotlight on more than 130 proudly Swati businesses spanning beauty, beverages, fashion, home goods, wellness, and experiential categories. 

In a nod to digital transformation, public voting will take place online at www.madeineswatini.africa using MTN MoMo (Mobile Money), thanks to a strategic partnership with MTN Fintech. The seamless payment system, organisers say, is designed to make participation easier than ever.

“This is a chance for consumers to support the brands they love and use every day, each vote represents belief in Swati entrepreneurship and innovation.”Said Melusi Zox Dlamini, Chairperson of A Peculiar People. 

The awards programme combines public voting with a robust jury process to ensure balanced recognition. While the public will have its say in eight key categories, an expert panel of industry judges will assess entries in an additional eight jury-driven segments. 

Special emphasis will be placed on youth-led, women-led, and sustainability-focused brands.

The second edition of the awards was launched on 19 June at Business Eswatini headquarters, drawing dignitaries, media, and key industry players in a show of support for homegrown excellence.

In a sign of swelling enthusiasm, this year’s nomination process attracted 678 entries in just three weeks, later streamlined to 130 distinct local products now shortlisted for voting. Speaking at the launch, Dlamini announced that the theme for 2025 is “Creating the Future.”

“The awards aim to highlight brands that are not only thriving today, but also laying the foundation for a digitally driven, sustainable local economy,” Dlamini noted. “This initiative is about more than recognition; it is about affirming Eswatini’s entrepreneurial spirit and economic potential.”

To preserve credibility and transparency, an eight-member jury led by E. Nathi Dlamini, CEO of Business Eswatini, will oversee the adjudication process. Their expertise spans retail, finance, sustainability, branding, and product innovation, with a view to evaluating excellence, market readiness, and social impact.

Voting officially opened on June 24, at vote.madeineswatini.africa.com, with a nominal fee of E0.50 per vote through MTN MoMo. Public voting will close on 22 July.

The public categories are as follows:

Favourite Experience

Favourite Apparel

Favourite Drink

Favourite Taste

Favourite Home Product

Favourite Health & Wellness Product

Favourite Beauty Product

Made in Eswatini Product of the Year (the top public-voted honour)

Meanwhile, the jury categories will focus on more technical or impact-oriented benchmarks:

Best Youth-Led Brand

Best Women-Led Brand

Best in Environmental Sustainability

Best in Social Impact

Best in Product Design & Packaging

Best in Tech & Innovation

Best in Manufacturing

Best Emerging Brand

Speaking during the media briefing, E. Nathi Dlamini urged the public and private sectors to rally behind local enterprise.

“I would like to commend the organisers, A Peculiar People, for spearheading a platform for motivation, mentorship, and market access. Let us make ‘Made in Eswatini’ a brand that commands global respect.” he said.