Mbabane – Princess Sakhizwe officially opened the second edition of the Made in Eswatini Consumer Fair along Dr Sishayi Road in Mbabane, where more than 300 stalls are showcasing locally made products and services in what has become one of the country’s most talked-about platforms for homegrown entrepreneurs.
The fair, organised by A Peculiar People and running along the stretch between KFC and The Mall, has drawn large crowds of emaSwati eager to support local businesses. Princess Sakhizwe not only opened the event but also toured the exhibition stalls, leading by example in supporting local products. Among those who also attended were Mbabane Municipal Council CEO Gciniwe Fakudze, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Appolo Maphalala, Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi, and Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo.
Khumalo applauded emaSwati for the growth of local businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises, praising the quality, innovation and high standards of products on display. He described the fair as a reflection of the country’s growing entrepreneurial spirit and industrial potential. 
Fakudze said the fair is more than just a marketplace. “When you walk around here, it’s not just the Dakwa Swati, it’s quality things. Things you can take with you, things that in any international market will stand up in terms of quality, uniqueness and design,” she said.
She added that the event is a celebration of local talent and reflects His Majesty’s vision of empowering local businesses while driving innovation, unity and sustainable growth. “Thatha lama aswathi leli tibholo leli tihlukahlukane, creating from scratch and giving them a platform ukuthi babonakale,” she said, noting that vendors had travelled from various parts of the country, including Mhlangano, Nkosi Teki and Nkosi Pink, to set up stalls in the capital city.
Minister Maphalala, who engaged with young entrepreneurs at the fair, said the talent on display was nothing short of impressive. “Local talent is really improving and Maswati are producing amazing goods, amazing merchandise, and we know this is not only going to appeal to the Maswati but it’s going to appeal to the entire region, the entire African continent and the entire world,” he said.
He encouraged young exhibitors to keep building on their skills. “Young people have a lot of talent. If they give themselves time and clearly put together their minds and produce the goods that they are producing and the services that they are rendering here, it’s really amazing and we can quickly overcome the poverty and unemployment challenges,” Maphalala said. He also applauded all sponsors who pooled resources together with the Municipal Council of Mbabane and Princess Sakhizwe to make the event possible.
Melusi Dlamini, chairman of A Peculiar People, said the event came together through teamwork and strong partnerships. “We work as a team. We work with the city. I’ve got a huge team. So it’s a lot of people that brought resources together. We’ve got sponsors, MTN Momo, Palamart, ICLRY. We’ve got government departments from youth funds, SEDCO, Swasa, NITC, all new show also it’s really been great and the support is amazing,” he said.
Dlamini said the bigger picture goes beyond the event itself. “The bigger picture is just to make sure that Emaswati discover what’s local so that we can create a culture of buying local even after the event. We need to make sure that we create that culture,” he said.
Umbutfo Luke Vanderwal was also spotted at the fair, gifting Princess Sakhizwe one of their artworks during her tour of the stalls.
