Malkerns – Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini made an appearance at the 19th edition of the MTN Bushfire Festival in Malkerns on Friday, touring vendor stalls and interacting with traders before sitting down for a candid conversation at the festival’s Broadcast Corner.
Speaking with festival host Phiwo Dhlamini, the Prime Minister reflected on the visible growth of one of the country’s most celebrated cultural events, noting that the extended parking and early activity along the main road were encouraging signs.
“As I was coming this side, I noticed it seems that the parking has been extended. There’s already a lot of activity from the main road there. I said, okay, we are growing even this year,” he said. 
Dlamini expressed admiration for the quality of locally made products on display at vendor stalls, saying they reflected well on the country’s creative talent.
“Products that are made here in Eswatini by talented Emaswati. And the quality of the work that they do as well. Now that’s good because we understand that Bushfire brings people from outside the country, a lot of people outside the country, and so the products really represent us well,” he said.
The Prime Minister spoke about Eswatini’s growing tourism numbers, revealing that the country had already surpassed one million annual visitors and was now targeting five million per year.
“Just recently, a couple of years ago, we were pushing to get to one million visitors in the country per year, and we hit that. And now we’ve hit two million visitors in a year, and we are now pushing for five million per annum,” he said.
When host Phiwo Dhlamini pointed out that MTN Bushfire generated E121.2 million for the Swazi economy in 2025, and asked the Prime Minister to set a target for the festival’s future economic contribution, Dlamini did not hesitate.
“You asked me the wrong question. Because we are going mega in this Eswatini, you know. We talk about mega projects, and it is only because we realise that only if we go mega are we going to be able to make a dent to the huge unemployment in the country. So, I’ll say double that,” he responded.
He added that Bushfire’s reputation had grown well beyond Eswatini’s borders, recounting encounters with international travellers who were already familiar with the festival.
“When I travel, they ask me about Bushfire. You’re from Eswatini. I was there for the Bushfire. Oh, please get me a ticket for the Bushfire. And I always say, well, it’s booked the moment it closes,” he said.
Closing the conversation, the Prime Minister delivered a message to local attendees in siSwati “Bangenile iPushfire” while acknowledging that international festival goers needed no convincing, saying they knew Bushfire better than most.
