Ezulwini – Local musicians are expected to receive their first royalty payments during the 2026-2027 financial year, marking a major milestone for their work in their creative industry.
Mmeli Hlanze, executive director of the Eswatini Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Society (Eswacos), revealed this at the Happy Valley Hotel during the observance of World Intellectual Property Day, which was themed ‘IP and Sports’.
To ensure accurate distribution, Eswacos used a music monitoring technology that allowed them to collect statistics on airplays on local radio stations. Hlanze stated that Eswacos has music usage data going back to April 2025, which means that broadcast royalties will be computed and accounted for. 
This raises just one major concern, the low level of local music played on radio stations. Preliminary analysis of music data revealed that local music accounts for only 12% of airtime on local radio stations.
“This is a matter of concern because radio remains one of the most influential platforms for music discovery, audience development and radio generation. If local music makes up only 12% of the airplay, it means the majority of the broadcast royalty value generated from these local radio stations is likely to flow to international rights holders,” Hlanze said.
Low distribution share to local rights holders potentially impedes the growth of the local creative sector.
