Manzini – The Kota Festival, a South African street food celebration, is heading to Eswatini on 24 October 2026, with the event set to take place at Malkerns Country Club in Malkerns, Manzini.
The festival, which runs from 10:00am to 8:00pm, will bring together 30 vendors, including 20 kota vendors split equally between South Africa and Eswatini, alongside 10 additional vendors selling drinks, ice cream, slushies and merchandise.
This will not be the first time the festival has been held in the kingdom. The inaugural Eswatini edition took place in 2024 and drew at least 3,000 attendees. Organisers say the 2026 return is “bigger, louder, tastier” and forms part of a broader regional tour spanning 13 events across South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. 
Kota, also known as sphahlo in some parts of South Africa, is a township street food with deep roots in kasi culture. Organisers describe it as “a cultural icon, the taste of childhood, smell of Saturday streets, creativity of township food, hustle of local entrepreneurs.” The festival positions itself not just as a food event but as a platform for youth entrepreneurship, job creation and township economic development.
Kota Festival COO Luvo Limba called on the public to get behind the movement. “Let us join hands and efforts as we take Kota to the world,” Limba said.
The organisation has grown from hosting one event per year to 13 annually, with Eswatini being one of two neighbouring countries included in the 2026 tour. Organisers say the response from Eswatini’s business community has been strong, measured through social media enquiries, vendor applications and workshop attendance.
A vendor briefing held on 20 June covered the festival’s vision, hands-on demonstrations from industry leaders, the vendor application process, COA and Section 638 compliance requirements for food businesses, and product presentations from partners including Nyama Choma.
Vendors interested in participating can apply for a 3m x 3m stall at storeller.co.za. Tickets for the event can be purchased at kotafestival.com. The public can contact the organisers on +27 81 878 2403 or +27 71 465 1085.
