Mbabane – Enactus Eswatini is extending its entrepreneurship programmes beyond university campuses to reach out-of-school young people in communities across the country, as youth unemployment continues to challenge households nationwide.
One of the organisation’s recent milestones has been a partnership with the Malkerns Town Council, where 16 young people participated in entrepreneurship and enterprise development training facilitated through the Enactus network. The programme introduced participants to business fundamentals, opportunity identification, problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking.
Enactus brought in partners including the Eswatini Revenue Service, the Eswatini National Youth Council and the Eswatini Standards Authority to provide holistic support to participants. Through these engagements, young entrepreneurs were exposed to quality standards and certification, youth enterprise support, mindset change, business formalisation, tax compliance and financial sustainability. 
Building on that momentum, Enactus Eswatini has welcomed a new group of young entrepreneurs participating in the Municipal Council of Mbabane’s Youth Entrepreneurship Programme. Through the collaboration, participants will access entrepreneurship development opportunities, mentorship, innovation challenges, networking platforms and practical experiences designed to help turn ideas into viable enterprises.
Enactus Country Director Sabelo Dlamini said the expansion reflects a growing recognition that entrepreneurial potential exists far beyond academic institutions. “Talent, creativity, and ambition are not limited to university campuses. Across our communities, there are scores of young people with innovative ideas and the determination to create change. Our role is to provide the support, skills, and opportunities that help them unlock that potential.”
Dlamini added that participants will have opportunities to engage in business training, innovation workshops, enterprise incubation activities, mentorship from industry professionals and collaborative projects that address real community challenges while generating sustainable economic value.
Eswatini has been part of Enactus since the organisation operated as Students in Free Enterprise, before adopting its current name in 2012. The programme currently has 16 teams across 12 tertiary institutions, with over 2,000 students implementing entrepreneurial action projects in communities around the country.
