Ezulwini – Three Eswatini alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship have returned home from Nairobi, Kenya, where they represented the Kingdom at the Alumni Forum on U.S. Africa Commercial Partnerships held from July 20 to 23, 2026.
The U.S. Embassy in Eswatini named them as Bertha Sithole, Fisokuhle Khumalo and Mmeli Hlanze, all graduates of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) flagship fellowship, which takes emerging African leaders to universities in the United States for academic and leadership training.
The gathering drew fellowship alumni from across the continent who are working in business, policymaking, technology and international engagement. Organisers said the forum was convened to strengthen trade and commercial ties between the United States and African countries, to draw attention to initiatives that advance innovation, and to open fresh opportunities for economic growth on the continent. 
During the four days in the Kenyan capital, the three emaSwati networked with alumni from across the region, listened to officials from the U.S. Government and leaders from the private sector, and made contact with American businesses and industries. According to the Embassy, they came back with new ideas and with plans to pursue partnerships with American counterparts.
“You represented Eswatini with excellence and brought back invaluable insights and connections to strengthen our community. Welcome back, and thank you for making us proud,” the U.S. Embassy in Eswatini said in its message to the returning alumni.
