Kwaluseni – Health tech startup VitalBridge, led by Xoliswa Mbingo, secured first place at the Startup World Cup Eswatini 2026 regional competition held on Friday, July 24, 2026.
The winning mobile application tracks crucial maternal and child health metrics to help pregnant women access prompt care and lower maternal and infant mortality rates. Chosen from a field of 161 applicants, VitalBridge will travel to Silicon Valley this November to represent the Kingdom in the global finale, competing for a 1 million USD investment prize.
Her Royal Highness Princess Sakhizwe, Custodian of the Made in Eswatini Ecosystem, delivered the keynote address and announced the top three innovators. Educational platform EduSphere took second place, while employment solution HirePal secured third. 
Princess Sakhizwe encouraged young innovators to trust their concepts and strive for high standards while building the nation’s future economy.
Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, Hon. Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, represented Minister of Information, Communications and Technology, Hon. Savanna Maziya, at the ceremony. Addressing the participants, the ICT Minister noted the shared responsibility between public initiatives and private enterprise.
“Government’s job is to build that digital foundation. Yours, as innovators, is to build on top of it,” the Minister said.
The government continues its investments through the Eswatini Digitalisation Strategy 2024–2028: Government in Your Hand initiative, focusing on broadband network expansion, digital identification systems, cybersecurity frameworks, and commercial infrastructure.
Judge Melusi Dlamini commended the finalists, noting that the focus now shifts toward preparing the champions for the global stage through coaching, strategic guidance, and mentoring.
The regional competition was organized through a partnership between the Ministry of ICT and the Royal Science and Technology Park Business Incubator to foster digital growth and economic development across Eswatini.
