By Nontokozo Gwebu
The CEO of Maloma Colliery, Jabu Shabangu, says empowering women in leadership is not just a moral imperative, but a key economic strategy that will determine Eswatini’s future success.
Shabangu shared this message during her address at the Eswatini Investment Conference, where she called on both the public and private sectors to accelerate gender-inclusive economic development.
In her speech, she aligned her message with His Majesty King Mswati III’s national vision of transforming Eswatini into a first-world country, emphasizing that such transformation must be built on inclusive leadership, particularly the empowerment of women.
“Our King’s vision is rooted not only in economic growth and infrastructural development, but in human empowerment, especially the empowerment of women in leadership,” she said.
She highlighted the progress already made, noting that Eswatini stands among the few countries where parliament is headed by a female Senate President and several female ministers oversee key government portfolios. These include the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, ICT, and Tourism.
In the corporate sphere, female leadership is also on the rise, with women now at the helm of institutions such as Nedbank, Eswatini Bank, and the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF).
The CEO went on to praise her own company, Maloma Colliery’s parent group, Inyatsi Group Holdings, for setting a precedent in gender-inclusive leadership.
“The group boasts a turnover of nearly USD1 billion, and half of these businesses are led by women Managing Directors, including a female Group CFO,” she said, thanking Inyatsi Executive Chairman for creating space for women to lead and thrive.
Supporting her argument with compelling statistics, Shabangu referenced a McKinsey Global Institute report, which states that bridging the gender gap could contribute over USD12 trillion to global GDP by 2025.
“It is time to shift from participation to power, and from marginalization to mainstreaming,” Shabangu asserted.
She explained that Inyatsi Group is actively embedding inclusivity into its operations, with women leading various departments, including engineering, healthcare, procurement, and sustainability. The group’s community development initiatives, she added, are also intentionally geared toward supporting women-led enterprises.
She concluded by urging policymakers, investors, and industry leaders to go beyond symbolic gestures and commit to practical actions such as gender-responsive policymaking, equal access to finance for female entrepreneurs, and inclusive decision-making.
“When women lead, economies transform. When women are empowered, our future becomes stronger, more just, and more sustainable,” she said. “Let us invest not only in sectors but in the women driving them.