This year’s Eswatini International Trade Fair (EITF) 2025 has received a major boost. FNB Eswatini, WesBank, and Eswatini Auto Fin have collectively pumped in E578 865 towards this year’s Fair, reinforcing the annual event’s status as the Kingdom’s premier business and trade showcase.
The sponsorship was officially unveiled today at the FNB Eswatini Headquarters in Ezulwini.
The CEO of FNB Eswatini, Thokozani ‘Tk’ Dlamini, broke down the sponsorship, stating that E230 000 is allocated to the popular Win-a-Car competition, through WesBank, while E200 000 has been committed towards the EITF 2025 Business Seminars.
Meanwhile, Eswatini Auto Fin came through with a E148,865 sponsorship. This, combined with the WesBank sponsorship, will fund the purchase of a brand-new Kia Sonet LX, which is the prize for the 2025 edition of the competition.
The Win-a-Car competition has become one of the major attractions at the Trade Fair, drawing thousands of hopeful participants every year. According to the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA) Chief Executive Officer, Sibani Mngomezulu, the competition has been instrumental in boosting Trade Fair attendance.
“The ‘Win-a-Car’ competition is a major attraction that draws thousands of visitors to the EITF,” Mngomezulu said. “We saw our numbers jump from 40,000 in 2023 to over 56,000 in 2024, and our goal for 2025 is to increase this by over 30%.”
Beyond the competition, FNB has also committed E200,000 towards the EITF Business Seminars, which will once again be hosted in the FNB Business Chamber. The seminars will run under the theme “Digital Transformation 2.0: Creating Business Networks,” and are expected to cover key areas such as accessing new markets, leveraging digital tools, and building financial resilience.
Reflecting on FNB’s investment, Dlamini emphasized the bank’s commitment to empowering small and medium enterprises (SMEs), describing them as the backbone of the economy.
“These seminars are our way of connecting our country’s SMEs with the real help they need to grow and scale their work to reach new markets in Eswatini and beyond,” he said. “Throughout these seminars, SMES will hear from experts on how to navigate the often-difficult SME terrain and position their businesses for sustainable success.”
As part of the sponsorship, FNB is also bringing back the EYA Square, a platform within the Trade Fair dedicated to showcasing winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (EYA).
Selected 2025 regional winners will receive fully-sponsored space at the Trade Fair to exhibit, sell, and network.
Dlamini noted that this initiative reflects FNB’s long-term vision of supporting entrepreneurship beyond the awards stage.
“We firmly believe that the network, exposure, and experience that our entrepreneurs gain through their showcase at EYA Square sets them up for sustainable success in the future,” he said.
Mngomezulu highlighted that FNB’s involvement since 2023 has elevated the quality and relevance of the business seminars, which attracted more than 1,600 participants in 2023 and over 800 in 2024.
“This year, with the E200,000 sponsorship for the seminars, we are set to host 10 high-impact sessions covering topics from digital transformation to export development. The seminars will also feature the Eswatini Annual Exporters Awards and the launch of the Buy Eswatini App, which will promote local products in an online marketplace, leveraging FNB’s fintech expertise,” Mngomezulu said.
Dlamini stressed that FNB’s sponsorship is about more than marketing; it is about contributing to national development goals.
“As FNB Eswatini, we don’t see ourselves as just a business, but as responsible citizen and a reliable partner for the sustainable development of our people and country. True to our motto ‘Sitintile Eswatini futsi asiyindzawo,’ we are committed to extending significant resources now and into the future, towards helping emaSwati achieve their dreams,” he said.