The baking sector has been identified as a critical driver of both food security and economic growth in Eswatini, with MTN Eswatini underscoring its importance during a Bakers Masterclass held at The George Hotel.
Speaking during the engagement, MTN Eswatini Acting Chief Executive Officer, Jerry Soko, highlighted that the country’s next phase of economic transformation will depend heavily on strengthening productive sectors such as food production and small-scale manufacturing.
Soko noted that while MTN’s role has traditionally been associated with connectivity and telecommunications services, the company is deliberately shifting towards a more collaborative approach that supports enterprise development.
“Today is really about you. We are not here to sell products, but to work with you and help you grow your businesses,” he said. “We want to co-create, understand your challenges, and see how we can support you through digital solutions that improve efficiency.”
The engagement formed part of MTN Business’s broader initiative to capacitate small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly in the baking sector, through practical skills development and knowledge sharing.
Soko emphasised that sectors such as baking play a vital role not only in household income generation, but also in ensuring national food security, describing them as the “bedrock of economic growth.”
He further referenced Eswatini’s long-term economic trajectory, noting that the country has recorded significant expansion in gross domestic product over the decades, from approximately E1.5 billion in 1986 to about E95 billion today.
“That is tremendous growth,” he said. “The next phase of growth, as envisioned at the national level, depends on how we strengthen sectors like yours to take the economy to the next level.”
The Acting CEO added that MTN is increasingly focusing on digital transformation to enhance business efficiency among SMEs, including bakers, who often operate informally and face challenges in scaling their operations. “We are looking at how we can digitise aspects of your businesses to make them more efficient and sustainable,” he said. “It is about ensuring that what you are doing can grow beyond where it is today.”
The Bakers Masterclass, which brought together aspiring and established bakers, is part of MTN Business’s efforts to respond to feedback from earlier engagements with entrepreneurs, who requested more practical, hands-on support.
According to Soko, the initiative was a direct response to those discussions and was designed to ensure that training is not only theoretical but also practical and applicable to real business environments. “This session is a result of your feedback,” he said. “We met a few weeks ago and committed to moving the conversation forward with a masterclass focused on practical skills and real business needs.”