All eyes will be on the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre tonight for the crowning of the 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year, who will also walk away with a brand-new Toyota Hilux single cab worth E600 000.
The much-awaited gala dinner of the 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (EYA), hosted by the Small Enterprises Development Company (SEDCO) and will be held this evening in Manzini.
In the running to take home the prestigious award are four regional overall winners, namely Vusi Mnisi of Narrow Path Investments (Hhohho), Malibongwe Xaba of Ehome (Manzini), Ntokozo Simelane of Selina Auto Spares (Shiselweni), and Duncan Jonathan Dlamini of DJD Investments (Lubombo). These four winners emerged victorious after a rigorous regional application and judging process that saw 412 applications from local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across Eswatini.
The main prize has been made possible through the support of FNB Eswatini and its FNB Foundation. According to FNB’s Executive Head of Commercial Banking, Chantell Littler, seeing the EYA winner drive away with a car aligns with the bank’s commitment to help.
“When you run a business, we know how critical transportation is, be it in doing day to day tasks or arranging supplies and meeting potential clients. We are excited and humbled to know that whoever wins tonight will get the elevation of true help through this vehicle. As FNB Eswatini, we don’t view ourselves as just a bank, but as a true partner helping local businesses, particularly SMEs, grow and reach their full potential,” she said.
Besides the overall winner prize, there will also be 10 national awards up for grabs tonight, namely;
• National Outstanding Youth-Owned Business
• National Outstanding Woman-owned Business
• National Outstanding Agribusiness
• National Most Tech-Savvy Business
• National Most Innovative Business
• National Outstanding Green Business
• National Outstanding Handcraft Business
• National Outstanding Business Owned by a Person with Disabilities
• National Outstanding Street Vendor
• National Outstanding Start-up
Six of these awards are sponsored by FNB and each carries a cash prize of E45 000. The overall national winner announced today will succeed 2024 winner Sibusiso Baartjies of Datamatics Eswatini, who received his prize from His Majesty King Mswati III.