Business Eswatini (BE), the leading private sector business organization in the country, has called on shoppers to spend most of their money in the country and support all local businesses, both big and small, during the festive season.
BE Chief Executive Officer, Nathi Dlamini, noted that most businesses in the country do their biggest turnover during the Christmas season, and this is an opportunity for them to make up for the bad trading months.
The CEO singled out the informal sector as most deserving of shoppers’ share of wallet because, according to him, they are intrinsically part of the country’s social fabric and economic landscape without which the country would impoverish its economic development agenda.
“When we talk about businesses we are not talking exclusively about the well-known big retailers but we have the street vendors in mind too, as they desperately need all the support they can get from us,” Dlamini said.
He further added that street vendors, much like the bigger retailers, survive exclusively on the patronage of EmaSwati and this being the case, he said he hoped that shoppers would intentionally choose to spend their money locally as opposed to crossing the border.
Dlamini stressed that local businesses create jobs for Emaswati who pay income taxes locally, and through their taxes, they can support the national fiscus. He emphasized that it makes sense, socially and commercially, to be seen to be supportive of our retail entities.
“There is one full week of shopping left in the run-up to Christmas and New Year’s, and we hope this window of opportunity will see retailers recoup their losses suffered during the year of subdued trading conditions. Let’s go out and do our shopping responsibly but as we do, let us be mindful to spare some cash for school fees in January,” he said.
BE revealed that a slew of small businesses had joined as members during the year and the number is disproportionally much higher than previous years.
Whilst the reason for this huge increase in membership could not be immediately established, BE was, however, quick to point out their tried and tested value proposition as the catalyst for their membership growth. The business organization notes that it feels encouraged by the growth and waxed lyrical about its ability to attract and retain very small businesses under its portfolio of companies in the country.