By Phiwa Sikhondze
The Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA) has received support from the International Trade Centre (ITC) to provide training to Eswatini’s diplomats and those executing similar responsibilities (commercial attachés, trade, and economic advisers, second Secretaries) in missions abroad on trade and investment facilitation and promotion.
The main aim of the training is to equip missions with tools for effective economic diplomacy to enhance Eswatini’s attractiveness position in the World. The training is by invitation and will take place from 19th – 22nd November 2024 virtually.
EIPA’s Executive Head for Investment Promotion, Martin Masilela, highlighted the program’s significance. He stated that EIPA’s mandate is to attract, encourage, and facilitate local and foreign trade and investment for economic development.
“Providing this training to our stakeholders abroad will allow them to be able to develop and deliver a compelling value proposition to investors and advise prospective import partners in their respective posts who wish to source goods from Eswatini. We also want the diplomats to understand and be updated on government policies, positions, and projects concerning trade and investments so that there is alignment in the narrative for the promotion of Eswatini,” he said.
The training will also bring together EIPA officers, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives from key business support organizations to collaboratively market Eswatini as a prime destination for investment and trade partnerships.
Delivered through online Masterclasses, the four-day program will cover a diverse range of topics, including understanding the investment process and opportunities in Eswatini, effective economic diplomacy, networking, and relationship building, as well as diplomatic communication, protocol, and etiquette. Participants will also learn how to navigate Eswatini’s legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks.
Participants will engage in interactive discussions and practical exercises, culminating in personalized activity plans tailored to their respective missions. Masilela emphasized that the training would empower diplomats to independently promote and facilitate trade and investment, reducing reliance on Eswatini-based teams traveling abroad. He explained that the program would enhance their ability to gather market intelligence, generate leads, and provide valuable feedback to inform national strategies.
“As we consider the attraction of investors and promoting exports, we consider it crucial to deliver tools and aids to our diplomats to effectively support the economic development of Eswatini. We also look forward to benefits such as gaining market intelligence from foreign markets, lead follow-ups and generation as well as considering feedback from foreign missions in formulating messaging and strategies,” Masilela said.
The training will be carried out by Dev Chamroo an experienced ITC expert from Mauritius in partnership with EIPA and other support institutions. Chamroo has over 30 years of experience in promoting investment and international trade.
He has worked in several senior positions in the trade and investment sphere as well as being awarded the Africa Business Leadership Award in 2016 and the Global Excellence Award in 2011-12. He has lived and worked in Zimbabwe (1982-1987), Taiwan (1990-1992), and Düsseldorf, Germany (1994-1997), and has visited 64 countries to promote trade and investment.