The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, has encouraged more businesses to export goods to Japan, as current exports to Japan stand at only E44 million.
Speaking at the local launch of the 2025 World Expo at Mountain View, the Minister announced that Eswatini will be hosting a business seminar in Japan, which is the world’s 4th largest economy and the 5th largest trade market.
For 2025, the World Expo will be held in Japan, from 13 April to 13 October 2025. The expo will welcome over 170 countries and intergovernmental organizations at the Yumeshima Expo Site in Osaka, in the Kansai region of Japan.
A major highlight of the expo will be the National Day Celebrations, where all participating countries, including Eswatini, will have the chance to celebrate their culture and promote goodwill while renewing their commitment to addressing challenges facing humanity. Eswatini’s National Day at the expo is scheduled for 3rd June 2025.
Reflecting on Eswatini’s previous participation, Khumalo said that the Kingdom’s involvement in the 2020 World Expo in Dubai (which was held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) was a huge success.
“In 2021, over 500,000 visitors toured the Eswatini pavilion in Dubai. The theme for the 2025 World Expo, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” will stimulate critical thinking on how individuals envision their future and maximize their potential. The expo will coincide with the countdown to the 2030 target year for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event will be an opportunity to assess progress towards these goals and accelerate efforts for achieving them by 2030 and beyond,” he said.
Eswatini’s pavilion at Expo 2025 will carry the theme “Our History Defines Our Future Society: Originality – Heritage – Future.” Through displays, videos, and cultural performances, the pavilion will highlight how Eswatini’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage has contributed to national peace, stability, and economic growth.
“Maintaining traditional values has been a key factor in making Eswatini a preferred destination for investment and tourism. In line with promoting business opportunities, Eswatini will host a seminar on doing business with Japan on 2nd June 2025,” Khumalo said.
The seminar will focus on ICT, trade, investment, and tourism, and will provide a platform to unlock new market opportunities and increase foreign direct investment (FDI).
In 2024, Eswatini’s exports to Japan were primarily composed of wood chips, citrus fruits, and crafts, totaling E44,438,170. The upcoming seminar will be an important opportunity for Eswatini to expand its presence in Japan’s stable and growing market. Khumalo encouraged the business community to join the Eswatini delegation at the expo, highlighting that Japan’s robust economy presents an alternative market for local products.
At the event, EIPA also unveiled a special regalia that the Eswatini contingent will be wearing at the World Expo, as well as the new local mascot.