FNB Eswatini will be offering a wide range of free business advice and support for the country’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) at the 2025 Eswatini International Trade Fair.
The bank, together with its subsidiary WesBank, last week announced a sponsorship package worth E430 00 towards the 2025 edition of the EITF. Part of this package will see the bank host two seminars targeted at SMEs and Agribusinesses.
The SME Seminar, themed “Thriving in the Digital Age: Help that Works for Overcoming the SME Challenge,” with a focus on practical tools and strategies for business growth, will be held on Friday, 5 September at the FNB Business Chamber, Pavilion 1.
On the same day, the Agribusiness Seminar, titled “Equipping Agribusinesses to Thrive in the Digital Age”, will take place at the EITF Seminar Hall. Both sessions are open to all SMEs in the Kingdom.
Unpacking the intention behind hosting these seminars, Chantell Littler, FNB’s Executive Head of Commercial Banking, said the bank will be using the seminars to address some of the common challenges faced by local SMEs.
“As we have been saying throughout this year, as we celebrate 30 years of serving the country: ‘Sitintile Eswatini futsi asiyindzawo.’ The success of Eswatini’s business bodes well for all of us hence we are making this investment. The seminars will provide actionable strategies to address common business challenges and unlock new opportunities, because when businesses gain knowledge, they gain the skillset to grow sustainably,” she said.
This platform will further equip businesses with the knowledge to access help that works from FNB, be it finance, investments, trade finance and tools to manage their business, which will give them access to credit at FNB.
Outside of the seminars, the bank will also be hosting free business clinics daily during the Trade Fair. During these clinics, business owners will have an opportunity to sit down with a professional FNB Relationship Manager and receive tailor-made advice for their businesses and a free business toolkit, covering profit, loss, and balance sheet templates; financial calculator; business plan templates; cash flow projection tool; credit scoring guidance to access lending, and more.
According to Chantell, entrepreneurial success begins with access to knowledge, tools, and mentorship. “These clinics are not sales pitches. They are practical, solution-driven sessions designed to strengthen businesses so that they can survive unexpected shocks, grow steadily, and contribute meaningfully to Eswatini’s economy,” she added.
In addition, as part of its partnership with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, the bank will provide free exhibition space to selected Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (EYA) 2025 Regional Finalists, under the ‘EYA Square.’ This, according to Chantell, is aimed at exposing entrepreneurs to even bigger markets.
Dlalisile Matsebula, a handicraft entrepreneur based at Manzini Market, was one of those selected to showcase at the EYA Square in 2024 and has lauded the impact the platform has had on her business.
“It helped me a lot. Even today, I have customers that I met at the EYA Square last year and we have been working together ever since. One of the biggest things you get there is the exposure to a lot of potential customers. Even if your stock runs out, you are still able to share your information with potential customers,” she said.