Rhodes Food Group Eswatini (Pty) Ltd. has been crowned Exporter of the Year – Large Enterprise at the 2025 Eswatini Quality Awards, in recognition of its outstanding commitment to quality standards and export excellence.
The award, presented during a ceremony held at The George Hotel in Manzini, places the company among Eswatini’s top-performing exporters, highlighting its ability to meet stringent international market requirements while maintaining consistent product quality.
The recognition comes at a time when government and industry leaders are intensifying calls for local companies to leverage regional and global trade opportunities, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking during the ceremony, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade – Manqoba Khumalo – emphasised that quality and certification remain critical for businesses seeking to expand beyond Eswatini’s borders.
“Certification acts as a passport to trade. It signals to markets that products meet established standards for safety, quality, and performance,” he said.
Khumalo noted that Eswatini’s ability to compete in regional and international markets will depend largely on the strength of its national quality infrastructure, including standards development, metrology, testing, and certification systems.
The Exporter of the Year accolade awarded to Rhodes Food Group underscores this growing alignment between quality compliance and export competitiveness. By adhering to internationally recognised standards, the company has positioned itself as a key player in advancing Eswatini’s export agenda.
2025 Eswatini Quality Awards: The Full Winners List
The ceremony recognized excellence across six diverse categories, highlighting the leaders in industry, service, and individual advocacy.
Category 1: Eswatini Organization of the Year
• Large Enterprise Winner: Stefanutti Stocks Construction Swaziland
• 1st Runner-Up: Nkonyeni Pre-Cast Ltd. & Eswatini Railways (Tie)
• 2nd Runner-Up: Rhodes Food Group Eswatini (Pty) Ltd.
• MSME Winner: National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA)
Category 2: Eswatini Product of the Year
• Large Enterprise Winner: Eswatini Meat Industries & Master Meats Global (Pty) Ltd. (Joint Winners)
• 1st Runner-Up: Infracast (Pty) Ltd.
• 2nd Runner-Up: Nkonyeni Pre-Cast Ltd.
• MSME Winner: Swazi Tiles Investments
Category 3: Eswatini Service of the Year
• Large Enterprise Winner: National Maize Corporation
• 1st Runner-Up: Stefanutti Stocks Construction Swaziland
• 2nd Runner-Up: Eswatini Railways
• Recognition: His Majesty’s Correctional Services
• MSME Winner: National Psychiatric Referral Hospital
Category 4: Eswatini Exporter of the Year
• Large Enterprise Winner: Rhodes Food Group Eswatini (Pty) Ltd.
• MSME Category: 1st Runner-Up: Rannah Investments (Pty) Ltd. (Note: No winner was crowned in the MSME Export category this year).
Category 5: Eswatini Quality Ambassador of the Year
• Winner: Cebsile Bhembe
• 1st Runner-Up: Mdigo Vusi Thunzini
• 2nd Runner-Up: Muyalo Dlamini
• Recognition: Philani Selby Dladla
Category 6: Eswatini Conformity Assessment Body of the Year
• Testing 17025 Winner: Rhodes Food Group Eswatini (Pty) Ltd.
• 1st Runner-Up: Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation – Agriculture Laboratory
• ISO/IEC 15189 Winner: Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation (Baylor Clinic) Laboratory Eswatini
• 1st Runner-Up: The Luke Commission
• 2nd Runner-Up: National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (NTRL)
• Recognition: Psychiatric Hospital Mini-Laboratory & Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital Laboratory
The judging panel, which evaluated a total of 42 entries across multiple categories, described this year’s submissions as highly competitive, reflecting a growing culture of quality among local enterprises.
According to Chief Adjudicator Sivuse Mbingo, the awards process revealed encouraging progress in how businesses are integrating quality systems into their operations.
“As citizens who consume and use the products and services developed by these businesses, I can confidently say that quality in Eswatini is alive and well,” Mbingo said.
He further highlighted that businesses which consistently participate in the awards tend to show significant improvement over time, reinforcing the importance of persistence in building strong quality management systems.
While large enterprises such as Rhodes Food Group continue to set the benchmark, Mbingo raised concern over the lack of participation in certain categories, particularly among Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Notably, the MSME Export Category received no entries this year, a gap that industry stakeholders say must be urgently addressed if Eswatini is to fully benefit from expanding trade opportunities.
“Eswatini possesses clear advantages, including its strategic location and stable economic environment. However, we need more MSMEs producing for export and meeting the required quality standards,” Mbingo noted.
Government has already begun addressing this challenge through initiatives such as the Ingelo Certification Scheme, which aims to support MSMEs in achieving product certification and improving competitiveness.
The scheme is designed to provide smaller businesses with a structured pathway to meet quality standards, thereby enabling them to access both local and international markets.
Khumalo reiterated that strengthening quality systems is not merely a regulatory requirement but a strategic imperative for economic growth.
“Quality is the language that markets understand. It is the bridge that connects producers to consumers and the foundation upon which sustainable industrial development is built,” he said.