By Tlalane Dlamini
The 2025 Eswatini Customer Service Excellence Awards (ECSEA), hosted by the Institute of Research Management and Development (IRMD), concluded with a prestigious dinner on 31 October 2025. The ceremony celebrated local organizations and individuals redefining service standards, establishing customer experience as a core driver of national competitiveness, public trust, and human dignity.
The Ministerial Mandate: Service as a Strategic and Moral Imperative
The event’s Guest of Honour, the Minister of Information, Communication & Technology (ICT), Savannah Maziya, delivered a compelling speech emphasizing the profound importance of service. She stated that customer service, at its core, is “an expression of respect for human dignity”. Every interaction, she asserted, must communicate: “YOU MATTER. YOUR TIME MATTERS. YOUR NEEDS MATTER”.
Minister Maziya highlighted the strategic benefits of this focus:
• Economic Impact: Companies that excel in customer experience grow revenues “4% to 8% higher than their market peers”, according to Harvard Business Review research.
• Public Sector Value: Excellent service builds “public trust, enhances citizen satisfaction, and strengthens the social contract” with the people.
The Minister herself was honored for her leadership, receiving the Guest of Honour Award of Excellence.
Innovation in Governance: Ministry of ICT Leads the Way
The Ministry of ICT was a standout winner, securing the Government Ministry of the Year award and the Innovation of the Year award. This success was attributed to the Ministry’s flagship programme: “Government in Your Hand”.
This initiative aims to transform public services, making government “accessible, efficient, and citizen-centric”. The goal is to allow citizens to renew, apply, and interact with services “from anywhere, at home, in the office, or on the go”, eliminating “frustration, long queues, or unnecessary delays”.
2025 ECSEA Honorees: Setting the National Benchmark
The following organizations and individuals were recognized for their commitment to raising the bar for service and experience across Eswatini.
Best in Sector Awards
* Retail Company of the year: Spar Manzini Lifestyle
* Bank of the year: Eswatini Building Society
* Fast Food Outlet of the year: KFC
* Public Enterprise of the year: FSRA
* Hotel of the year: Hilton Garden Inn
* Municipal Council of the year: Manzini Municipal Council
* Large Corporation of the year: Eswatini Beverages
* Health Care Facility of the year: The Clinic Group
* Real Estate Property Agent of the year: Re- Max
* Motor Spares Shop of the year: Goldwagen
* Hardware of the year: Cashbuild -Manzini
* Insurance Company of the year: Oracle Insurance
* MSME of the year: Datamatics
* Credit Provider of the year: Select Limited
* Cooperative of the year: Lubane
* Restaurant of the Year: JK Steakhouse
* Holiday Lodge of the year: Olive Country Lodge
* Leisure & Entertainment Centre of the year: Ocean Cuisine
* Internet Service Provider: Real Image
* Pharmacy of the year: Apex Pharmacy
* Non-Governmental Organisation of the year: Autism Eswatini
* Technical Support & Electronics: Slomoes Corporation
SPECIFIC & INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS
* Innovation of the Year: GIYH in your hand
* Customer Experience Team of the year: Embiveni Meats
* Public Choice Award of the year: United Holdings
* Most Consistent Organization: ERS
* Customer Personality of the year: Simphiwe Nsibande
* Influencer of the year: Gogo & Silwane
* Young Innovative Leader of the year: Nikki Jacobsz
* Business Leader of the year: Nokwanda Dlamini
HONORIS AND FELLOWSHIP AWARDS
* Guest Of honour Award of Excellence: Hon Savannah Maziya
* Fellow – Eswatini Customer Experience Practitioner: Futhi Tembe
* Fellow – Eswatini Customer Experience Practitioner: Mongi Dlamini
* Fellow – Eswatini Customer Experience Practitioner: Nonhlanhla Dlamini
* Fellow – Eswatini Customer Experience Practitioner: Madodo Mngomezulu
* Fellow – Eswatini Customer Experience Practitioner: Bongani Mdluli
* Fellow – Eswatini Customer Experience Practitioner: Jino Nkambule
* Fellow – Eswatini Customer Experience Practitioner: Dominic Manhundu