Ubombo Sugar Limited (USL) has been named Overall Highest Tax Contributor at the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) Client Appreciation Day, held at Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini.
The company retains the award after winning it last year.
Now in its third year, the ERS Client Appreciation Day honors businesses and institutions showing excellent tax compliance, transparency, and dedication to Eswatini’s economic growth.
Ubombo Sugar, a key player in manufacturing, mining, and industrial sectors, not only secured its sector award but also earned the top honor of the night, Overall Highest Tax Contributor.
The recognition comes as Eswatini recorded a record-breaking E14.61 billion in revenue collection for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2025, a 12.2% increase from the previous year.
This award highlights USL’s steady contribution to the national treasury, its excellent tax record, and its role in boosting Eswatini’s economic strength.
In his keynote speech, Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg praised ERS and taxpayers for exceeding revenue goals for the second year running.
“These results confirm that when a modern revenue system works with willing, informed taxpayers, the outcome is sustainable prosperity,” said Rijkenberg. “Tonight, we celebrate a partnership where government and responsible taxpayers stand together to fund our shared development goals.”
He pointed out that events like the Client Appreciation Day help foster a culture of voluntary compliance, based on a shared sense of responsibility between the government and its citizens.
ERS Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule reiterated the organization’s goal of achieving 100% voluntary compliance for a better Eswatini. Nkambule praised companies like Ubombo Sugar for exemplifying trust, transparency, and civic duty.
“Why aim for 100% voluntary compliance? Because EmaSwati deserve a revenue system not based on fear, but on trust. Not on coercion, but on confidence and persuasion,” he explained.
He also highlighted ERS’s digital innovations—such as TaxEase, the TaxPal mobile app, and the Authorized Economic Operator Programme—which are making compliance and trade easier. These tools enable taxpayers to fulfill obligations via their phones and will soon support one-stop border clearance at Ngwenya, simplifying cross-border trade.
In her acceptance speech, the Financial Director of Ubombo Sugar Limited, Philile Nxumalo, sincerely acknowledged her team:
“I would just like to say to the Ubombo finance team, this is your moment,” she said. “I also represent a leadership committed to sustainable and inclusive growth. When we get recognized in forums like this, it shows we are doing some things right. So to my MD and the executive, this is us.”
Finally, Nxumalo expressed gratitude to the ERS and the Ministry of Finance:
“We understand that your job is difficult, and our prayer is that you will continue to develop the tax system.”
The event also featured remarks from Mary Baine, Executive Secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), who praised Eswatini for its leadership in voluntary compliance across Africa.
“From 61% in 2022 to 66.6% in 2025, Eswatini shows Africa that progress is possible,” Baine said. “ERS is leading with trust-based leadership, and the results speak for themselves.”
She commended ERS’s strategy of aligning policy, education, and digital tools, which has helped increase the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio to 16.78%, up from 14% in 2022. She emphasized the importance of initiatives like the Presumptive Tax system and school-based tax education in creating a lasting compliance culture.
Other sectoral winners included MTN Eswatini, First National Bank Eswatini, Inyatsi Construction, and Crookes Plantation Limited, all recognized for their compliance and sector contributions.
Municipal partners such as the Municipal Councils of Mbabane and Manzini, Matsapha Town Council, and Ezulwini Municipality were also acknowledged for supporting outreach efforts like the Bafundzise campaign.