Learn about barriers to market entry and local requirements, i.e., things to be aware of when entering the market for this country.
Last Published: 8/5/2019

Eswatini is a small market that is heavily dependent on international trade. It suffers from its financial dependency on Southern African Customs Union (SACU) receipts, recently out-of-control government spending, a bloated civil service wage bill, the world’s highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, economic inequality (Gini coefficient 0.51), and high unemployment. 

The World Bank 2019 Doing Business Report indicates that Eswatini is performing poorly in the indicators of: starting a business, enforcing contracts, and getting electricity. The World Economic Forum identifies inefficient government bureaucracy, corruption, and access to finance as the 3 most problematic areas of doing business in Eswatini.

As in much of southern Africa, the demand for electricity outstrips domestic supply.  To date, Eswatini has escaped large-scale power outages or load shedding, but it remains heavily reliant on buying electricity from South Africa.

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.