This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 8/5/2019

Eswatini was one of the last countries in the world to abolish an almost complete monopoly in all sectors of its telecommunications market. Until 2011 the state-owned posts and telecommunications operator SPTC also acted as the industry regulator and had a stake in the country’s sole mobile network South African MTN. A new independent regulatory authority was established in late 2013 and has since embarked on radical changes to the telecom sector. MTN Eswatini in early 2016 was also awarded spectrum in the 1800MHz band to provide LTE services. In 2017 Eswatini Mobile received a second mobile license and launched operations in July 2018. The arrival of Eswatini Mobile already has had the effect of dramatically lowering prices and improving mobile and data offerings in the country.

Mobile market penetration in Eswatini is well above the average for the region, though subscriber growth has slowed in recent years. Real competition should provide a welcome boost to take the market to the next level.

The internet sector has been open to competition with four licensed Internet Service Providers (ISPs), but prices have remained high and market penetration relatively low. Although DSL services were introduced in 2008, complemented by 3G mobile broadband services in 2011, development of the sector has been hampered by the limited fixed-line infrastructure and a lack of competition in the access and backbone network.

Penetration of telecoms services:

Penetration

Fixed-line telephony

3.2%

Internet users

27.8%

Mobile SIM (population)

75.2%

Leading Sub-Sectors

  • Mobile phone provider

  • Next Generation Network Solutions

  • Fiber-optic cables

  • Main distribution frames

  • Spare parts for the equipment e.g. interface protocols

  • Wireless broadband services

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