“Eswatini’s own Grammy Award-winning MANANA and musical icon SANDS will headline the Made in Eswatini Consumer Fair on April 25, in Mbabane, the fair will be celebrating over 140 Swazi brands”
By Lindani Maseko
Grammy Award-winning, song writer, Eswatini-born global sensation MANANA will make a triumphant return home to headline the Made in Eswatini Consumer Fair on Friday, 25th April 2025, alongside Swati music icon SANDS, in what promises to be a powerful celebration of Swazi pride, creativity, and commerce.
The fair, an initiative by the lifestyle brand A Peculiar People, arrives at a moment of increasing focus on domestic industry.
Princess Sakhizwe announced the venue for the upcoming consumer fair is the,. as Dr Sishayi Road in Mbabane City, while also revealing that over 140 proudly Swazi brands will be participating.
MANANA, whose Grammy win for his songwriting on Burna Boy’s “Time Flies” brought Eswatini onto the global music stage, will make a highly anticipated return home. Sharing the spotlight is SANDS, a national favorite whose infectious hit “Tigi” transcended linguistic barriers and cemented his status as a musical ambassador for the kingdom.
Further, these brands, spanning sectors from fashion and artisanal food to the kingdom’s distinctive musical landscape, will offer a tangible representation of Eswatini’s evolving economic identity.
The initiative has received national support, with the Honorable Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Manqoba Khumalo, highlighting its importance as a catalyst for citizen-led economic development.
The launch of the fair was a collaborative effort involving Mbabane’s civic leadership, including Mayor Thulani Mkhonto and Municipal Chief Executive Officer Gciniwe Fakudze, alongside Melusi Zox Dlamini, Chairman of a Peculiar People, who envisions the capital as a hub for local innovation.
The vendor registration process was initiated by MP Welcome Dlamini, with the involvement of the Eswatini Consumer Association, indicating a broad coalition supporting the event.
More than a simple trade fair, the “Made in Eswatini” event is being framed as a cultural movement, driven by a new generation of entrepreneurs and creatives who are actively shaping the nation’s economic future from the ground up. As anticipation builds for the April event, it stands as a significant moment for Eswatini to showcase its local talent and the burgeoning strength of its domestic market.
For inquiries, citizens can contact: Made In Eswatini Consumer Fair Event Coordinator – Yolanda Stewart 78718970
