The second annual Made in Eswatini Awards have officially launched and are set to take place on Friday, 25 July 2025, at Brackenhill Lodge in Mbabane. This prestigious event will once again roll out the red carpet to celebrate outstanding local brands, as chosen by the public.
In just three weeks, the awards received over 670 nominations from consumers, with more than 130 unique and verifiable Eswatini-made products in the spotlight.
Chairman of A Peculiar People, Melusi Zox Dlamini, announced that the second annual Made in Eswatini Awards will take place on Friday, 25 July 2025 at Brackenhill Lodge in Mbabane. “We want the space to feel like a tribute to the land itself,” said Dlamini. “You’ll feel Eswatini in every detail during the ceremony due to the location,” he added.
This year’s awards will follow a two-tiered selection process: eight categories will be determined by public vote, while eight additional categories will undergo technical jury evaluation. Public voting opens on 24 June via the MTN powered vote.madeineswatini.africa.com at a cost of E0.50 per vote charged via MTN MoMo. Voting will close on 22 July. Tickets are E250, and Dlamini encourages early purchases due to limited space.
Under the Public Voting Categories, consumers will vote for their favourite brands across eight segments:
- Favourite Experience
- Favourite Apparel
- Favourite Drink
- Favourite Taste
- Favourite Home Product
- Favourite Health & Wellness Product
- Favourite Beauty Product
- Made in Eswatini Product of the Year (top honour by public vote)
Speaking at the launch held at Business Eswatini premises in Mbabane, Patron of the Made in Eswatini awards HRH Princess Sakhizwe also called on the private sector to play a more active role in the promotion of local brands. “Sponsor, mentor, and open doors of opportunity for these emerging champions of industry,” she said.
A strong theme of national identity and celebration of local fashion ran through her speech, with the Princess encouraging attendees to follow the ‘Style Manifesto’ for the July 25 awards ceremony, which calls for guests to dress in rich, earthy tones browns, greens, and tans in support of local designers. “Let us layer up in proudly local fashion that celebrates home-grown creativity, slow fashion, and storytelling through style,” she said. “Let us create a culture that doesn’t just consume local but celebrates it,” the Princess said, inviting all Liswati to “choose Eswatini, proudly and boldly.”
Meanwhile, the Jury Categories will focus on technical excellence and strategic impact of the local products and will be judged under categories that celebrate specific qualities driving long-term growth, impact, and global competitiveness:
- Best Youth-Led Brand – Honouring young entrepreneurs shaping the future of local enterprise
- Best Women-Led Brand – Celebrating powerful female-led brands
- Best in Environmental Sustainability – Recognising brands that put the planet—Mother Earth—first
- Best in Social Impact – Highlighting businesses that transform lives and uplift communities
- Best in Product Design & Packaging – Where innovation meets aesthetics and functionality
- Best in Tech & Innovation – Celebrating ground-breaking ideas turned into real-world solutions
- Best in Manufacturing – Recognising excellence in processes, product quality, and craftsmanship
- Best Emerging Brand – Spotlighting rising stars with promise, potential, and resilience
Beyond the awards, guests can expect a vibrant entertainment line-up featuring well-known local acts including comedian Mdura, performances from Cybos, Miss T, and Mixmash, and MC duties handled by Phila Ph.D Dlamini, whose charisma Dlamini says is “guaranteed to elevate the entire experience.”
According to ‘Zox’, the awards are about more than recognising top performers, they are about redefining what success means in Eswatini.
