Young creatives across Eswatini are being invited to apply for a new programme aimed at helping them turn their skills into sustainable creative businesses.
The Eswatini Youth Empowerment Programme (EYEP) has opened applications for its Creative Economy Accelerator & Employment-In-The-Arts Creation Programme, a hands-on initiative designed for young people who are actively creating but are not yet earning consistently from their work.
The programme is open to Eswatini citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 who are out of school, unemployed or underemployed and already working in a creative discipline.
The areas covered include MCing and live entertainment, music and performance, comedy and spoken word, photography and videography, content creation and social media, podcasting and audio production, as well as fine art.
Applicants do not need to have formal qualifications, a registered business, professional equipment, previous bookings or a large social media following to qualify.
Instead, the programme is focused on young creatives who are already creating and are available to participate in all contact days and the Showcase.
According to the programme information, nine practical modules will be delivered by working practitioners in both siSwati and English. Participants will also receive support aimed at helping them develop the business side of their creative work.
The programme will provide participants with a media kit, content library, photo portfolio, podcast pilot, rate card and business model. They will also receive one-on-one mentorship, followed by 12 months of support after completing the programme.
Participants will have an opportunity to attend masterclasses with industry leaders and eventually perform and pitch their work to more than 20 buyers at the Creative Economy Showcase & Talent Marketplace scheduled for January 28, 2027.
The programme also includes a profile on the Creative Digital Hub, where paid opportunities will be shared.
Other areas of support include business registration, intellectual property and copyright guidance, as well as access to studios at the Piggs Peak and Macetjeni Hubs and the UNESWA Creative Studio.
EYEP is also encouraging young women, rural youth and young people with disabilities to apply. For creatives who have built their skills outside formal training, the programme offers an opportunity to develop the business structures around their work while gaining practical exposure to the creative industry.
Applications opened on October 6 and will close on October 30, 2026. Interested applicants can apply through the EYEP website at eyep.gogoandslwane.com. The application process uses a low-data form, with applicants required to share a link to their work rather than upload large files.
Enquiries can also be made via WhatsApp on +268 7826 8989. The programme is being implemented under the Eswatini Youth Empowerment Programme, with the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development and the United Nations Development Programme among the institutions featured on the call for applications.
For young people already making music, producing content, performing, creating visual work or working behind the camera, the application provides an opportunity to develop those skills into a more structured creative livelihood.
