Second-year students at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology have been given an opportunity to showcase their creative talents while building valuable connections with industry professionals through a multimedia exhibition held at the university’s Mbabane campus.
The exhibition featured fourth-semester projects developed by students in the Creative Multimedia programme, providing a platform for them to demonstrate industry-ready skills and engage directly with media practitioners, creative agencies and alumni. The initiative forms part of the university’s efforts to prepare students for employment by exposing them to real-world creative challenges before graduation.
Throughout their studies, students undertake practical projects in disciplines including photography, web design, animation, branding and multimedia production, equipping them with the technical and creative skills needed in the modern digital economy.
For this semester’s assessment, five students were tasked with developing complete advertising and branding campaigns for products of their choice. Their work combined photography, website design, documentary filmmaking and branding concepts to create professional marketing campaigns.
The featured brands included Shelela Gin, Mbabane Motors, Explorer Gin, Umcenge Lubisi Milk and Nik Naks. Other students also exhibited independent multimedia projects through interactive booths, allowing invited guests to engage with them, discuss their creative processes and explore potential internship and employment opportunities.
The event also brought together industry leaders and university alumni who have established careers in Eswatini’s growing creative sector. They encouraged students to remain committed to their ambitions, highlighting the importance of gaining practical experience and building professional networks while still studying.
Among the speakers was Cassandra Shaw from the Central Bank of Eswatini, who encouraged students to create content that resonates with local audiences. She noted that many companies are now localising their marketing strategies to better connect with consumers and urged aspiring creatives to understand the local market before looking beyond Eswatini’s borders. Shaw also cautioned students against depending on artificial intelligence for all their creative work, saying AI should be used as a tool to enhance ideas rather than replace originality, storytelling and critical thinking.
Guest speaker Mangaliso Dlamini, Creative Director at Sibuku Acres, echoed the importance of local content, saying Eswatini possesses immense creative potential that can be harnessed to produce media that reflects the country’s own stories and experiences. He said the country’s creatives have an opportunity to establish themselves by creating content for local audiences before expanding to regional and international markets.
He noted that the country’s creative industry is well positioned to create content that reflects local stories and experiences while contributing to economic growth.
The university said strengthening partnerships with industry remains a priority as it seeks to bridge the gap between higher education and employment. By fostering relationships with companies and creative professionals, Limkokwing hopes to increase internship opportunities for final-year students and improve graduate employability within Eswatini’s multimedia industry.
