Eswatini’s fully cashless lifestyle festival is set to return in 2026, with organisers confirming that preparations for the next edition are already underway.
The announcement follows the success of the 2025 event held at Malkerns Country Club, where thousands of patrons attended a family-friendly festival powered entirely by MoMo digital payments. The festival, driven by MTN Fintech in partnership with Melting C Events, has evolved into a flagship platform that integrates entertainment, enterprise and financial technology innovation.
Organisers indicate that the 2026 edition will build on insights gathered over the past two years, with the official date and venue to be announced at a forthcoming launch event.
At the core of the festival’s identity is its fully cashless operating model. During the 2025 edition, all transactions, including ticket purchases, food and beverage sales, merchandise, and vendor services, were processed exclusively through MoMo.
The system incorporated digital ticketing, on-site cashless transactions and a piloted wrist tag payment solution aimed at improving transaction speed and convenience.
MTN Fintech Marketing Manager Afi Dlamini said the MoMo Xperience demonstrates the viability of mobile money platforms in large-scale public environments while contributing to the broader objective of digital financial inclusion.
“Beyond entertainment, the festival demonstrates how vendors and small businesses can transact securely and efficiently using MoMo,” she said.
The event continues to position itself as more than a music festival. The 2025 programme featured a blend of emerging and established artists from Eswatini and South Africa, including Velemseni, Uncle Karly, Rekorder, Zwile, Ayacity, Mthunzi and Nontokozo Mkhize.
The curated line-up provided rising local talent with access to a professional stage while attracting regional audiences. Beyond the performance stages, the festival’s curated marketplace brought together food vendors, fashion brands, crafters and service providers, all operating within the cashless ecosystem. Organisers emphasise that vendor participation remains central to the festival’s structure.
“Small businesses must see tangible value in participating. Access to thousands of potential customers in a single day provides meaningful exposure and commercial opportunity,” Dlamini added.
The economic significance of events such as MoMo Xperience has also been recognised by the Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture.
Its Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Dlamini, has previously highlighted the employment opportunities generated across the creative and events value chain, from performers and technical crews to security personnel and event support staff.
Organisers further state that the collaboration between MTN Fintech and Melting C Events extends beyond hosting an annual festival. It seeks to model how digital payment systems can be seamlessly integrated into everyday life.
“Mobile Money is not merely a payment method; it represents a lifestyle solution. From utility payments to groceries and daily essentials, MoMo demonstrates how technology can integrate with culture and commerce in practical ways for everyday users,” Dlamini said.
MoMo Xperience was initially conceptualised as a platform to embed digital payments within a live entertainment environment.
By 2025, organisers had refined operational systems to deliver seamless digital ticketing and vendor transactions, offering families a secure and structured entertainment experience while providing entrepreneurs with concentrated market access.
The upcoming official launch is expected to confirm the 2026 event date, venue, preliminary artist line-up, as well as guidelines for vendors and partners. With two successful editions completed, MoMo Xperience is steadily establishing itself as a recurring fixture on Eswatini’s national events calendar.
Organisers maintain that the 2026 edition will continue to combine entertainment with structured economic participation and technological advancement, strengthening the foundation already laid while broadening opportunities for artists, entrepreneurs and digital consumers alike.
