DURBAN TOURISM PLANTS ITS FLAG IN ESWATINI

Durban Tourism has concluded what its leadership described as a productive and objective-driven visit to Eswatini, with the delegation led by Acting City Manager Sipho Cele. Centred on formalising tourism ties with three of the Kingdom’s key urban centres, the visit coincided with the 2026 MTN Bushfire Festival held at Malandela’s Farm in Malkerns, bringing senior Durban Tourism representatives into direct engagement with the political and administrative leadership of Mbabane, Ezulwini, and Manzini.

Courtesy calls were extended to the mayors and municipal managers of all three towns, with discussions focused on establishing structured, formal partnership agreements.

“We met our objectives. Firstly, we want to have more firm partnerships with the cities of Mbabane, Ezulwini, and Manzini. We met the political leadership, the mayors of the three towns as well as the municipal managers, and we agreed that hopefully in July, when they come to eThekwini, we will have the agreements ready to sign”, Cele shared.

The expectation is that the agreements will be ready for signing when Eswatini representatives travel to Durban for the Durban July, or shortly thereafter. The rationale behind the partnership’s rests on the cultural and social continuum shared between eThekwini and Eswatini, with both parties noting that tourists stand to benefit from the complementary uniqueness of each destination.

Cele shared that the 4 cities share a continuum, culturally and socially, which will then enable the tourist to experience the full spectrum of what we have to offer. Each area within the region has its uniqueness, and the tourist will be able to feel that distinctiveness, whether within the Manzini context, the Ezulwini context, or the Mbabane context.

Cele further underscored the economic dimension of the relationship, noting that the two economies are deeply interrelated and that growth in one territory will inevitably generate a positive windfall for the other.

MTN Bushfire as a Business Platform

Beyond the formal courtesy calls, the MTN Bushfire Festival served as an informal yet highly productive networking arena for the Durban Tourism delegation. Over the three festival days, the team held engagements with a range of prominent regional and international stakeholders, encounters which Cele described as laying a meaningful foundation for future tourism endeavours.

Among the key meetings was one with MTN Eswatini, the festival’s main sponsor.

“We managed to meet the main sponsor, MTN Eswatini, and the discussions were warm and cordial. They laid a basis for future collaboration, and we will be assisted in creating similar experiences and signature events back in eThekwini, Durban”, Cele said.

Durban Tourism also engaged with Eswatini Beverages, identifying strong operational synergies. Given the sister-company relationship between Eswatini Beverages and South African Breweries, it was noted that this existing corporate link could be leveraged to smooth the path toward broader brand and commercial collaboration.

Connecting With the Hospitality Ground Floor

The delegation also made time to engage with accommodation and product operators, including bed and breakfast establishments and other small tourism service providers. The conversations were described as insightful, offering a ground-level view of the initiatives being driven independently across Eswatini’s hospitality sector.

“After all, they are the ones that provide the hospitality, not us. All we do is facilitate the contact between the tourist and the providers of the hospitality products. And we believe there is quite a lot of opportunity that lies ahead”, the Acting City Manager shared.

Looking Ahead to Durban July

The visit concluded with a warm endorsement of Eswatini’s hosting of the MTN Bushfire Festival and a firm invitation extended to all who attended to make their way to Durban for the Durban July on 5 July 2026.

“Well done Eswatini, well done MTN Bushfire. We look forward to seeing you next year again as we build on what we have established this year. But also, we look forward to seeing most of the people who were here at Durban July next month, and they must come and enjoy eThekwini” Cele said.

With partnership agreements on the horizon, senior-level political endorsement secured, and productive private sector engagements complete, the Durban Tourism delegation departed Eswatini confident that the relationship being built will elevate the tourism sectors of both destinations in the months and years ahead.