SIPHOFANENI ROADSHOW BRINGS ENPF SERVICES CLOSER TO WORKERS

By: Nonophile Khumalo

SIPHOFANENI — The Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF), popularly known as Lidlelantfongeni, took its Catsatsa Sikuwe! Member Engagement Roadshow to Siphofaneni on August 21, 2026, bringing the Fund’s leadership closer to workers and employers in the area.

The roadshow brought ENPF Chief Executive Officer Futhi Tembe and members of her management team together with workers and management representatives from Tambuti Estates, Phuzumoya Limited, ESWADE and Lomdash Limited.

The engagement provided members with an opportunity to interact directly with the Fund’s leadership, ask questions, raise concerns and gain a better understanding of their membership, contributions and benefits.

While addressing workers, Tembe emphasised the importance of responsible management of members’ savings, noting that the Fund carries a significant responsibility because members entrust it with money accumulated throughout their working lives.

She said ENPF remains committed to managing members’ contributions responsibly, making sound investments and creating sustainable value for members over the long term.

A key issue discussed during the engagement was the performance of members’ savings. For the financial year ending June 2025, ENPF declared 10 per cent members’ interest, compared with 8.65 per cent in 2024 and 6.5 per cent in 2023.

The Fund also encouraged members to consider increasing their retirement savings through Ingungu, its voluntary supplementary contribution initiative.

Through Ingungu, employees can request an additional amount to be deducted from their salaries and paid to ENPF, allowing them to supplement their compulsory contributions and potentially improve their eventual retirement benefit.

The statutory contribution is currently capped at E430 per month, with E215 contributed by the employee and E215 by the employer, based on the 2026 statutory wage ceiling of E4,300.

Another important issue raised during the roadshow was Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance.

At Tambuti Estates, 854 of the company’s 1,001 employees had completed the KYC process, while 147 remained outstanding.

Members were encouraged to ensure that their personal, contact, identification and banking information is accurate and up to date. The Fund highlighted that having correct information can help minimise delays when members need to access their benefits.

The roadshow also provided an opportunity for ENPF to remind members that its benefits extend beyond retirement savings.

Through its Siphephelo Free Funeral Cover, qualifying active members may receive E7,500 in the event of natural death and E15,000 in the event of accidental death, subject to the Fund’s requirements.

Management representatives from the four organisations welcomed the roadshow, describing the direct engagement with ENPF leadership as an important opportunity for workers to better understand the Fund and raise issues affecting them.

Workers similarly welcomed the opportunity to engage with Tembe and her management team, saying the sessions provided clarity on how their contributions are managed and the importance of maintaining accurate membership information.

The engagements also encouraged workers to take a more active interest in their retirement planning, including considering additional voluntary contributions where financially possible.

For ENPF, the Siphofaneni visit forms part of its broader effort to strengthen communication with members and ensure that workers have access to relevant information about their retirement savings and benefits.

The Catsatsa Sikuwe! roadshow therefore served as a platform for direct dialogue between ENPF leadership, employers and workers, reinforcing the importance of informed membership, responsible saving and effective management of workers’ contributions.

As the roadshow continues, ENPF is taking its message directly to members across the country, strengthening engagement and ensuring that workers remain informed about the benefits and responsibilities that come with membership of Lidlelantfongeni.