The Eswatini Standards Authority (ESWASA) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), marking a major step towards strengthening the country’s industrial competitiveness and export potential.
The agreement, signed last week by ESWASA Executive Director Ncamiso Mhlanga and SABS Acting CEO Blake Mosley-Lefatola, formalises a two-way partnership focused on knowledge sharing, technical expertise, and best practices in standards development, quality assurance, and certification.
The MoU is expected to significantly enhance product quality, streamline conformity assessment services (including testing and certification), support capacity building, and improve market access for Eswatini businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ncamiso Mhlanga described the partnership as a strategic milestone that will accelerate the development of Eswatini’s standards ecosystem.
“This is a very important MoU that will shape our future collaboration as institutions,” said Mhlanga. “It will allow us to leverage their extensive experience and ensure that we can work together effectively.”
SABS, with over 80 years of experience, is one of Africa’s most established standards bodies, while ESWASA, established in 2007, continues to build its institutional capacity. Through the agreement, ESWASA will gain from SABS’s deep expertise in standards development, quality systems, and certification processes — critical areas for boosting industrial productivity and export readiness.
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Mosley-Lefatola revealed that dedicated technical committees have already been established to drive implementation, with a six-month review timeline to monitor progress and ensure accountability. He emphasised that the partnership aims to deliver tangible benefits to the business community.
“The intention is to make sure that enterprises in Eswatini truly gain from this MoU,” he said. “We want to see real impact on industry and society.”
For local businesses, the collaboration is expected to reduce compliance costs, improve product quality, and unlock new export opportunities within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The MoU will run for an initial three-year period, after which both parties will evaluate its impact and decide on renewal. Both institutions stressed that the partnership is mutually beneficial, with SABS also anticipating valuable insights from regional collaboration.
The signing follows the recent Eswatini Standards Seminar hosted by ESWASA at Royal Villas under the theme “Unlocking Export Markets for Local Businesses through Standards and Quality Compliance.” The seminar brought together government, industry, and regional stakeholders to advance Eswatini’s vision of becoming a competitive, export-led economy.
