Eswatini Gets Serious About Improving Road Network

Eswatini will spend one out of every twenty rands from its 2025-26 government budget on road infrastructure.

To pay for construction of new roads and the maintenance of existing roads, a Road Agency Fund will begin with operations this month.

The agency which was enabled by 2023 legislation, The Roads Authority Act, and operates under the Ministry of Finance is being financed by an additional 40 cents added to governments tax on petrol and diesel products, which also goes into effect this month.

The Government will continue to work towards the upgrading of several roads through various initiatives including the Road Agency, Eswatini finance minister Neal Rijkenberg told parliament in his recent budget speech.

Current major projects improving Eswatinis road infrastructure were highlighted by the minister, such as the upgrading that has brought significant changes in the Siphocosini-Motshane road D78, and the Siteki-Tikhuba road D12.

The Motshane road connects the countrys northwestern Hhohho Region with the Oshoek Border Post, Eswatinis largest border crossing, which is used by most traffic to and from South Africa.

The Siteki road connects with the northeast Lubombo Regions border posts at Mozambique, from where travel to Maputo is two hours.

One perennial Eswatini road maintenance challenge is keeping the road lights on. Long sections of highways are dark at any given time, for reasons ranging from unpaid power bills to theft of copper cable.

Maintaining highway lighting is the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Local road freight firms contacted by Freight News complain that the highway lighting system remains erratic.

We have provided R636.12 million for the construction of new roads, said Rijkenberg, who reiterated governments infrastructure goal of complete road connectivity to all rural areas.

We have provided R200 million for the surfacing of rural roads. We have provided R30 million for MicroProjects to continue concreting roads in the 35 rural areas. A total amount of R1.21 billion has been provided in this budget for the roads programme, he announced.

In terms of air freight infrastructure, the finance minister lauded the launch of the revived Royal Swazi National Airways, the countrys only commercial airline.

It has the potential to grow into a regional carrier, he said, noting new routes to Cape Town, Durban and Harare that augment the airlines principal route to and from Johannesburg from King Mswati III International Airport.

The recognition by the African Airlines Association is a reflection that the airline has made a mark in the aviation landscape in the sub-region. In 2024, Eswatini signed four Bilateral Air Services Agreements to establish working relationships with other countries. This provides the national airline with the opportunity to start cooperating with airlines from these countries and possibly start new routes, the finance minister reported.