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Swaziland
In this small landlocked nation, some 80 percent of the people still depend on subsistence farming. Very high HIV/AIDS infection rates and declining remittances from workers in South Africa add to its challenges, and to its 40 percent unemployment rate. The small formal economy is dominated by large foreign firms. In 2006 TechnoServe began working to increase opportunities for indigenous entrepreneurs and expand employment and income opportunities through our Swaziland Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Program (SWEEP), which aims to revitalize the Swazi economy by fostering the growth of Swazi-owned small and medium enterprises.
TechnoServe/Swaziland
P.O. Box 663
Ezulwini, Swaziland H106
Tel: 268-404-1941/2/3
Fax: 268-404-1947
leslie@technoserve.org.sz
Country Director: Leslie Johnston
Established: 2006
Practices: Developing Entrepreneurs, Building Business and Industries
Sectors: Agriculture & Agribusiness (horticulture, livestock & feed)
TechnoServe in Action —Swaziland
Sowing the Seeds of Prosperity in Swaziland
Themba Dlamini's vision is to develop a thriving produce business that can lift his community out of poverty. TechnoServe is helping him to achieve this goal.
Developing Entrepreneurs
Business Plan Competitions
TechnoServe is helping aspiring young entrepreneurs to turn their business ideas into reality through Believe Begin Become, a national business plan competition. Through a proven combination of training, mentoring and networking activities (as well as seed capital for the winners), participants are assisted to create thriving small and medium companies that generate jobs and incomes across many sectors of the economy.
Key supporters: U.S. Agency for International Development and various private, academic and governmental organizations
Entrepreneurship Training
TechnoServe has developed an innovative after-school program, School-Age Youth Entrepreneurship (SAYE), to inspire young people and teach them about the world of business. Based on the JA Worldwide® curriculum, it also provides a toolkit for making life decisions. Over a five-year period, SAYE expects to work with more than 7,000 young Swazis. Core to this program is building the capacity of local partner organizations to sustain and further expand this work.
Key supporters: U.S. Agency for International Development and local corporations
Building Businesses and Industries
Agriculture & Agribusiness › Horticulture
Swaziland's varied microclimates give it an advantage in producing certain high-value horticultural products such as baby vegetables. TechnoServe is helping local farmers develop marketing organizations to provide the services they need to be able to sell into export markets. Other activities include boosting production of bananas and pineapples being sold to Swaziland's larger commercial markets and introducing production of other high-value export crops such as blueberries and chili peppers.
Key supporter: U.S. Agency for International Development
Agriculture & Agribusiness › Livestock & Feed
The livestock industry in Swaziland has great potential. Local livestock feed companies, a critical industry building block, now import most of their basic feed ingredients. Based on our trials that proved that soy could be produced profitably within Swaziland, TechnoServe is helping farmer groups diversify into soy and other feeds. We are also helping build public and private sector alliances to promote and support pork production and spur the commercial development of other livestock subsectors, such as goats.
Key supporter: U.S. Agency for International Development
Agriculture & Agribusiness › Other
To tap into the growing global market for organic cotton, TechnoServe is partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Swazi Cotton Board and TexRay to develop this industry in Swaziland, starting with a demonstration organic cotton farm plot. TechnoServe is also growing the country's honey industry by linking producers with markets.