Eswatini: King Mswati III makes the youth fund a national priority for a future without unemployment
On the 40th anniversary of his reign, King Mswati III set a historic course for Eswatini: to make youth unemployment a thing of the past in the next forty years. In his speech from the Throne, the Sovereign stressed that the kingdom’s most pressing challenge remains the professional integration of young people, while 56% of them are unemployed, according to the State of Youth Report 2026, with even higher rates among young women (60.1%) and rural youth.
Established in 2009 at the instigation of the Sovereign, the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund (YERF) is at the heart of the royal strategy to provide sustainable livelihoods for young people. The King shared personal testimonies of young EmaSwati whose lives have been transformed thanks to the fund, stressing that the institution is a central tool in the national strategy to strengthen the country’s economic resilience.
The YERF has already made it possible to finance about 1,200 young entrepreneurs, generating nearly 10,000 jobs for an amount of 33 million Emalangeni in loans granted. The institution, which supports young people aged 18 to 35, has approved more than Emalangeni 25.5 million for 540 youth-led businesses in sectors as diverse as agriculture, manufacturing, ICT and services. For 2026, the fund has allocated an additional Emalangeni 25 million, with a digitalized application system that has significantly improved accessibility.
The King called for strengthening the YERF, stressing the need to review and update policies to respond to evolving challenges. Among the 35 royal directives for 2026 is explicitly the revision and strengthening of the fund to ensure sustainable livelihoods for young people. Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini also called on young people to become job creators, stressing that the government is working to turn job seekers into entrepreneurs.
The success of YERF is also measured by the financial discipline of the beneficiaries: 60 young entrepreneurs were recognized for collectively repaying 2.4 million Emalangeni, proving that with the right support, young people can build viable businesses and honor their commitments. The King has thus set a clear course: to make the YERF an instrument of economic transformation, where the youth become the engine of national prosperity.
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