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JOINT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
Eswatini is a landlocked country bordering Mozambique to the northeast and South Africa to the east, west and south. It extends about 110 miles (175 kilometres) from north to south and about 80 miles (130km) from west to east. The country is home to major perennial rivers with their sources in South Africa. They flow through Eswatini to the Indian Ocean. Rainfall can be unreliable, and periods of drought occur in some of the regions. About 80 per cent of the precipitation falls during the summer months from October to March, usually in the form of thunderstorms and frontal rains, often bringing floods.
Eswatini has a young population of nearly 1.2 million people, with a median age of 20.5 years. People aged 14 or younger comprise 34 per cent of the total population. Literacy rates are high at 88 per cent, and there is access to education across the country. According to the constitution of Eswatini, the King is a symbol of unity and the eternity of the Swazi nation. For the purposes of local administration, Eswatini is divided into four regions: Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini and Shiselwen. Each has an administrator appointed by the King. Parallel to the government structure is the traditional system of the King and his advisors, traditional courts, and 59 traditional Tinkhundla chiefdoms.
The staple crop in Eswatini is maize. Other crops such as sorghum (mainly used for brewing beer), pumpkins, beans, peas and other vegetables are also grown. Crop yields are generally low, but the more progressive farmers produce quantities that match those in the large-scale commercial sector. The livestock population in Eswatini is relatively high because cattle are traditionally used as a store of wealth.
Eswatini’s economy is very closely linked to the economy of South Africa. It receives more than 90 per cent of its imports from and sends about 70 per cent of its exports to South Africa. Sugar and soft drink concentrate are the largest foreign exchange earners. Beyond domestically generated income, Eswatini’s economy benefits from worker remittances from South Africa. However, poverty remains a challenge due to stunted economic growth (which is expected to be 0.9 by 2026), adverse weather patterns, a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and high unemployment rate (25.8 per cent in 2021, up from 25.5 per cent in 2020). Poverty levels have remained high over the last five years.
Chronic malnutrition (stunting) is a primary concern, afflicting 24.4 per cent of children aged 0 to 59 months. There is currently no comprehensive social protection policy to address the needs of the extremely poor and chronically vulnerable, potentially condemning future generations to vicious cycles of malnutrition.