Mpolonjeni – The Minister of Commerce, Industry amd Trade has pledged to establish an industrial area and provide sewing machines for women entrepreneurs under Motshane Inkhundla in a move aimed at expanding small-scale manufacturing and creating sustainable business opportunities.
This emerged during the launch and handover of the Ingelo Certification Scheme production cottage on Thursday, where the hon. minister was handing over the cottage to Patience Delight a company owned by Lungelo Dlamini. Khumalo said government was determined to strengthen entrepreneurship beyond the current beneficiaries of the programme.
He said the proposed industrial area would provide a dedicated space for enterprise development, while the sewing machines would enable women to venture into textile and garment production, one of the sectors identified as having the potential to create jobs and generate income at community level.
The pledge comes as government intensifies efforts to grow Eswatini’s manufacturing base through Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which are increasingly being positioned as drivers of industrialisation and inclusive economic growth.
The minister said the Ingelo Certification Scheme complements that vision by helping local businesses meet quality and food safety standards required to access formal markets.
He noted that many entrepreneurs have viable products but struggle to penetrate supermarket shelves because they lack compliant production facilities and recognized certification.
To address this challenge, government has constructed production cottages that provide MSMEs with dedicated manufacturing space where they can improve hygiene standards, product consistency, traceability, packaging and quality management systems.
Unlike conventional factory shells, the facilities will operate on a rotational basis, allowing different businesses to occupy them for a specified period before creating opportunities for other qualifying entrepreneurs.
Khumalo said certification is not merely about obtaining a quality mark but about building businesses that can consistently produce goods that meet consumer and retailer expectations.
He called on beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity by maintaining high production standards, adding that the long-term success of the programme would depend on the quality of products leaving the facilities. The minister also appealed to retailers
