Eswatini seeks sustainable financing for urban development
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Times of Eswatini
Eswatini’s 2026 Urban Forum will bring together public authorities, lenders and planning stakeholders to consider financing infrastructure, housing and municipal services. The discussions are expected to promote sustainable urban solutions and improve service delivery, according to Housing Minister Apollo Maphalala.
Eswatini’s 2026 Urban Forum aims to examine ways of financing urban development, including resilient infrastructure, housing and municipal services. The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Apollo Maphalala, said discussions would include diversifying local authorities’ revenues and reducing their dependence on property taxes, the Times of Eswatini reports.
Maphalala cited the issuing of municipal bonds as an option for financing local urban authorities’ projects, along the lines of government bond issues. The forum will bring together financiers, development partners, government representatives and urban planning professionals. Launched in 2024 during the Urban October celebrations, the initiative aims this year to move from identifying challenges to examining concrete solutions.
Eswatini’s cities must respond to population growth by improving roads, access to water and sanitation, housing and municipal services, while their revenues remain limited. The forum will also address ways of attracting private investment in urban development.
The debate comes as the government asks local authorities to anticipate their long-term needs, with municipal councils called on to prepare for 2050. Eswatini has also announced plans for a 354-hectare industrial park in Lavumisa, another land-use development project.
