Swaziland

History

During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, an African people of Nguni descent migrated southward from Central Africa and eventually, during the mid-eighteenth century, a group of them settled in the area which is now Swaziland. These people, the Nkosi Dlamini, became known as the Swazis, and today both names live on. Nkosi means ‘king’ and Dlamini is the surname of the royal family. The country derives its actual name from a later king, Mswati I but another name, Ngwane, is an alternative word for Swaziland.

Swaziland facts & figures

Time Zone
GMT +2

Population
The official figure is approx. 1.1 million. Approximately 53, 54 people per square kilometre.

Geography and Climate
Situated in Southern Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland is landlocked in the east by Mozambique and on the other borders by South Africa. It has a subtropical climate with summer temperature of 15 degrees to 25 degrees Centigrade and 15 degrees to 19 degrees in winter. The rainfall at higher altitudes varies from 1000 to 1600mm while in the lower areas it is between 500 and 600mm. The country’s highest point is Emlembe at 1862m and the lowest at the Usuthu River at 21m. The country has a wide range of habitats and great variations in flora and fauna.

Communications
International telephone calls are easy to make, and there is a mobile phone communications infrastructure. The international code for the Kingdom of Swaziland is +268. There are e-mail centres and Internet Cafes in Mbabane and Manzini.

Major cities
Mbabane is the administrative capital, with a population of 60 000. Manzini is the hub, situated next to Matsapha Industrial Estate. The population of Manzini is about 80 000. Lobamba is the legislative capital.

Language
Siswati and English are the official languages although English is used extensively in government and business. Siswati is used every day by the majority of the population.

Culture
You are likely to see many Swazis dressed in colourful costumes featuring toga-like garments – the emahiya. The women sport the traditional ‘beehive’ hairstyles.

Religion
The majority (80 percent) of the people are Christian and the rest (20 percent) have indigenous beliefs.

Electricity and water
Tap water is safe to drink throughout the country . All water gathered from streams and rivers should be boiled before consumption. For electrical supply, the Kingdom of Swaziland uses 220V AC, 50Hz and three-pin plugs are used with round terminals.

Safety
The Kingdom of Swaziland is one of the safest tourist destinations in the Southern African region, though the possibility of petty crime cannot be ignored.

General business hours
From 08H00 to 17H00 each Monday to Friday and on Saturdays from 08H30 to 13H00. Some establishments are open on Sundays as well. There are four commercial banks operating in the country: First National Bank, Nedbank , SwaziBank and Standard bank Swaziland. In addition to the commercial banks there is one development bank, Swaziland Development and Savings Bank. The Central Bank of the Kingdom of Swaziland establishes and implements monetary policy in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Banking hours are normally from 08H30 to 15H30, Monday to Friday and 08H30 to 11H00 on Saturdays.

Economy
Sugar, soft drink concentrates, citrus products and wood pulp are the major exports, mainly to South Africa from which the Kingdom of Swaziland receives almost (90 percent) of its imports. Tourism is one of the Kingdom of Swaziland’s biggest industries.

Government
King Mswati III is the sovereign head of the Kingdom of Swaziland. The affairs of the country are administered by the Prime Minister and Cabinet through a Parliament of elected members.

Operating Border Hours
(Subject to change without notice)
Matsamo Border Gate/Jeppes Reef – 07h00-20h00
Mananga Border Gate – 08h00-18h00
Lomahasha Border Gate/Namaacha – 07h00-20h00
Mhlumeni Border Gate – 07h00-20h00
Lavumisa Border Gate/Golela – 07h00-22h00
Mahamba Border Gate – 07h00-22h00
Gege Border Gate – 08h00-16h00
Salitje Border Gate/Onverwacht – 08h00-18h00
Sicunusa Border Gate – 08h00-18h00
Sandlane Border Gate/Nerston – 08h00-18h00
Lundzi/Warvely Border Gate – 08h00-16h00
Ngwenya Border Gate/Oshoek- 07h00-22h00
Bulembu/josefdal 08h00-16h00