Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has urged young emaSwati to stop waiting for employment and start creating it, saying entrepreneurship, innovation and skills development must drive Eswatini’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the official launch of the 6th Annual Eswatini National Career Expo 2026 at Mpolonjeni Inkhundla, the Prime Minister described the Expo as a practical bridge between classrooms and the job market.
“This Expo is designed to bridge the global skills gap and match educational choices with practical industry demands,” Dlamini said. 
The Prime Minister further mentioned that they want to turn job seekers into job creators.
The Prime Minister told learners, parents and partners that Government is deliberately moving away from what he called a traditional graduate-and-wait approach.
“For too long, the traditional mind-set has been to graduate and look for employment. Government is now shifting this paradigm,” he said.
He linked the shift to new education reforms, particularly the introduction of the Competency Based Education system.
According to the PM, the system is meant to nurture children according to individual talents and capabilities, while building 21st century skills and global competitiveness.
The Prime Minister said the change is necessary because the economy is evolving fast and young people need more than certificates.
They need knowledge, practical support and the confidence to start and run businesses.
According to the Prime Minister, this year’s Expo is running under the theme ‘Creating Opportunities for Entrepreneurial Innovation and Career Growth.
’ The Prime Minister said the theme reflects Government’s commitment to tackling youth unemployment head-on.
“To our youth, you are not merely the future of Eswatini but a dynamic force capable of transforming our economy today,” the Prime Minister said.
He challenged learners to look for gaps in local markets and to use technology to build solutions that can compete beyond the country’s borders.
The Prime Minister mentioned that the country wants young people to embrace entrepreneurial innovation, to look at the gaps in the local markets, harness technology and build home-grown solutions that can compete globally.
He added that sustainable growth will not come from depending on a limited number of formal jobs. Instead, it will come from a generation that is skilled, innovative and willing to take risks.
The National Career Expo, now in its 6th year, has been decentralised to take career guidance directly to communities.
This year’s launch in Mpolonjeni drew students, teachers, industry representatives and development partners.
The Prime Minister commended Government ministries, tertiary institutions, financial institutions and private sector partners for making the Expo accessible outside urban centres.
“Bringing career guidance and opportunities closer to communities across the country” is critical, he said, because many young people miss opportunities simply because they do not know where to start.
He encouraged learners who attended to do more than walk past exhibition stands.
“To our young people, opportunities begin by showing up.
This Expo is a golden gateway. Do not just pass by the exhibits, ask questions, challenge your assumptions, network and absorb everything you can.
Take control of your career journey starting today,” the Prime Minister said.
Reaffirming Government’s commitment to youth empowerment, the Prime Minister urged students to pursue accredited educational programmes and to consider fields with high demand.
He specifically called on learners to embrace STEM subjects, technical and vocational education, and to strengthen financial and business literacy.
Those areas, he argued, give young people the tools to either secure quality employment or to start their own enterprises.
The Prime Minister also appealed to the private sector to play a bigger role. He asked companies to expand internships, mentorship programmes and support for youth-owned businesses.
“Developing a skilled, innovative, and entrepreneurial generation remains central to His Majesty’s vision and the Nkwe Programme of Action,” the Prime Minister noted, adding that human capital development is at the heart of Eswatini’s national transformation agenda.
He said Government understands that starting a business is not easy, which is why the Expo brings together financial institutions and industry to offer guidance, funding options and linkages.
The Prime Minister concluded by saying the success of the Expo will be measured not by the number of people who attend, but by the number of young people who leave with a plan, a skill, or the courage to start something of their own.
