Author: waseem

he year 2013 marked the commencement of the partnership between MTN Eswatini and the MTN Khemani Cycling Club (KCC). This partnership
gave birth to the first MTN Khemani Road Classic in September 2013.

The club said this partnership has contributed not just to the growth of the cycling fraternity, but also to the well-being of the people of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The club said through the support and partnership with MTN, it offers coaching and competitive opportunities in cycling for its members, especially the development of young cyclists in the country. The club also participates in domestic and foreign races with the aim to improve the categories of its riders. On an annual basis, the club stages a Road Classic which has been staged at Mankayane in the past years.

“The race concept is to generate funds for care points and to promote road cycling in the Kingdom of Eswatini as a country through tourism by attracting professional cyclist from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries,” said the association.

All race proceeds go to charity and the team supportsMankayane Care Points and the Mankayane Hospital as beneficiaries.

The MTN Khemani Road Classic also offers a rare opportunity where non-professional cyclists are offered an opportunity to cycle with professional cyclists.

The club said it has realized the positive impact that cycling can have in the community, in not only encouraging a healthy lifestyle and family value but also the less privileged can benefit through the sport.

“MTN Khemani Cycling Club is proud to have partnered with MTN Eswatini and we look forward to a long-term relationship and continue contributing
towards a healthy and better lifestyle to the people of Eswatini,” said the association

As Eswatini Arts and Music Association (SWAMA) celebrates 40 years of existence, it notes that partnering with Swazi MTN for the inaugural SWAMA Awards is a major milestone for the association.

Swazi MTN generously injected E474 000 sponsorship towards the hosting of the first edition of the MTN SWAMA Awards, which at the time, was the biggest sponsorship for any music awards shows in the history of such awards in the country.

In 2018, Swazi MTN beat their own record by announcing E700 000 sponsorship for the second edition of the MTN SWAMA Awards, which became the biggest sponsorship ever in the history of art awards in the country.

“To ensure growth and inclusivity, the new sponsorship saw the addition of six new categories to the already 19 that were existing, which brings the total number of categories to 25,” said Dlamini.

The ball towards the hosting of the awards, which are scheduled for December 1, 2018, is already underway. Swazi MTN has also freely made available an SMS and USSD based platforms, where members of the public send their nominations, and votes as well.

“Swazi MTN has always prioritized arts development in Eswatini, as arts and culture forms part of the MTN Foundation’s pillars. The mutual relations between Swazi MTN and SWAMA have been a positive stimulant in the arts and music sector and will continue to bear fruits.

“As Swazi MTN celebrates 20 years of unmatched service, SWAMA would like to congratulate the shareholders, the board of directors, the management, and all MTNers for this milestone. We wish you many more years of success as you move the country towards a bold and better world,” he said

It is about 15 years now since Swazi MTN started sponsoring soccer through the Premier League of Eswatini (PLS) in 2004, Eswatini National Football Association of Swaziland President Adam ‘Bomber’ Mthethwa says the company has remained the most prestigious sponsor to date.

Though other companies have also joined in over the years, Mthethwa said the TN Premier League sponsorship remains the most prestigious in the sense that, MTN is the only sponsor whose sponsorship covers the whole year.

“Their competition is the league, and the league is about consistency. Even the champion becomes the most consistent team of the year. That is why we can firmly say Swazi MTN has immensely contributed to the consistent development of soccer in the country.” When Swaziland Breweries withdrew its long-term sponsorship, MTN came at a very opportune time in 2004 and injected E300 000 to the PLS.

The arrival of Swazi MTN was also valuable because they came with an improved offer for the elite league. “As Swazi MTN celebrates 20 years of existence in the Kingdom this year, this means that they have been sponsoring soccer for almost three-quarters of these years, and sponsorship has been increasing,” said Mthethwa.

He said this has improved the livelihood of the PLS, teams, and players. “This is because the sponsorship went beyond the prize money. It also contributed towards running the PLS office, especially the administration of the PLS.” The Premier League also serves as a barometer to measure the standard of soccer in the country. The support of the PLS by Swazi MTN has resulted in the country’s league to be ranked 14th best in Africa.

“We have to really thank MTN for these results. This is the result of their sponsorship and efforts.”

As Swazi MTN celebrates 20 years of connecting the nation, one of its properties, the MTN Bushfire Schools Festival celebrates ten years since it started off in 2009

As this initiative turns 10 years, the Minister of Education and Training Dr Phineas Magagula announced that arts will from next year be offered as a structured subject in the formal school curriculum. This is a milestone given that Swazi MTN has been advocating for “systematic training in the arts made possible through a formal curriculum,” as repeatedly said by Chief Executive Officer, Ambrose Dlamini over the past three years.

The schools’ festival is jointly funded by Swazi MTN, the title sponsor, and the European Union. Every year, about 150 students participate in the festival. About 70 teachers participated in this year’s training workshop which covers different skills in the areas of arts, namely music, dance and poetry.

In 2017, the total sponsorship by Swazi MTN for the festival, which separately caters for primary and high school students, plus a teachers’ workshop, was E390 000. About E350 000 covered high schools, while the primary schools’ component, jointly funded by the European Union, received E40 000

The MTN Bushfire Festival of the arts has generated over E500 million in the broader

For 12 years now Swazi MTN has been the title sponsor for the festival. The Festival now attracts about 30 000 people from over 50 countries.

As Swazi MTN Chief Executive Officer Ambrose Dlamini often says, this reflects the company’s strong commitment to supporting the development of arts and culture in the Kingdom.

House on Fire Director Jiggs Thorne said during these 12 years, the festival has grown from strength to strength. It has become an internationally recognized brand, placing the Kingdom of Eswatini on the map as a cultural tourism destination. For instance, the festival has been dubbed by CNN as one of the “7 African music festivals you really have to see.”