The government of Swaziland has banned foreigners from engaging in at least 31 businesses, reports the Club of Mozambique.
Some of the businesses listed include household and propriety business, grocery, produce and handwork, private investigator, livestock dealers, debt collector, street vending and funeral parlors among others.
The country’s acting Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Phiwayinkhosi Mabuza, is pushing for the ban in after tabling to parliament the proposed Reservation of Certain Trades and Business for Swazi Citizens Regulations 2017.
Foreigners already running the businesses will not be affected but new licenses will not be granted. The public is reported to have welcomed the move by the government agreeing that the businesses needed no special expertise and therefore should be listed for locals only.
The Federation of the Swazi Business Community (FESBC) that has been lobbying for such policies welcomed the development.
“The previous regulations were unfavourable and had to be changed in order to improve local participation and ultimately the country’s economy,” said FESBC head Hezekiel Mabuza.
