Where in the World is… Eswatini?
Where is the world is Eswatini? This small landlocked country used to be known as Swaziland, until its king renamed it.
This article was originally published July 8, 2020.
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I’ll give you the name of a country. Your job is to tell me if it’s an actual country or a made up name.
Wakanda.
If you’ve seen Black Panther, that one should be easy. Wakanda is the mythical African country featured in the movie.
But the other day, while checking out the world coronavirus numbers, I came across a country I’d never heard of. It’s name is Eswatini.
Technically, it’s ‘eSwatini’
Where in the world is Eswatini? The place has to be real, it’s on the list. And for what it’s worth, the country’s Covid-19 cases are rising, currently 93 cases per 100,000 people.
Most people know Eswatini by its former name, Swaziland. Now that sounds familiar.
This small landlocked country in Southern Africa is bordered by Mozambique and South Africa. Its capital, Mbabane is less than a four-hour drive from the South African capital city of Pretoria.
In 2018, King Mswati III announced that he would rename Africa’s last absolute monarchy the “Kingdom of eSwatini.” So now you have a trivia question: eSwatini is the world’s only nation that doesn’t begin with a capital letter.
The king says he changed the name, in part, because foreigners were confusing Swaziland with Switzerland. The new name means Land of the Swazis, so it remains fully on-brand. But with an estimated 26% of the population infected with HIV, the country’s name seems like the least of its worries.
Visiting Eswatini
Covid-19 has impacted travel to Eswatini. Like most countries, they want no part of U.S. tourism at the moment. Officially, the kingdom’s policy makes no mention of the United States. It simply restricts foreign nationals from “high risk” countries until further notice.
In normal times, though, visiting Eswatini is straightforward. Americans need just a valid passport with six months’ validity remaining. The kingdom does not require visas if staying 30 days or less.
Eswatini allows visa-free tourist visits by citizens of more than 100 countries. This includes most Commonwealth countries, most European Union countries, Japan, Brazil and many more. Check the official tourism site for a complete list.
English is the country’s official language. The official currency is the Swazi lilangeni (plural: emalengeni). It’s pegged to the South African rand, which is widely accepted, at a 1:1 value. As of July 10, 2020, one lilangeni is worth $0.06 USD.
The U.S. State Department has given Eswatini a Level 1 travel advisory, its safest rating. They encourage visitors to exercise normal precautions.
An Undiscovered Destination
Lonely Planet included Eswatini among its Best in Travel 2020, ranking it fifth among its Top 10 countries. The publisher describes its subjective ranking as “destinations overlooked by most travellers or familiar hotspots offering new reasons to return.” Eswatini would be among the overlooked destinations:
Petite, pleasant and packed with culture, adventure and legendary wildlife, the newly named Kingdom of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) is one of Southern Africa’s most underrated (and least visited) destinations. A new international airport, as well as improved road infrastructure between it, conservation areas and the capital, are aimed to increase visitor numbers in the years ahead – get here in 2020 to ensure yourself a front seat.
The highlight of Eswatini has to be its incredible diversity of wildlife. Visit the Mkhaya Game Reserve to see white rhinos and occasional black rhinos, along with zebras, giraffes, hippos, and more. It’s one of 17 protected areas in the small kingdom.
Eswatini has maintained many of its cultural traditions. It’s a place where the king still prefers traditional dress. Traditional festivals, ancient ceremonies, and dance all thrive and attract tourists to the kingdom. The best known and one of Africa’s biggest is the Umhlanga Reed Festival, which happens in late August/early September each year.
How to Get There and Get Around
It’s easy to visit Eswatini during a trip to South Africa.
Air: From Johannesburg (JNB), Eswatini Airlink flies a regular schedule to King Mswati III International Airport (SHO).
Drive: Most car rental agencies allow customers to drive their rental across the border into Eswatini.
Bus: TransMagnific operates minibuses four times daily between Johannesburg and Eswatini.
Final Thoughts
Now that we’ve figured out exactly where in the world Eswatini is, is anyone else ready to go?
There are plenty of problems, to be sure. The kingdom is an absolute monarchy where political parties are outlawed. King Mswati III is known for his playboy lifestyle in a country wracked by poverty. HIV/AIDS remains a serious threat and is at least partly responsible for the country’s life expectancy ranking among the lowest in the world.
But it’s a relatively easy country to visit, once you’re in the neighborhood. The kingdom offers a nice variety of accommodations, high-quality arts and crafts, and plenty of quintessential Africa packed into its 6,704 square miles — an area not much larger than Connecticut.