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Country Assessment: Africa

The Country 

Located in the southeast of Africa, Swaziland is a small landlocked country of about 17,360 square kilometers, with a relatively small population of approximately 1 million in 1999. Population density is approximately 57 persons per square kilometer. Swaziland has strong economic links with South Africa and is a member of the South African Customs Union (SACU) and the Common Monetary Area (CMA).   In recent years, economic growth in Swaziland has slowed in part due to increased competition, and an economic recession and the lifting of international sanctions in South Africa. Swaziland has some natural mineral resources (coal, asbestos, timber) but is a predominantly market economy based largely on wholesale and retail trade, agriculture and light industries. The Gross Domestic Product per capita is approximately US$1,300. 

Geographically, four physical regions characterize Swaziland: a low veld or bush veld to the east; a middle veld; a high veld to the west; and the Lubombo escarpment (up to 900m). The country is surrounded by South Africa to the north, east and south, and Mozambique to the east. The climate is generally hot in the low veld and more temperate and wet in the high veld. 

Urbanization 

Compared to other middle-income countries Swaziland has a relatively low level of urbanization but in recent years this has been growing rapidly, partly due to a drought in 1992 and economic decline leading to some rural to urban migration of people in search of work. In 1992, an estimated 25 percent of the total population lived in urban and peri-urban areas. This is now reckoned to be about 33 percent. There are twelve urban councils and of these, the ones in Mbabane, the administrative capital of the country, and Manzini, are classified as City Councils. Mbabane and Manzini are major urban areas, and together with their hinterlands form dual growth points in the core region centered around the Matsapha industrial estate. They are located in the west-central part of the country where approximately 70 percent of the country’s urban population (estimated at over 300,000 in 1999) resides. 

The Matsapha Industrial Estate in large part drove urbanization in Swaziland. It began developing as early as 1963 and development accelerated from the late 60s through the 80s when the economy grew quickly, assisted by the toughening of international sanctions against South Africa, which prompted many south African firms or multi-nationals with South African operations to relocate to Swaziland. The creation of job opportunities in and around Matsapha and close to Mbabane and Manzini created housing pressures and although some formal housing was provided, informal settling became more common. 

Most urban growth that has taken place in Swaziland has been unplanned and informal. More than 60 percent of the population living in the Mbabane–Manzini corridor live in informal, unplanned communities in sub-standard structures on un-surveyed land without legal title. Less than 50 percent of the urban and peri-urban population have access to safe water and fewer than 20 percent are connected to a waterborne sewerage network. The largely uncontrolled spread of development, much of it on steep land, is causing environmental degradation and pollution of natural water sources, particularly on Swazi Nation Land (SNL) immediately outside the jurisdictions of the two cities.

Full Report: Upgrading of Low Income Settlements Country Assessment Report: Swaziland

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