Tourism

Handicraft

Although having started operating way back in 1983, the Manzini Market (situated along Mancishane street) continues to be a major tourist draw card in the city. Over the last few years it has become uncommon for tourists to pass through the beautiful city without visiting the market. Most attractive is the handicraft section of the market where a variety of skillfully crafted products are on display. The market opens as early as 6am and closes at 6pm on a daily basis. Quite intriguing about this section is that most of the products are hand-carved on site, giving an opportunity for the visitor to obtain their own unique design at a small cost.

Another tourist puller is the Thursday Market. Every Thursday of the week women and men, young and old, converge in the City of Manzini (temporarily at the Satellite Bus Rank along Tenbergen street) to showcase and sell to members of the public colourful handicraft products which have been hand-made from their respective homes all over the country. This activity, which assumes the shape of a flea market, also attracts locals presumably because of the price factor. Also exciting about the Thursday Market is that most of the handicraft products are weaved on site; giving the tourist an opportunity to witness the craftpeople in action. Most recently, a captivating Manzini Eco-City Tour, which takes tourists to a number of exciting historical sites in the City of Manzini, was introduced. It is being run by the Municipality in partnership with tour operator, Bush Travel Tours. At the end of the 2-hour tour, which comes in the form of a walking or shuttle tour, visitors are empowered with all information about the city and its rich historical background. The tour is accessible through pre-booking (+268 7615 8262 / info@bushtraveltours.co.za).

Another activity of interest within the City of Manzini is the annual Eswatini  International Trade Fair which usually takes place between August and September. During this event, hundreds of public and private companies or organizations from different parts of the country and beyond descend the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre (located along Central Distributor road) to showcase their products and services. The fact that the event is usually officially opened by His Majesty the King, who also takes the opportunity to visit the various exhibition stalls, comes in as the cherry on top of the cake. It is also prudent to highlight that the trade show usually runs parallel with the national Reed Dance ceremony; another tourism magnet which takes place in Lobamba, about 24km (19 minutes drive) from the City of Manzini. The world class Mavuso Sports Centre (situated adjacent the exhibition centre) provides a one-stop facility for all sporting disciplines.