When the country was abuzz during the Eswatini International Trade Fair, chanting about Eswatini being Open for Business, the Central Bank of Eswatini joined in and brought the country’s children on board to learn about business too. When parents were learning about how they could beef up their businesses at the CBE stand children were given a head start in becoming the entrepreneurs of the future. Our aim was to get them interested in finance, problem solving, saving, budgeting for a good course while building their entrepreneurial mindset through a fun and games approach —- and what naturals we discovered our children to be!
The logic is simple, ‘Lugotjwa Lusemanti’, meaning, teach them while they are still young and fresh to grab ideas. We all know why this is so right? Well besides the wellknown fact that children are our future generation blah, blah, blah, the CBE is really about helping children prepare for a healthy financial future.

This is in line with the Bank’s realization that investing in our children and young people’s financial education as parents and education system is a great investment that will give us greater returns. Financial education not only helps people manage their financial affairs and improve their standard of living, it also makes a positive contribution to the soundness and efficiency of the financial system and performance of the economy. As Governor, Majozi Sithole stated in his speech at the launch of the Global Money Week earlier on in the year, our young people have become financial consumers earlier in their lives than ever before. This calls for decision making on their part. We are talking about decisions that have lasting consequences if not well managed. While it is the role of many players to teach financial education and entrepreneurship to our children, the main responsibility lies on parents. No parent wants to toss their
children into the water and hope they will figure out how to swim. But more often than not, when it comes to money and business, that is what parents do.But where do we even begin?

1. The Cartoon Mania!
2. Business Simulation Games
3. Read Business Books with Your Kids
4. We even made and watched financial educational Videos!