The Central Bank of Eswatini celebrated its 50th Anniversary on May 10, 2024, during a momentous occasion graced by His Majesty King Mswati III. The event, held at the CBE Complex at Ezulwini had about 1 300 guests joining in the festivities to congratulate the CBE for coming of age. His Majesty the King performed a ceremonial sod-cutting at the Complex, a symbolic expression of His unwavering support as the Bank is setting up a landmark headquarters in that area.

After the sod-cutting, His Majesty and his guests were also taken through an artist’s impression of how the future Central Bank headquarters will look like. Also present were Governors from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) who had just concluded their meeting. The event was also marked by the unveiling of the Central Bank’s logo and a commemorative Bank note, which will be in circulation.

The distinguished guests walked away with a commemorative E50 coin, which is not for circulation. In his speech, His Majesty honoured the Central Bank of Eswatini Board, management, and staff members — past and present — for their best investment of effort towards the pursuit of the Bank’s mandate. Dr Phil Mnisi, the Governor of the CBE, shared key highlights and milestones that the Bank achieved in the half century, all of which were for the economic advancement of the country. Click on the link to get the full version of His Majesty King Mswati III’s speech and that of the Governor. To get a feel of the ceremony, there is a collage of pictures of the various activities that took place.