Building Eswatini’s Future Through Data: Day 1 of the ATO Trade in Services Workshop

By Thabiso Njoko 

Mbabane, Eswatini — April 8, 2025

It’s not every day that a room full of economists, statisticians, tourism operators, government officials, and academics come together with a shared purpose: building a smarter, data-driven future for Eswatini.

That’s exactly what happened on Day 1 of the African Trade Observatory (ATO) Trade in Services Workshop, hosted in Mbabane and facilitated by two powerhouse experts from the International Trade Centre (ITC)—Katerina Blanchard and Christophe Durand.

With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) gaining momentum, countries like Eswatini are looking to strengthen their trade systems, not just in goods, but also in services. And it all begins with data—clean, clear, internationally aligned data.

From Concepts to Conversations: Setting the Tone for Trade Intelligence

The day began with a warm welcome and a walkthrough of the ATO project, where Blanchard and Durand laid out the bigger picture: why travel services data matters and how it fits into Eswatini’s national development goals.

The sessions dove into:

• Defining “travel” versus “tourism” from both statistical and practical lenses
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• The Residence Principle—a foundational but often misunderstood concept in trade statistics
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• Balance of Payments (BPM6) and EBOPS 2010 classifications
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• Real-life case studies that sparked rich discussions and raised important questions about current practices

As Christophe Durand put it, “Trade in services is about people moving, not just products. We’re talking about students, patients, business travelers, seasonal workers—it’s personal, and that makes it complex.”

Katerina Blanchard echoed the sentiment: “Eswatini is in a unique position. By investing in better data now, you gain leverage—not only for planning and development but also for negotiating within AfCFTA frameworks.”

Who Was in the Room? Everyone Who Matters.

One of the day’s highlights was the diversity of participants. The workshop brought together 35+ representatives from across the country’s trade, tourism, and statistical landscape.

Here are just a few of the stakeholders who contributed to the vibrant Day 1 dialogue:

• Central Bank of Eswatini
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• Eswatini Tourism Authority
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• Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade
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• University of Eswatini
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• Melula Travel
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• Eswatini Civil Aviation Authority
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• Community-Based Tourism (with insights from Thabiso Njoko)

• Hospitality and Tourism Association of Eswatini (HOTAES)
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• Tour Operators Association
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• Eswatini Revenue Services
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• Limkokwing University of Creative Technology
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• Happy Valley Hotel, Eswatini Air, and TransMagnific Shuttle Services

It was a rare space where data experts and on-the-ground tourism operators could share insights, challenge assumptions, and build mutual understanding.

Why Day 1 Mattered

Travel services may not always grab headlines, but they are one of the most economically significant and statistically challenging areas of trade. Understanding how to classify a student’s overseas expenses, or what a tour guide earns from a foreign visitor, can directly impact how a country tracks its economic health.

And for Eswatini, this workshop is more than a learning opportunity—it’s a launching pad for policy-shaping, opportunity-mapping, and evidence-based growth.

What’s Next?

As the workshop continues, participants will explore data sources, survey best practices, and metadata systems. There’s also a strong focus on dissemination, ensuring data doesn’t just sit in a report—but actually informs decisions and drives change.

By the end of this week, Eswatini will be better equipped to tell its trade-in-services story—not just to itself, but to Africa, and the world.

And that’s the power of Day 1.

Want to follow the journey or learn more about ATO? Visit ato.africa

Connect with the facilitators: Christophe Durand, Katerina Blanchard