By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:Duncan Dlamini, the current Entrepreneur of the Year Winner who established a piggery business confirmed in a recent interview with the media that, he was assisted by the Central Bank of Eswatini(CBE) to secure a bank loan through the Small Scale Enterprise Loan Guarantee Scheme(SSELGS) as a collateral.

The Small Scale Enterprise Loan Guarantee Scheme is a program managed by the Central Bank that provides a formal assurance or security to participating financial institutions to encourage them to lend to Small and Medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) by reducing the risk associated with a lack of collateral. 

The program seeks to assist Eswatini nationals who have viable business projects but lack the traditional collateral required by commercial banks and other lenders to access credit.

Responding to this Swaziland News on Tuesday, Mandla Luphondvo, the Central Bank of Eswatini Head of Strategy and Communications confirmed that, businessman Duncan Dlamini “is a beneficiary of the program that seeks to assist emaSwati within the SME sector to secure loans and establish and operate successful businesses.

“The CBE can confirm that Mr. Duncan Dlamini, the current title holder of the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, is a beneficiary of the  Small Scale Enterprise Loan Guarantee Scheme(SSELGS). In 2017, he secured a loan through a commercial bank and was a beneficiary of this guarantee scheme”, said the Central Bank of Eswatini Head of Strategy and Communications.

A piggery business involves raising and breeding domestic pigs for profit, it requires focus on genetics, housing, nutrition and health management. 

But the success of the business depends on key factors that include starting with quality stock, providing a suitable and clean environment, feeding the pigs a balanced diet, and implementing strong biosecurity and health measures. 

Piggery can be profitable due to the pigs' fast growth cycle and high demand for pork but, requires careful planning and execution.