By Journalists Association

MBABANE:The date has been set for the big night where the country’s shining stars in the media fraternity will be honoured in style.

This is none other than the 2025 National Media Awards, which are set to take place at the plus Royal Villas on Monday December 22, 2025.

The awards have been relaunched under the stewardship of the Eswatini National Association of Journalists (ESNAJ) and the Eswatini Editors Forum (EEF) with the Marketing Advertising & Research Council (MARC) as an implementing partner.

The NMAs represent more than just an event, they are a renewed commitment to journalistic excellence and the advancement of the media sector in Eswatini.

In a press statement, ESNAJ Secretary General Ntombi Mhlongo explained that the inaugural relaunch edition of the awards will recognise excellence across core categories spanning print, electronic, and digital platforms. 

Mhlongo said as a self-funding initiative that depends on partnerships, they invited companies and organisations to show support in honouring the craft and celebrate the storytellers through category sponsorships or in-kind partnerships that help power the experience.

Mhlongo revealed that MARC, being the Consultant, has confirmed that over 20 companies and organisations have come on board to show support for the ceremony.

This, they have done, through purchasing some of the categories which cost between E25 000 and E45 000 each.

Other companies have supported the awards in kind, including paying for some of the services that have been secured for the big night.

The companies, both corporate and private, include the European Union, Ubombo Sugar Limited, Lidwala Insurance, Eswatini Mobile, REDI, Swaziland Building Society, SwaziMed, MulaSport, Eswatini Beverages, Nedbank, Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Fund and Royal Eswatini Sugar (RESCorp).

Others are the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Agency (ESERA), British High Commission, Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS), MTN Eswatini, Instacash, Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) and Mountain View.

Others, Mhlongo noted, have committed but are yet to confirm their offer.

When interviewed, ESNAJ President Lwazi ‘Gigg’s Dlamini said;

“We, as the ESNAJ, are thankful to each and every sponsor and stakeholder who has supported us in our National Media Awards project. We wouldn’t have been able to host this prestigious event without their support. Over and above we want to assure our sponsors and stakeholders that we will walk this long journey together in taking the journalism profession to the next level.In terms of readiness for the event, we are more than ready. There are some processes continuing behind the scenes in terms of adjudication and preparations but everything is on track. It will be a night to remember in celebrating the storytellers and honouring the craft”.