Africa: Emaswati Welcome Foreign Powers, Favour Free Trade

12 January 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Asafika Mpako and Stephen Ndoma

Most say African countries should have a greater say in international decision-making bodies such as the United Nations.

Key findings

  • About half of Emaswati are satisfied with the way that SADC (51%) and the AU (51%) recognise Eswatini's needs and interests in their decision making; only about one in five (17%-20%) express dissatisfaction.
  • Almost three-fourths (73%) of respondents say African countries should have a greater say in international decision-making bodies such as the United Nations.
  • More than eight in 10 citizens (85%) prefer free trade over limiting international trade to protect domestic producers.
  • A strong majority (77%) favour open trade with countries around the world, while minorities would privilege trade with African countries (13%) or Southern African countries (4%).
  • Only 6% of respondents say they have heard of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
  • Positive assessments far outweigh negative ones when it comes to the economic and political influence of China (75% vs. 5%), SADC (62% vs. 4%), the AU (51% vs. 4%), and the EU (47% vs. 4%).
  • The same is true for U.S. influence (42% vs. 22%), although this assessment is considerably less glowing than one recorded in 2022 (52% vs. 4%).
  • Only 14% of Emaswati rate Russia's influence as positive.
  • Asked who helped Eswatini most during the COVID-19 pandemic, respondents most frequently cite China (37%), followed by the United States (22%) and the AU or Africa CDC (6%).
  • Among Emaswati who are aware of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, most (82%) favour taking a neutral stance in the war.

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Eswatini has been on a drive to expand its diplomatic and development partnerships. In 2024, the monarchy established relations with Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Saudi Arabia and signed joint cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding with Indonesia,

Serbia, Rwanda, the United Arab Emirates, Uganda, and Türkiye (Africa Press, 2024). In the East, Eswatini is cultivating bonds with Bhutan, South Korea, and Singapore. And despite its relationship with China, its largest Asian trading partner (in 2022, Eswatini imported goods worth more than $109 million from China), Eswatini maintains official diplomatic relations with Taiwan - the only African country to do so (Musi, 2024; Odota, 2024).

Before recent changes in U.S. foreign assistance, the United States was Eswatini's largest source of aid, including hundreds of millions of dollars to fight HIV/AIDS and strengthen the country's health systems (Cohen, 2025; U.S. Embassy in Eswatini, 2020). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Eswatini's response was bolstered by support from the United States, China, and the European Union (EU), among others (Nantulya, 2021; Delegation of the European Union to the Kingdom of Eswatini, 2020). Even so, Eswatini's economy suffered greatly due to the pandemic, with devastating effects for its citizens: As of 2022, 59% of Eswatini's population lived below the national poverty line (Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2024; Musi, 2024).

In August, King Mswati III was appointed deputy chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, charged with facilitating peace and security in the region (Eswatini Observer, 2025). Earlier in the year, Eswatini was elected to the African Union's (AU) Peace and Security Council to represent Southern Africa for the 2025-2028 term, highlighting the country's increasing influence in continental affairs (History Rise, 2025).

How do Emaswati view their economic and political relations with the rest of the world? The most recent Afrobarometer survey reveals that citizens are supportive of international trade and political cooperation. Most Emaswati see the economic and political influence of China

as substantial and beneficial. Citizens are also far more positive than negative in their assessments of the influence of SADC, the AU, the EU, the United States, India, and the United Kingdom.

Similarly, only about one in five respondents are dissatisfied with the way Eswatini's needs and interests are recognised in SADC and AU decision making. But a substantial majority say African countries need a stronger voice on global platforms such as the United Nations.

Asafika Mpako Asafika is the communications coordinator for Southern Africa

Stephen Ndoma Stephen is the assistant project manager for Southern Africa

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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