Media in Eswatini

Eswatini has an established media system across broadcasting, press, streaming and social media. The country has four regions and a largely rural population, with about 76% living in rural areas. Radio remains widely relevant: radio signals reach about 89% of households, while 46.7% of households own a radio. Mobile phones are the main way to access online information. In 2024, internet use was estimated at 63.4%, mobile ownership at 83.6%, active mobile-broadband subscriptions at 116 per 100 people and LTE or WiMAX coverage at 87%. 5G coverage was about 5%. ESCCOM recorded 21 internet service providers, three mobile operators and five broadcasters in 2024. It also reported 38,828 fixed-broadband subscriptions, 1,473,487 broadband subscriptions and 963,990 smartphone connections. Household internet coverage was estimated at 67% in 2022, with 70% in urban areas and 63% in rural areas. Affordability remains a major barrier, and no single current consumer tariff applies to all services. The Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) regulates communications, broadcasting licences, frequencies, content standards, consumer matters, cybersecurity and data protection. The Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology sets national media and information policy. The Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) and the Eswatini Television Authority (ESTVA) provide state broadcasting; their planned merger into the Eswatini Broadcasting Corporation is being prepared under the Broadcasting Act 2023. University of Eswatini FM, Voice of the Church (VOC) and Q Channel Yemaswati are other established broadcasters. The Broadcasting Act 2023 covers public, commercial, community, subscription, subscription-management, online-content and aggregation services. Radio, television and online services require licensing, and frequency use requires a separate licence. Community broadcasting is a non-profit way for local participation. An applicant cannot be wholly foreign-owned, must meet suitability requirements, must not have a relevant conviction or conflicting media interests, and receives a licence for 10 years if approved. Community members should help operate the service, which must address local culture, language, demographics and grassroots issues. The final fee schedule lists an E1,500 application fee and an initial E5,000 fee for a countrywide community service, followed by an annual fee of E75,000 or 4.5% of revenue, plus 1.5% for the Universal Service and Access Fund (UASF). A countrywide commercial FM application costs E5,000. An ESCCOM invitation to apply for commercial and community free-to-air radio and television licences was extended to 17 February 2026, but no reliable official award announcement had been verified by 12 September 2026. Local content rules generally require at least six of seven criteria under the Broadcasting Code. These include use of siSwati or another official language, production and post-production in Eswatini, local relevance, at least 50% Swati lead cast, supporting cast or technical crew, filming in Eswatini, a Swati author, and an Eswatini production company or one that is at least 50% Swati-owned. The Broadcasting Code 2020, Broadcasting Guidelines 2017 and Content Guidelines 2022 guide monitoring and compliance. The press includes the Times of Eswatini, the country’s oldest established newspaper, and the daily Eswatini Observer, linked to Tibiyo Taka Ngwane. EBIS also provides state information. Independent print and online outlets exist, but ownership concentration, self-censorship and pressure connected with the monarchy affect reporting. In the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, Eswatini ranked 98th of 180 countries with a score of 52.86. Afrobarometer reported that 26% of respondents considered the media somewhat or completely free, while 71% disagreed; 67% supported a watchdog role for the media and 72% wanted media free from government influence. Streaming is available mainly through foreign online services such as Netflix and Showmax. These services depend on a stable internet connection, and more than 70% of used online content was reported to come from foreign servers in 2025. No locally dominant video-on-demand provider was directly established in the available evidence. The Broadcasting Act 2023 and the 2025 fee schedule nevertheless include online content, online broadcasting and aggregation services. Government social-media accounts provide news and feedback channels but do not replace independent journalism. In a 2025 Cabinet report, government channels had about 80,000 Facebook followers, 56,300 on X, 19,300 on Instagram and 8,000 on LinkedIn; 19 of 20 ministries had a social-media channel. Social media can widen participation, but general participation remains limited. Section 24 of the Constitution protects freedom of expression, the press and media, and the receipt and communication of ideas and information. Restrictions can concern public safety, public order, morality, health, reputation and privacy, confidential information, the authority of courts and technical media regulation. The Communications Commission Act 2013, Electronic Communications Act 2013, Broadcasting Act 2023, Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 2022, Computer Crime and Cybercrime Act 2022 and Data Protection Act 2022 form part of the current legal framework. Older laws, including the Sedition and Subversive Activities Act 1938, Books and Newspapers Act 1963 and Suppression of Terrorism Act 2008, also contribute to legal risk. In practice, fear, intimidation and self-censorship can restrict reporting, especially on the monarchy. The Eswatini Data Protection Authority (EDPA) administers data-protection rights under the Data Protection Act 2022. These include information, access, erasure, rectification, objection, portability, safeguards for automated decisions and restriction of processing. Requests generally have an approximately 30-day response period. Child Online Safety Guidelines from ESCCOM and the National Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCSIRT) address cyberbullying, grooming, catfishing, oversharing and harmful content for children, parents, teachers and school administrators. The 116 child helpline and the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2022–2027 support protection and awareness work. Participation can take the form of ESCCOM consultations on content and licensing rules, applications for community broadcasting licences and voluntary professional work through the Eswatini Editors Forum (EEF). A 2024 EEF, UNESCO and United Nations roundtable addressed self-regulation, ethics, journalist training and public participation. A standalone access-to-information law and an independent Media Council were not verified in the available primary sources. The practical media questions in Eswatini therefore concern reliable access, affordability, source independence, journalist safety, youth online safety and the difference between formal rights and their effective use.