Eswatini is strengthening its Coordinated Border Management (CBM) and Data Standardization with the support of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme funded by His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) of the United Kingdom.
Bringing together 10 border agencies under the auspices of their National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NTFC), Eswatini focused on how best to streamline border procedures, improve information sharing, and move towards Eswatini’s vision of a “non-stop border.” This was a huge step forward in implementing a fully coordinated border management system.
Building on earlier WCO support on Time Release Studies (TRS) at the Ngwenya–Oshoek border posts, which led to a Joint CBM Action Plan with South Africa targeting a 20% border time reduction by 2026, this WCO supported CBM project focused on mapping Eswatini’s current and future (“to-be”) border processes to identify bottlenecks and improve efficiency.
WCO experts supported the CBM Working Group in developing an Inter-Agency Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Framework, following six weeks of virtual sessions prior to in-country sessions. A key milestone on CBM implementation, the Inter-Agency SOP Framework, endorsed by the NTFC, sets out the principles and protocols for collaboration among border agencies. Building on this, the Working Group continued harmonizing and standardizing documentary and data requirements among the Eswatini border agencies using the WCO Data Model Application, resulting in a national data catalogue aligned with the WCO Data Model, a key milestone toward digitalization and inter-agency interoperability.
This progress directly supports “Goal 3” of Eswatini’s National Trade Facilitation Programme Roadmap (2024–2026), which aims to implement CBM practices and achieve systems interconnectivity between all trade regulatory agencies by 2026.
The NTFC members expressed their appreciation to the WCO team, including officers from Namibia, Zambia and Nigeria, who shared their experiences in the context of peer-to-peer exchange under the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme partnership.
The CEO of Business Eswatini and NTFC Co-Chair, emphasized the value of continued partnership between the Government of Eswatini, WCO, and HMRC, noting that joint efforts have already been yielding tangible outcomes across multiple WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) areas, including CBM, Risk Management, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), and Post-Clearance Audit.
Mr. Brightwell Nkambule, Commissioner General of the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS), emphasized that “Coordinated Border Management is not just a Customs reform – it is a national reform that unites all agencies at the border under a shared objective of efficiency, transparency, and service to traders.” He underlined that CBM forms the foundation of integrated risk management, supports the implementation of the AEO programme, and strengthens the WCO Member’s broader trade facilitation and digitalization agenda. “We have now reached a stage where all border agencies speak the same language, understand their interdependencies, and share one goal – to protect our economy while ensuring the smooth and predictable movement of legitimate trade”, he added.
High level engagement by various key government officials and private-sector partners served to illustrate the importance of this national endeavor and ensure broad-based buy-in for the success of the project. The Foreign Trade Director of the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Commissioner General of the ERS (Co-Chair of the NTFC), Chief Immigration Officer, CEO of Business Eswatini (Co-Chair of the NTFC), ERS Commissioner of Customs, CEO of the Clearing Agents Association of Eswatini, and other high-level stakeholders reviewed and validated the activity outcomes, endorsed the CBM Implementation Action Plan and reaffirmed their strong commitment to the plan’s implementation which is targeted for the end of 2026.
The WCO looks forward to its continued partnership with Eswatini for sustainable development, facilitation of trade, and economic growth under the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme.
See for more information on the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme here.
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