The Migration Development Forum sought to facilitate the identification and exchange of good practices among different government institutions and cooperation partners that would create an enabling environment towards the effective mobilization of the Emaswati Diaspora. The discussion also focused on youth engagement within the diaspora. With tech com- panies like Twitter and Google opening in Ghana this brings attractive job prospects for youth, including technical skills transfer from Ghanaian diaspora.
The importance of segmentation of diaspora groups was explained and those that left Ghana as economic migrants less than a generation ago versus those with ancestry ties to the country or those who had different reasons to leave Ghana. This helps to personalize the response to why these particular diaspora communities should re-engage with the country and/or return. The purpose of diaspora events is the connection to place, to people and to have fun. It was noted that there are common features between Lesotho and Eswatini: both are kingdoms with a shared common neighbour in South Africa, with a large percentage of labour migrants in South Africa. The need for schemes and incentives as part of policy development and action planning as an interplay between government and private sector interests was outlined during the forum.
There is also a need to foster the entrepreneurial spirit of Emaswati in Eswatini and abroad to see the opportunity to go abroad and make money and the aspirations of Emaswati to then return to Eswatini to build a house and set a business. The panel discussion concluded by outlining the need to create a business ecosystem that involves the interplay between government, business, society, and diaspora communities.