Top executives and sector specialists from across Southern Africa’s sugar value chain will take centre stage at the upcoming Standard Bank Regional Sugar Summit, bringing expertise spanning agriculture, finance, energy and sustainability.
Southern Africa’s sugar industry, a cornerstone of the region’s agricultural economy, will converge in Eswatini on Friday, May 8, for the summit to be hosted at Simunye Country Club.
The high-level panel on strengthening Africa’s sugar value chain will feature Head of Agri-Business (BCB Africa Regions) Leon Kotze, Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (EWADE) CEO Dr Samson Sithole, Executive Vice President for the Consumer Sector (CIB Group) Rowan Jackson, and Eswatini Sugar Head of Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement Nontobeko Mabuza.
Additional insights will come from Eswatini Sugar Chief Executive Banele Nyamane and Regional Head BCB for South and Central at Standard Bank Group Linda Manda.
Energy and climate innovation discussions will be led by Dr Andrea Campher, Senior Manager for Sustainability and Agri-Business, alongside Brian Tahinduka, Head of Energy, Infrastructure and Mining (Africa Regions & Offshore).
They will be joined by Nosipho Simelane-Dlamini, Research and Renewables Engineer at Eswatini Electricity Company, as well as engineering partner Simply Swazi.
Technical perspectives on precision agriculture and climate-smart farming will be delivered by Agri-Tech Expert IB Oosthuizen from RES Corporation.
The summit will conclude with a strategic roundtable featuring Muzi B. Siyaya, Managing Director of Ubombo Sugar Limited, Nick Jackson, Managing Director of RES Corporation and a representative from the South African Sugar Association.
Standard Bank Eswatini Chief Executive Mvuselelo Fakudze said the summit was designed to unlock the full potential of the value chain through collaboration and innovation.
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“The sugar industry is not merely a commodity sector but is a powerful engine for inclusive development,” he said.
Fakudze highlighted the sector’s broader societal impact, noting that stronger collaboration could stabilise livelihoods for farmers, boost incomes for smallholder growers and sustain employment across the value chain.
“For Emaswati, this platform enables high-level decision-making that strengthens household resilience, drives rural development and enhances both food and energy security through innovations such as bio-energy and sustainable land use,” he added.
A multi-billion-dollar contributor to the SADC economy, the sugar industry remains a vital pillar, supporting hundreds of thousands of livelihoods across farming, milling, logistics and manufacturing value chains.
Set against the backdrop of the African Continental Free Trade Area, the summit will provide a strategic platform for producers, financiers and policymakers to address structural bottlenecks limiting regional trade and industrialisation, while unlocking new opportunities for investment and market expansion.
With over 160 years of experience and operations in 20 African markets, Standard Bank Group continues to position itself as a key driver of transformation through advanced financing solutions and cross-border expertise.
