Starting a business in Eswatini: the compliance basics
To start a business in Eswatini: register the company with Registrar of Companies, register for tax with Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) (corporate income tax 25% (recently reduced from 27.5%); VAT 15% once over E900,000), comply with the Employment Act, 1980 & Industrial Relations Act if you hire, and meet Data Protection Act, 2022 for personal data.
First compliance steps
- 1 Register the company with Registrar of Companies.
- 2 Register for tax with Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS).
- 3 Register as an employer (the Eswatini National Provident Fund (5% employer + 5% employee)) and use written contracts if you hire.
- 4 Register for VAT once turnover passes E900,000.
- 5 Put a basic Data Protection Act, 2022 framework in place.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to start a business in Eswatini?
Register with Registrar of Companies, register for tax with Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS), and meet labour (Employment Act, 1980 & Industrial Relations Act) and data-protection rules. Confirm specifics with Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS).
More on Eswatini
- Register a company — Eswatini
- Company tax — Eswatini
- VAT / sales tax — Eswatini
- Hiring staff — Eswatini
- Data protection — Eswatini
- Tax clearance — Eswatini
- Empowerment / B-BBEE — Eswatini
- Licences & permits — Eswatini
- Payroll & employee tax — Eswatini
- Importing & customs — Eswatini
- Annual returns — Eswatini
- Full Eswatini compliance guide
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Reviewed June 2026 from official sources. General information only — confirm with Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) or a registered professional.