MbabaneCapital
Eswatini · Country profile
Mbabane is the small, smart capital of Eswatini, the charming administrative town of the southern African kingdom that nestles in the green mountains of the north-west of the country, a tidy, low-rise city of the government buildings, the gardens and the craft markets set among the peaks of the Drakensberg foothills. The capital of the nation since the early twentieth century, when the colonial administration chose the high valley for its seat, it is a friendly, compact town that serves the kingdom of the ngwenyama, with the parliament, the palace quarter and the crafts of the region filling its day life. The markets of the town, the museums and the viewpoints of the mountains, and the royal and the traditional sites of the surrounding valleys anchor the essential visits, while the warm, safe and deeply traditional rhythm of the city gives the gentle gateway to the whole of the kingdom. High, green and genuinely peaceful, Mbabane is the modest, charming heart of the Swazi kingdom.
About Mbabane
Mbabane is the capital of Eswatini. The city's documented population is around 94,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Lilangeni (SZL) and English and Swazi are spoken; the dialling code is +268.
The Craft Market of the Town and the Wares of the Kingdom
Mbabane is a compact, mountain-set capital where the essential circuit moves between the craft markets, the government quarter and the museum of the town, with the viewpoints and the passes of the surrounding peaks going straight up from the streets. The markets of the city, with their candle carvings, their weaves and their colourful beadwork, run the crafts of the kingdom, and the museums of the region with their double-decker story of the chiefs and the kings anchor the cultural days. The royal valley and the traditional villages of the neighbouring districts, with their dancers and their reed ceremonies, lie within an easy drive, and the whole high town breathes the calm, green, un-hurried air of the mountains.
The Museum and the Cultural Village of the Nation
The high altitude of the city gives it a mild, pleasant climate, with warm, stormy summer days, crisp, sunny winters with cold nights and the brilliant light of the highveld through the year. The lilangeni, pegged to the rand of the neighbouring country, is the currency, with the Swati and the English the languages of the town. The craft market, the museum and the parliament quarter make the core visits, and the valleys and the reserves of the region lie a short drive from the centre. Warm layers for the evenings, rain protection for the summer storms and cash for the craft stalls complete the practical essentials of the highland capital.
The Mountains and the Reserves of the Region
The craft market of the town, the celebrated Indingilizi market of the capital where the artisans of the kingdom sell their wood carvings, their grass baskets and the traditional attire of the Swazi people, is the great shopping spectacle of the country, and the smaller stalls of the centre, with the candle bowls and the soapstone animal carvings of the local workshops, continue the same craft tradition. The national museum of the country, housed in the open-air cultural village of the nearby centre with its recreated homestead and its displays of the royal and the natural history of the kingdom, gives the essential introduction to the Swazi world, and the parliament buildings of the capital, with their unusual triangular design, anchor the civic heart of the young republic. The views of the mountains of the border and the royal residences of the surrounding valleys complete the modest, friendly circuit of the capital of the kingdom.
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- Country
- Eswatini
- Population
- 94,000
- Capital
- Mbabane
- Region
- Africa
- Currency
- Lilangeni (SZL)
- Languages
- English, Swazi
- Calling code
- +268
- Country code
- SZ
Frequently asked questions
Is Mbabane the capital of Eswatini?
Yes — Mbabane is the capital of Eswatini.
What currency do I need in Mbabane?
The local currency is the Lilangeni (SZL). Languages spoken in Eswatini include English and Swazi.
What is the dialling code for Eswatini?
The international dialling code for Eswatini is +268.
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