What works in Eswatini

Eswatini has made targeted efforts to expand digital access and address social vulnerabilities through multiple initiatives. The Universal Access Service Fund has distributed over 3,400 subsidised smartphones and specialised assistive devices, cumulatively reaching over 14,000 elderly and disabled people, though an affordability gap persists with only 58% of the population using the internet despite 95% 4G coverage. SWAGAA, operating for over three decades, recorded 1,172 gender-based violence cases between January and May 2024 alone, and helped drive the 2018 Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act, though implementation remains underfunded and gaps in survivor services persist. An AI teaching assistant called Nomfundo has been rolled out in eight schools since early 2024 to support lesson planning and student learning, though the evidence of impact is self-reported and unverified, and teachers' unions have flagged readiness concerns.