21 interesting facts about Eswatini (Swaziland)

We share the most interesting facts about Eswatini collected on our brisk but beguiling sojourn into ‘Africa’s newest kingdom’.

We had been in southern Africa for nearly three weeks by the time we arrived in Eswatini, our fourth country of the trip.

Having spent two weeks driving around Namibia and exploring Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s great wildlife destinations, we thought we’d seen all the African wildlife we were going to see.

What could 36 hours in Eswatini possibly show us that a 17-day Namibian safari did not?

Well, rhinos for starters. Loads of them. We saw no less than 13 of these magnificent creatures during our fleeting foray into the kingdom.

We visited three premier game parks on a whistle-stop road trip. It wasn’t nearly long enough to see the country properly but gave us just enough time to gather some interesting facts about Eswatini, the best of which we share below.

Interesting facts about Eswatini

1. Eswatini is Africa’s last absolute monarchy and one of the few remaining in the world. This form of government gives a monarch supreme authority, unimpeded by written laws, legislature or customs.
(Source: BBC)

2. In 2018, King Mswati III renamed the country from Swaziland to ‘the Kingdom of Eswatini’. The monarch announced the official change in a stadium during celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence from British rule.
(Source: The Guardian)

3. Sibebe Rock in Eswatini is the world’s second-largest monolith (single piece of rock) behind Australia’s Uluru.
(Source: Lonely Planet)

4. It is possible to observe the famous big five game animals of lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo in Eswatini.
(Source: The Guardian)

5. Furthermore, Eswatini is home to 132 species of mammal, 500 species of bird, 111 species of reptiles and amphibians, and over 3,500 indigenous species of plants.
(Source: Eswatini Tourism)

6. King Mswati III currently has 15 wives. His predecessor had 125. He can select a new spouse at the annual reed dance, a cultural event celebrating chastity and virginity.
(Source: The Telegraph)

7. The Umhlanga – or reed dance – festival is held annually in Eswatini. The festival involves tens of thousands of women from across the…