Is Eswatinis planned new airline a good idea?
Eswatini is a small country of just over a million people which is facing big problems.
Last year dozens of people died after a crackdown on pro-democracy protests\u2013 and in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic led to the economy shrinking. According to World Bank estimates, nearly 40% of its population lives on less than two dollars a day.
Now the government is planning the launch of a national airline \u2013 its second such venture after its previous airline folded.
So will this help boost trade and tourism \u2013 or just saddle the country with more debt?
Mpho Lakaje explores the issue for this week\u2019s #AfricaDaily.
Presenter: Mpho Lakaje @mpholakaje
Guests: \nXavier Masule, commercial director at Royal Eswatini National Airways Corporation.\nSanele Sibiya, University of Eswatini.