Swaziland - Society

Population: 1,148,000 (2008); 25% lives in urban areas; growth 3% p.a. 1970–90 and 1.7% p.a. 1990–2006; birth rate (2006) 29 per 1,000 people (47 in 1970); life expectancy 41 years, having fallen sharply since the latter 1990s due to AIDS (60 in 1997).

Swazis make up 90%; persons of other African, European or mixed descent 10%. Large numbers of Mozambicans fled to Swaziland to escape the civil war, but repatriation was completed in 1993.

Religion: Christians 77% and most of the rest hold traditional beliefs. Traditional beliefs often coexist with Christian beliefs.

Language: English and siSwati; English widely spoken.

Media: Swaziland’s sole national television channel, Swazi TV, is state-run, as are the country’s three national radio stations, SiSwati Channel, The English Channel and The Information Service. The Christian service, Trans World Radio, is US based and is the only privately run radio station.

English-language dailies are The Times of Swaziland/Sunday Times and The Swazi Observer/The Weekend Observer.

There are 36 TV sets (2003), 33 personal computers (2004) and 41 internet users (2007) per 1,000 people.

Education: Public spending on education was 7.0% of GDP in 2005/06. There are seven years of compulsory education starting at age six. Net enrolment ratios are 80% for primary and 33% for secondary (2005). The pupil–teacher ratio for primary is 32:1 and for secondary 18:1 (2005). The school year starts in January.

About 4% of the relevant age group is enrolled in tertiary education (2005). The University of Swaziland offers degrees in law, commerce, agriculture, education, science and the humanities, as well as part-time courses in business studies. Swaziland College of Technology runs courses in engineering, building, education and business. The Vocational and Commercial Training Institute offers technical and business training.

Illiteracy among people age 15–24 is 11.6% (2006). There is a national library and a mobile library service to remoter parts of the country.

Health: Services are provided by the state, missions and some industrial organisations. 60% of the population uses an improved drinking water source and 50% of people have access to adequate sanitation facilities (2004/2005). Infant mortality was 112 per 1,000 live births in 2006, having risen sharply since the late 1990s due to AIDS (150 in 1960). At the end of 2005, 34.5% of people age 15 and over were HIV positive.

Communications: Country code 268. Public telephones are widely available across the country, although outgoing international calls must be made through an operator. Mobile phone coverage is generally good but patchy in rural areas. Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone operators. There are internet cafes in Mbabane and Manzini. Post offices can be found in all main centres.

There are 43 main telephone lines and 243 mobile phone subscriptions per 1,000 people (2006).

Public holidays: New Year’s Day, King’s Birthday (19 April), National Flag Day (25 April), Labour Day (1 May), Birthday of late King Sobhuza II (22 July), Independence Day (Somhlolo, 6 September), Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Umhlanga Reed Dance Day (August/September, date fixed at short notice) and Incwala ceremony (December/January, date fixed at short notice).