The Kingdom of Swaziland covers an area of 17 360 km2 in Southern Africa. The country’s estimated 1999 population equaled approximately 985,335. The capital city is Mbabane, Manzini is the other principal town. The official language is SiSwati, however, English is widely spoken in business and commerce. The local currency is Lilangeni (plural Emalangeni). The international time zone is GMT +2 and the international dialing code is +268.

Swaziland has a free market economy, dominated by the private sector. Subsistence agriculture occupies more than 60% of the population. Manufacturing features a number of factories involving the processing of agricultural products. Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore deposits had been depleted by 1978, and health concerns have cut world demand for asbestos. Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa from which it receives nearly all of its imports and to which it sends more than half of its exports.

Water resources

The country’s average annual precipitation is approximately 1200 mm in the west and 400 mm in the east. Total mean annual precipitation equals approximately 14 km3, of which an estimated 12 per cent is runoff. Per capita water consumption for domestic use is 75 m3/year in urban areas and 15 m3/year in rural areas. There are six large dams in operation throughout the country.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy is responsible the country's water resources.

Energy and power sectors

Swaziland’s power is supplied and distributed by the Swaziland Electricity Board (SEB). The SEB is responsible to the Ministry of Works, Power and Communications. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy is the national energy authority. The SEB owns a majority of the country’s power stations. There are also five private power stations, including three sugar mills, one pulp mill, which burn biomass, and a mine which burns coal.

The country’s estimated 1997 total electrical consumption equaled 1004 GWh, of which 210 GWh was supplied by hydroelectric power. Installed capacity is mostly hydro powered. 1997 estimates of the country’s total installed electrical capacity equaled 142 MW, of which 55 MW was installed in hydro projects. There is also a link with ESKOM in South Africa. Swaziland currently imports 90% of its electricity from South Africa. Swaziland has 2 020 million metric tonnes ofcoal reserves in place.

In August 1998, construction began on the Maguga dam. This 343.5 million (Rand) dam, the country's largest public works project, was recently awarded to a Swazi consortium in a joint venture with Group Five of Swaziland, LTA, Grinaker and WBH Swaziland. This dam will bring Swaziland closer to electrical self-sufficiency. The dam will take approximately 31 months to complete.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), in conjunction with the Government and the SEB, is developing plans to finance a 400 kV line project. The 400 kv lines are being established by MOTRACO, a joint venture between Electricidade de Mozambique, ESKOM and SEB. The line will supply the Mozal Aluminium Smelter in Mozambique. The line stretches across Swaziland from Camden in South Africa to a new substation in Maputo, Mozambique.

Hydropower development

Swaziland has a gross theoretical hydropower potential of approximately 3800 GWh/year. In 1992, the technically feasible potential was estimated at 560 GWh/year, of which 300 GWh/year is economically feasible. Approximately 33 percent of the technically feasible potential been exploited.

Existing hydroelectric stations are able to generate 135 GWh/year even during prolonged dry periods. Hydroelectric power generation from the SEB’s hydro capacity in 1995 and early 1996 was 196.8 GWh, 99.6 per cent of its electricity production.

Small hydro

There are five small mini or micro plants in operation, with a total capacity of 9.1 MW. A further 0.3 MW of hydro capacity is under construction, and the 15 MW Maguga station is planned. The Maguga project, currently at the study stage, would also serve as a river control and irrigation scheme.

Future outlook

Upstream abstractions and long-term drought conditions mean that hydro generation is now less favorable in Swaziland than it was in the 1970s, when the existing schemes were built or studied. There is, however, scope for additional dams to be built for river control and irrigation. Deforestation and increasing land use pressure pose sedimentation risks to reservoirs. Runoff has significantly decreased since the late 1970s and it is unlikely that any other hydro schemes will be studied until the regional hydrology has been reassessed.