Manzini: Markets, Crafts and City Tours

Markets and Crafts in Manzini

Get to know Manzini through its markets and a city history tour. Crafts, insights into how they are made and historic sites offer different perspectives to help you plan your trip.

Manzini’s city market has a craft section with intricately made products. Many are hand-carved on site. A visit therefore focuses both on the finished crafts and on the work involved in making them.

The Thursday market brings together vendors of handmade crafts every week. Visitors can watch some of the products being woven on site. If you are interested in traditional ways of making crafts, this offers a firsthand look at the market in action.

Eco-City Tour and Annual Fair

The Manzini Eco-City Tour visits historic sites around the city and is led by knowledgeable local guides. You can choose between a walking tour and a shuttle tour. The Gordon Bennett Store is among the listed stops. The tour is intended to be booked in advance. The two formats give you a choice in how you explore the historic sites.

The Eswatini International Trade Fair is held annually in Manzini. Businesses and organisations use it to showcase their products and services. If you would like to include the fair in your travel plans, check the current event dates.

More topics in the wider destination of Swaziland

King Sobhuza II Park is in Lobamba and is a national monument that was officially opened on 13 May 1994. A domed structure houses a larger-than-life statue of King Sobhuza II and two symbolic lions.

Malolotja Nature Reserve covers more than 18,000 hectares of mountain wilderness in north-western Eswatini. The Malolotja Canopy Tour® is located within the reserve. It includes eleven elevated platforms in the forest, ten zip lines and a 50-metre suspension bridge over the Majolomba River. Check whether the tour is currently operating before your trip.

Visitors can explore 54 kilometres of roads for wildlife viewing in Mlawula Nature Reserve. The exhibits at the Eswatini National Museum trace the history of the EmaSwati from the Stone Age through the colonial period to independence. Lion Cavern is located at Ngwenya Mine, considered the oldest mine in the world.

Boating and fishing are possible on Maguga Dam. Check whether these activities are currently available before your trip. Local transport in Swaziland includes buses and kombis (shared taxis). For a short stay of two weeks, self-driving may be one way to explore the country; check local transport services and road conditions.

Discover more destinations: Manzini, Malkerns, Hhohho, Lubombo, Shiselweni.

Return to the main travel overview: Swaziland.