Country Information
Swaziland, named after the prominent Swazi tribe, is one of Africa’s smallest but wealthiest nations. It is landlocked in the very southeast of the continent by South Africa and Mozambique. Politically, Swaziland is a Monarchy, with the King as the Head of State. It is traditional for the King to reign alongside the Queen Mother, who is seen as the spiritual and national Head of State. The population, as of 2004, is 1.1 million, with a majority of people living in the capital Mbabane and the largest settlement Manzini. The majority of the population are of the Swazi tribe descent with a small number of Zulu and white African descent. 82.7% of them are Christians. For such a small country, Swaziland has a pretty diverse geography, with mountains, savannah and rainforest – it also has a very progressive view towards conservation and there are many national parks to visit. Swaziland actually sued to be part of the British African colonies, but became independent in 1968.
Time
Swaziland is two hours ahead of GMT.
In Africa, time is not a priority like it is in much of the western world – there is a saying that Africa works to ‘Africa Time’, which basically means you must exercise a lot of patience! If a boat is due to leave at 12pm, don’t be surprised if it still hasn’t a couple of hours later… keep an open mind, and arrive ‘expecting the unexpected’.
Getting There
You will need to fly into Manzini International Airport in Swaziland, which will usually be via Johannesburg in South Africa. Upon arrival you will be met by our project coordinator in the arrivals lounge and will then be taken to your project to begin your orientation and settle in.
Climate
Though Swaziland is a small country, the climate still varies from region to region. Altitude plays a major factor in the weather with the higher areas being cloudy, misty and cooler than the rest of the country. The western mountainous region of the country is humid and wet whereas the middle and lowland regions are much drier. As you get farther east the climate goes from sub tropical to more tropical. There are two distinct seasons – the rainy season, which runs from October to May and brings with it warm and wet weather. June to September brings much cooler and drier weather.
