A Meaningful Friendship:

Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane’s first visit to Taiwan ran from October 20‡24, 2025. She spoke to Taiwan Panorama before her departure. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) arranged for Ms. Mkhonta-Simelane to visit the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), the Ministry of Environment, and the Taiwan Visitors Association (TVA) during her stay in Taiwan. “It’s been a very active four days; it’s like we’ve been here for a month.” She went on to describe the visit as “eye opening.” 

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung welcomes Eswatini Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane (third from right) and other Eswatini dignitaries. (courtesy of MOFA)

Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane invites Taiwanese to visit Eswatini, and hopes Taiwan will provide more support to develop tourism to her country.

Promoting tourism

At the TVA, TVA chair Chien Yu-yen served the minister and her delegation bubble tea.

Mkhonta-Similane told us that Eswatini had held an unprecedented domestic dialogue on tourism earlier in 2025, during which stakeholders discussed how to spur tourism, ease visa applications (Taiwan and Eswatini already do not require tourist visas of each other) and establish open skies agreements. They also set a goal of reaching 2 million foreign tourists and 2 billion lilangeni (roughly US$115 million) in tourism revenues by 2027. 

Mkhonta-Simelane believes her nation’s beautiful scenery and traditional Incwala, Umhlanga and Marula festivals offer travelers unique experiences. She hopes Eswatini can forge a memorandum of agreement on tourism with government agencies in Taiwan to permit direct charter flights carrying Taiwanese tourists to these cultural events. 

Chien Yu-yen says that MOFA arranged for Taiwan’s nine largest travel agencies and businesses to scout Eswatini in late 2025. She hopes to see visa-­free itineraries in the future, which will allow high-end ­Taiwanese tourists to visit Eswatini for eco- and cultural tours.

Lulu Chuang, chair of the Leofoo Tourism Group, was part of the delegation and found Eswatini to be both safe and very beautiful. She suggests making animal diplomacy an important part of furthering future exchanges. 

Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane and Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) Administrative Deputy Minister Lin Kuo-shian exchange gifts at the MOTC.

Leofoo Safari Park welcomes the Eswatini delegation with a dance.

A substantial relationship

While visiting with Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming, Mkhonta-Simelane suggested that Eswatini could also collaborate with Taiwan on environmental issues, particularly carbon credits. 

During her visit to the MOTC, Administrative Deputy Minister Lin Kuo-shian said that Taiwan would be happy to share with Eswatini its abundant experience in developing tourism and transportation infrastructure and in training ­professionals. 

Mkhonta-Simelane stressed that His Majesty King Mswati III of Eswatini supports Taiwan being admitted to the United Nations, and that the friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini is beyond the power of words to describe. She reiterated that Taiwan and Eswatini have the potential to cooperate on tourism, transportation and environmental issues, and added that our relationship is going from strength to strength.

The Eswatini delegation visits the Taipei Zoo.

The Eswatini delegation meets with children at the Jane Goodall Sustainability Academy.

Chen Peizhang (right), principal of Long Shan Elementary School in Taipei, welcomes Minister Jane Mkhonta-Simelane (left) and HRH Princess Temaswati Dlamini.