Eswatini Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Eswatini, known until 2018 as Swaziland, is a small, landlocked kingdom between South Africa and Mozambique. Its people, the Swazi, speak siSwati and English. Emaswati in Britain include students, nurses and professionals.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 10,239 people living in the city had been born in Southern and Eastern African countries other than Kenya, Somalia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, a group that includes Eswatini.

Working for Birmingham

People from Eswatini in Britain work and study in fields such as nursing, healthcare, education and business. Many nurses and carers have come to work in Britain's health and care services, and students return home with skills that benefit their country.

Birmingham grew rich as the city of a thousand trades, and that spirit of making and doing is still strong. Today the trades sit alongside healthcare, education, finance, law, logistics and technology. The Eswatini community brings energy to that mix, from people starting small businesses to those caring for patients, teaching in classrooms and keeping homes and workplaces in good repair.

Culture and community life

Umhlanga, the reed dance, and Incwala, the kingship ceremony, are the country's most famous cultural events. Traditional dress, singing and dance are central to celebrations, and Independence Day on 6 September is marked with pride.

For anyone who wants to learn more, the best introduction is the simplest one: say hello. Birmingham's communities are at their best when they meet, share food and learn from one another, and the Eswatini community is a warm part of that everyday exchange.