Ecowater as a business unit came about as a result of the Corporation`s entrepreneurial initiative following the desire to diversify sources of revenue. This was a forward looking strategy to ensure that the business could survive economic downturns through a diversified product offering. The bottled water market was becoming too significant to be ignored therefore a decision was taken by management to introduce to the market, brand Ecowater.
This was introduced to be a premium brand and to be associated with the EWSC goodwill. The starting point was to appoint a contract bottler in South Africa to bottle the brand on behalf of the corporation. This was then distributed in Eswatini by the Corporation’s Sales and Marketing team that was set up for the task.
Upon realising the impact the Ecowater brand was making in the market, it was then prudent to prepare for localised bottling of the brand. Sources of pristine spring water were identified and the most appropriate was selected, being the Nkamanzi Area. This was to be the host area for the first Bottled Water Plant in Eswatini. The Nkamanzi Area was selected based on the quality of the water sources. Land was secured through the customary khonta system and the plant was established on Swazi National Land. The water rights were secured as well following all due processes as required by the statutes and regulations governing water abstraction.
To ensure the sustainability and profitability of the unit, a growth path has been mapped. Great emphasis is on growing volumes, customer base and cost containment. A distributor was therefore appointed to exclusively distribute Ecowater products in Eswatini.
