BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE: Global winners!
Ngwenya Glass won the prestigious Global Responsible Tourism Award two weeks ago.
The glass manufacturing company won the award on December 27, 2023. This milestone was announced on the Eswatini Tourism page.
Ngwenya was one of five global winners from Africa across the eight categories, highlighting the continent’s growing commitment to sustainable travel practices. Harold Goodwin, Managing Director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership, explained the rigorous process used to decide on the winners that gives these awards such credibility: “We set very specific award categories and always ask for hard evidence of why that applicant feels they deserve to win. We also make sure that judging is done by people who have a strong knowledge of sustainability in that area. We believe this process shines a light on really exceptional examples of responsible tourism around the world.”
Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director with RX Africa Marketing, added: “Considering the rigorous judging criteria, we are especially excited to acknowledge and celebrate our regional finalists, who secured first place in five out of the eight categories. The WTM World Responsible Tourism Awards not only showcase the best of the best in responsible tourism but also set the compass for our global industry in creating sustainable travel and holiday experiences.”
Having won in the Africa version of the Responsible Tourism Awards last year, Ngwenya Glass, one of Eswatini’s most unique tourist experiences, has recently been confirmed as a global winner in the ‘Local Sourcing, Craft, and Food’ category of the 2023 Global Responsible Tourism Awards.
The Global Responsible Tourism Awards are very prestigious awards that reward genuinely responsible and sustainable businesses. With rigorous selection criteria, it is not easy to win.
The judges were impressed by Ngwenya as an outstanding craft enterprise that produces “glassware with purpose; the glass is greener on our side.” Ngwenya Glass repurposes old bottles into handmade glass ornaments and tableware. They melt between 600kg and 1 tonne of broken bottles daily in a furnace burning an 85/15 blend of used cooking oil (mainly KFC) and paraffin.
All the craft products are mouth-blown or hand-sculpted by talented Swazi artisans, who produce 1500 pieces daily. Fifty-nine (59) employees turn waste glass into “products with a purpose” sold on seven continents. Assessed against the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s measuring tool for a circular economy, Ngwenya Glass scored an A, way above the average C. Solar panels provide electricity when the sun shines and use harvested rainwater and recycled paper in their production and packaging.
The establishment attracts 50,000 international tourists on guided tours annually. They accommodate 13 other boutique shops in their indigenous garden, all selling locally produced art and crafts, including artisanal chocolate and gin shops. In 2007, Ngwenya Glass started collaborating with other Swazi handcraft producers, also involved in tourism in the Kingdom, resulting in the eSwatini Fair Trade (SWIFT).
Ngwenya Glass regularly hosts a design workshop, inviting designers and glassblowers from Europe and South Africa to ensure they stay ahead of the world’s design trends and remain a leader in the Southern African art glass community. They also raise considerable sums for local charities each year.
