Controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo receives Eswatini citizenship from King Mswati III
Published: 20/Jun/2026
Source: Billionaires.africa
Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has been granted Eswatini citizenship and a diplomatic passport by King Mswati III following a private audience at the Royal Palace.
Otobong Tommy
Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has been granted Eswatini citizenship and presented with a diplomatic passport by King Mswati III, following a private audience at the Royal Palace in Ezulwini on June 18, expanding his growing network of relationships with African heads of state and monarchs.
Chivayo disclosed the development in a post on his verified Facebook page, accompanied by photographs of himself with the king and holding the diplomatic passport. He said the meeting was among the most significant of his career. “The highlight of my courtesy visit was His Majesty’s most humbling instruction to his administration, which bestowed upon me the highest honour of being granted Eswatini citizenship, as the King accepted me as his young, fellow African son,” he wrote. He added that the diplomatic passport was presented to facilitate ease of travel and business activity in Eswatini and across the continent in connection with infrastructure development pursuits.
According to Chivayo, discussions during the royal audience centred on industrialisation, infrastructure development, energy security and opportunities for increased African-led investment across the Southern African region. King Mswati III is the world’s last absolute monarch and has governed Eswatini since 1986, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving heads of state.
The Eswatini passport adds to a growing portfolio of travel documents and national connections that Chivayo has accumulated across Africa. He received a Kenyan passport in February 2026, a grant that was made public by Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi. His relationship with Kenya’s President William Ruto has been among the most publicly visible of his cross-border political associations, with several meetings at State House in Nairobi and Sagana State Lodge documented through photographs shared on Chivayo’s social media accounts. The Eswatini grant, which came from a sitting monarch rather than an elected executive, signals a broadening of that network into royal circles.