Mbabane - Post Report Question and Answers
What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
It's a hidden gem...the work-life balance is perfect and the people are lovely. The drivers are fine...not too fast and generally observe all the roads rules...though I assume some do not have valid drivers licenses. Plus Swazis like Americans! - Aug 2023
This was the most difficult post to settle into for me. I felt like more could have been done to make my transition easier. As I mentioned, the embassy is about 30 minutes away from most of the housing. So on the first day in the country, I found myself in suburbia with two kids, no groceries, no car (and encouraged not to take taxis!). I felt very alone for the first few weeks. I couldn't come to my "Hail" at the MSG, because I had no way to get there! It was tough to adjust. Coupled with the stress of shipping the dog it was really tough. Since the housing is spread between Ezulweni and Mbabane, the embassy community is kind of fragmented and it took a while to find "our people." Now that we have been here for a while, we are happier here than probably any other post we've served. Note: I think there is new RSO taxi guidance, that gives you a list of 4-5 taxis you can choose from, but if they aren't available then you are stuck. While in Mbabane I use the taxis that are recommended to the NGO staff located up here and have never had any problems. - Oct 2019
It would have been great to know a little more about the lack of healthcare and how hard it is to get a car fixed, but we've been able to manage. - Mar 2015
