Which African country changed its official name from Swaziland in 2018? Eswatini. King Mswati III announced the change from the Kingdom of Swaziland to the Kingdom of Eswatini on 19 April 2018.
Eswatini is the country’s name in the Swazi language and means roughly “land of the Swazis.” The king presented the change as a return to an indigenous name and announced it during celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of independence. It also distinguished the country from Switzerland, with which Swaziland was sometimes confused internationally.
The name change did not represent independence or a change of government. Eswatini had already gained independence from the United Kingdom on 6 September 1968 and remains a monarchy. Mswati III, who became king in 1986, is the country’s head of state.
Another common mix-up is spelling and capitalization. “Eswatini” is the English country name, while “eSwatini” reflects the form often used in local-language contexts and in some official branding. Swazi and English remain the country’s official languages.