BY: PHESHEYA KUNENE | EDITOR
EZULWINI — MTN Eswatini today launched a GPS-based livestock tracking system at Happy Valley Hotel, drawing strong backing from the Ministry of Agriculture and raising hopes among farmers battling a cattle theft crisis worth millions. What the event did not acknowledge was that a local entrepreneur had already brought the same technology to market — and learned about MTN’s launch through social media.
MTN Eswatini CEO Jerry Soko said the system would give farmers real-time visibility over their herds at a time when the sector is bleeding millions of emalangeni annually.
“Livestock is not only an economic asset but also a source of pride and security for many families. Through our animal tracking solution, farmers can monitor the location of their cattle in real time and know where their livestock is at any given moment,” he said.
Hhohho Regional Veterinary Officer Dr. Thembi Ndlangamandla said the technology could have contained last year’s Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak had it been available earlier. For farmer Enock Nkambule from Malindza, the priority was accessibility.
“I am hoping the device will be affordable for farmers. If the cost is within reach, I believe it can help us fight stock theft, which is becoming a serious problem in many communities,” he said.
The urgency is well founded. Between January and October 2025, livestock worth more than E20.5 million was stolen, including approximately 1,689 cattle valued at over E17.3 million.
THE ENTREPRENEUR WHO GOT THERE FIRST
Bheka Tsabedze, founder of Wayfinder Investments, introduced Umelusi GPS to the Eswatini market earlier this year. Agribusiness Media reported in February 2026 that the system was already operational, with installations running across the country. Tsabedze was not present at today’s launch.
“When people started sharing updates online, that is when I became aware of it,” he said.
His path into livestock technology was shaped by personal loss. Raised in Bhunya and trained in engineering and electronics at the Eswatini College of Technology, he spent years installing CCTV systems before unmonitored cattle straying onto a public road led to a fatal accident. That tragedy fixed his attention on a question he could not set aside — why were farmers still losing animals to theft and accidents in an era of smartphones and satellites?
By 2023, that question had become Umelusi. He did not build the technology from scratch. He identified a proven GPS tracking solution, adapted it for local farming conditions, and built a full service model around it — covering installation, farmer training and ongoing herd monitoring support.
The system operates through a GPS ear tag and a reflective collar-mounted tracker, both linked to a farmer’s mobile phone. Geofencing allows farmers to define grazing boundaries. Movement outside those boundaries at unusual hours triggers an instant alert. One unit covers up to ten cattle. Monthly data costs can be as low as E25, with units priced at E1,850. The reflective collar adds a road safety dimension, improving visibility of cattle on public roads at night.
AN OPEN QUESTION
No allegation of wrongdoing has been made. MTN has not been accused of copying Umelusi, and Tsabedze has not made that claim. Both systems are responding to the same documented crisis.
What remains unanswered is whether, at any point in the government’s consultation process on a national digital tracking framework — which Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Sydney Simelane has confirmed is underway, involving MTN Eswatini and the Royal Science and Technology Park — the entrepreneur already deploying the technology on the ground was ever invited to participate.
Asked whether he felt overlooked, Tsabedze was measured.
“I do not have much to say about the MTN device. This is competition and my focus is on improving my own innovation,” he said.
WHAT COMES NEXT
That improvement is already underway. Tsabedze revealed he was developing an international SIM capability for Umelusi after farmers flagged a critical limitation — when cattle cross into South Africa or Mozambique, local SIM cards lose network signal and the tracker goes dark.
“We are currently testing a solution that will allow the device to operate anywhere in the world, even outside Eswatini,” he said.
The upgrade would make Umelusi one of the few livestock tracking solutions in the region capable of seamless cross-border monitoring — a meaningful advantage in a market that today became significantly more competitive.
For an entrepreneur who got there first, the work continues — with or without a seat at the table.
