Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation invited various contractors to tender for the development of a 521-hectare sub-surface drip irrigation system and associated works. The tender was divided into two lots:

  • Lot 1: Construction of a pump station, sand filters, and infield irrigation for 261 hectares.
  • Lot 2: Supply and installation of 7 km of GRP bulk mainlines and infield irrigation for another 261 hectares.


Lot 2, which had a contract value of almost R39 million, was awarded to MBB and Inyatsi Construction. This was mostly because value engineering was used to optimise the design for cost-effectiveness.

Work commenced in August 2024. The scope for Lot 2 included the following works:

  • The installation of a 7 km long GRP bulk mainline of various sizes and the construction of 3 cluster houses. This work was scheduled for completion within 75 days of the project handover.
  • The installation of 261 hectares of infield irrigation.
  • The entire work was scheduled for completion within 105 days of the project handover.


The mainline portions were filled using a water tanker and pressure tested to keep the project moving forward on schedule while waiting for the Lot 1 contractor to finish their side of the work (building the pump station). This initial stage of the project was successfully completed earlier than expected.

The client imposed strict timelines for in-field activities, including debushing, cross-ripping, subsurface drainage, land levelling, and the installation of dripper lines. Due to the complexity and timing of these operations, more than half of the infield drip irrigation installation was completed and planted with sugarcane by the end of November. At this point, the work was paused due to the impending rainy season and high temperatures that would affect germination.

MBB resumed installations in March 2025, and by the end of April, the remaining hectares were successfully completed to the client’s satisfaction.

MBB is proud to be associated with the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation, a 28-year relationship that began with the pioneering of subsurface drip irrigation in Southern Africa.