Swazi Candles

If you're ever near the lush Malkerns Valley in Eswatini, don't miss a stop at Swazi Candles. This local workshop has been handcrafting vibrant candles since 1982 — and they’re unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Their technique traces back to millefiore, the same decorative method that gave Venetian trade beads their legendary status. These beads were once used as currency on the African coast to barter for gold and ivory — and became so popular that North and West African artisans began making their own. That legacy lives on in Eswatini, just not in glass, but in wax.

Swazi Candles uses a hard wax technique inspired by millefiore. The outer shell doesn’t melt; it lights up from the inside, glowing like stained glass.

You’ll also find mini candles (these melt entirely), LED lights wrapped in wax, glycerine soaps, and marula body balm — all handmade on site. You can visit the workshop, watch the artisans work to the rhythm of local music, and take home a candle that keeps glowing long after your trip ends.

Swazi Candles is more than just a store: it’s the heart of a whole creative hub. Around the workshop are local designers, a great tea garden, an art gallery, and a market. Think of it as a small village of craft, where everything has a story — and a bit of fire in it.