Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) operates on South Africa Standard Time (SAST), which is 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+2). The country does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset remains constant throughout the year.
All of Eswatini follows the same timezone. Major cities including Mbabane, Manzini, Big Bend, and Siteki all observe SAST. Mbabane is the administrative capital, while Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital.
Eswatini is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world. In 2018, King Mswati III changed the country's name from Swaziland to Eswatini, meaning "land of the Swazis," to mark the 50th anniversary of independence. The annual Umhlanga (Reed Dance) ceremony is one of Africa's most colorful cultural events.