Download Eswatini Regions Boundaries (Admin 1)
Free download of all 4 Eswatini (Swaziland) regions — Hhohho, Manzini, Lubombo and Shiselweni — as Shapefile, GeoJSON, KML, SVG, DXF, GeoPackage, TopoJSON, or FlatGeobuf. Loads automatically — pick the format you need.
Boundary data provided by geoBoundaries (Runfola et al., 2020), licensed CC-BY 4.0. Please provide attribution when using this data.
About the Eswatini regions dataset
This page gives you a one-click download of Eswatini’s four regions (tifundza) — the admin level 1 divisions often referred to as districts — in every common geospatial and design format. Data is sourced from geoBoundaries — an open, peer-reviewed dataset maintained by the College of William & Mary and released under CC-BY 4.0. The country was known as Swaziland until 2018; the ISO codes (SZ / SWZ) and the four regions are unchanged.
Regions are the first-level subnational division (ADM1). Below them sit the 59 tinkhundla (ADM2), the constituencies used for elections and local administration. For tinkhundla boundaries, use the administrative boundaries downloader, choose Eswatini and select ADM2. geoBoundaries does not publish ADM3 or deeper for Eswatini.
All 4 Eswatini regions
| Hhohho | SZ-HH | Mbabane |
| Lubombo | SZ-LU | Siteki |
| Manzini | SZ-MA | Manzini |
| Shiselweni | SZ-SH | Nhlangano |
When to use which format
Shapefile
The format most Eswatini searches ask for. Use for desktop GIS workflows in ArcGIS, QGIS or MapInfo. Delivered as a ZIP containing .shp / .dbf / .prj / .shx.
GeoJSON
The most flexible choice — opens in QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, Mapbox, Leaflet, MapLibre, D3 and any web mapping library. Use the simplified version for client-side web maps.
KML
Use for Google Earth and Google My Maps. KML preserves the region name in each feature popup.
GeoPackage
A modern, OGC-standard, single-file SQLite container. Ideal for portable GIS workflows where one file carries the whole dataset.
SVG
Designer-ready vector paths with each region as a separate, labelled path. Opens in Illustrator, Figma, Sketch or Inkscape.
DXF
AutoCAD format for civil engineers and architects. Each region becomes a closed polyline you can layer, colour or extrude.
TopoJSON
A topology-encoded extension of GeoJSON — much smaller for choropleths because adjacent regions share borders. Common in D3.js dashboards.
FlatGeobuf
A binary streaming format optimised for fast loading in MapLibre, OpenLayers or Leaflet. Use when minimum latency matters.
Common uses for Eswatini region boundaries
- • Census and demographic mapping by region (Central Statistical Office data)
- • Health-programme and NGO reporting maps by region and inkhundla
- • Agricultural, land-use and drought-monitoring dashboards
- • Electoral and governance maps (regions → tinkhundla)
- • Choropleths for D3.js, MapLibre or Power BI dashboards
- • Joining survey or programme statistics by region code
- • Posters, infographics and editorial maps (SVG export)
- • Infrastructure and site plans referencing regional borders (DXF export)
Need to process these boundaries before download?
Download the Eswatini regions GeoJSON above, then drop it into the Workflow Builder to simplify, buffer, clip to a bounding box, generate centroids, or chain multiple operations before exporting in any format.
Alternative Eswatini boundary sources
The geoBoundaries data on this page is the easiest one-click option for most use cases. If you need higher-precision or officially maintained data, also consider:
- • Surveyor General’s Department (Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy) — the national mapping authority; authoritative for official boundaries.
- • OCHA / HDX (Common Operational Datasets) — humanitarian admin boundaries for Eswatini at admin 0–2, widely used by UN agencies and NGOs.
- • GADM — generalised administrative boundaries at multiple resolutions; commonly used in academic research.
- • OpenStreetMap — community-edited boundaries via Overpass or Geofabrik extracts; very current but accuracy varies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many regions (districts) does Eswatini have?
Eswatini is divided into four regions: Hhohho (capital Mbabane), Manzini (Manzini), Lubombo (Siteki) and Shiselweni (Nhlangano). They are the first-level administrative division (admin 1 / ADM1) and are often informally called districts. All four load automatically on this page.
Is this the "Swaziland" shapefile?
Yes. Swaziland was renamed Eswatini (the Kingdom of Eswatini) in April 2018; the ISO 3166 codes stayed SZ / SWZ. Older datasets and search results still use the Swaziland name, but the four regions and their boundaries are the same.
What is below the region level — can I get tinkhundla boundaries?
Each region is subdivided into tinkhundla (singular inkhundla), the constituencies used for parliamentary elections and local administration — 59 in total. geoBoundaries publishes these as ADM2 for Eswatini. Use the administrative boundaries downloader, pick Eswatini and select ADM2. There is no ADM3 or deeper level in geoBoundaries for Eswatini.
Where does this Eswatini boundary data come from?
The boundaries are sourced from geoBoundaries (Runfola et al., 2020), an open, peer-reviewed dataset maintained by the College of William & Mary and released under CC-BY 4.0. The authoritative national source is the Surveyor General’s Department in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy; the Central Statistical Office publishes census geography by region and inkhundla.
Which format should I download for QGIS or ArcGIS?
Shapefile is the safest choice for older workflows and comes as a ZIP with .shp / .dbf / .shx / .prj. GeoPackage is the modern single-file equivalent and also opens natively in QGIS and ArcGIS Pro. GeoJSON is best for web maps and scripting.
Can I use this data commercially?
Yes — geoBoundaries data is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY) licence. You can use it in commercial products, modify it and redistribute it as long as you attribute geoBoundaries (Runfola et al., 2020).