The capital derives its name from a Chief, Mbabane Kunene, who lived in the area when British settlers arrived. The current town dates back to 1887 and the area rapidly became part of the transport route from the Transvaal to Mozambique- later known as Ndelakayomi (path never empty) due to such heavy traffic.

In 1902, the newly established British protectorate chose Mbabane as their new headquarters due to it being cooler than their previous administration in Manzini.

Mbabane may well not have become the capital of Swaziland had the British not won the Anglo-Boer war. During the 1890’s, the Boer administration had earmarked Manzini (then Bremersdorp) for the main centre, preferring the warm climate of the Middleveld area. All that changed when the British won the war and Swaziland subsequently became a protectorate of Britain. This followed protests by the Swazis against becoming a dependency of the Transvaal Republic and a request was made to Queen Victoria to establish a protectorate over them.“’Not because they love her the more, but because they feared her the less’”, wrote author Allister Miller” (From 'Mbabane into the Millennium' published 1999).

Mbabane was founded in 1903 when Swaziland fell under British protection and the new government opted for the cooler climate of the Highveld. In any case, Bremersdorp had been looted and burned down!