Public and private sector leaders have identified the digital economy as a potential new source of growth, jobs and export earnings for Malawi, noting that technology can help address productivity constraints, financial exclusion and export diversification.
The stakeholders made the consensus at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe yesterday during the 2026 ICT Expo that has drawn policymakers, technology firms, financial institutions and development partners to brainstorm on how digitalisation can support economic transformation under Malawi 2063, the country’s long-term development strategy.
In his address at the opening of the expo, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Shadric Namalomba said Malawi could no longer afford to remain on the sidelines while other countries use digital technologies to transform their economies.
“Malawi cannot afford to be a spectator. We must become a player in the digital economy,” he said.
“Digital transformation is a strategic necessity, not an option.”
Namalomba said government plans to ensure that at least 80 percent of Malawians are digitally-connected by 2030 and has already secured resources to construct more than 2 000 communication towers and connect 500 public institutions.
He said digitalisation was now central to government policy, noting that President Peter Mutharika had directed ministries, departments, agencies and the private sector to embrace digital technologies.
While government outlined plans to expand digital infrastructure, industry leaders argued that connectivity alone would not be enough unless it translates into exports, investment and jobs.
ICT Association of Malawi (Ictam) president Clarence Gama said Malawi must move beyond consuming technology and begin creating products and services that can compete internationally.
“We must move from consumers of technology to producers and exporters and creators of digital innovation,” he said.
Gama argued that digital technologies could unlock employment opportunities, foreign exchange earnings and greater competitiveness.
Ictam general manager Andrew Kamwendo said Malawi’s digital economy strategy should be built around ICT exports, trusted digital payments and cyber resilience.
He argued that local innovators and technology firms already possess the skills needed to compete in international markets.
Principal Secretary for E-Government Prosper Mopiwa said government remains committed to supporting ICT growth through policy reforms, innovation and expanded public digital services.
The discussions come at a time when Malawi continues to grapple with foreign exchange shortages, low industrialisation and a narrow export base.
Participants argued that wider adoption of digital technologies could improve productivity across agriculture, trade, tourism, manufacturing and financial services while supporting domestic resource mobilisation through digital tax systems and greater formalisation of economic activity.
