Kwenda, one of Malawi’s travel technology start-up, says it has expanded its footprint to Zambia, its first regional venture since rolling out in 2024.
The firm’s founder and chief executive officer Lumbani Gondwe said on Friday the expansion reflects its ambition to scale across Africa by offering secure, seamless and accessible digital solutions.
He said the expansion also signals growing confidence in Malawi-born technology and demonstrates rising regional demand for modern technology.
technology. | Eric Mtemang’ombe
Said Gondwe: “Expanding into Zambia is a proud and exciting moment for Kwenda. Our mission has always been to make event and travel ticketing simple, secure and accessible. “This move reflects trust in our technology and our vision to serve audiences across Africa.”
Kwenda’s platform offers real-time verification, reduces counterfeit risks, improves crowd management and gives organisers full visibility of sales and attendance data.
Gondwe said the company is preparing strategic partnerships that will anchor its long-term presence in the region.
For Kwenda, the expansion presents both commercial opportunity and a test of scalability. “This is more than growth. It is a chance to deliver reliable, modern solutions to new audiences and elevate their event and travel experiences,” the company said in a statement posted on their website.
Mercy Phiri, a first-time online buyer, said in an interview that the platform eased her shift into digital transactions.
“I had never bought anything online before, but Kwenda made it really easy. Buying my ticket for the air show was simple, and getting in at the event was smooth. Now I feel comfortable buying things online,” she said.
Another user, Cathy Mwaungulu, wrote on Facebook that digital access has eased transaction and ensured financial inclusion.
Kwenda’s move positions it among the few Malawian tech start-ups to expand regionally within their first year.
In an interview on Saturday, information communications technology expert Bram Fudzulani said there is need to promote active and productive usage of digital technologies.
He said infrastructure is available and resilient with more agents and more wallets, but decried constraints imposed by the challenging macroeconomic environment.
“For true financial inclusion, we must shift the focus from simply access to promoting active and productive use of digital financial services which requires a significant improvement in disposable income and overall macroeconomic stability,” said Fudzulani.
In its second quarter National Payment Systems report, the Reserve Bank of Malawi said the payment landscape continues to register mixed fortunes with transaction volumes increasing and values dropping.
The report indicates that the volume of cheques continues to decrease, though marginally while the corresponding value is on the rise.
The data show there are about 20.1 million registered mobile phone network subscribers as at June 30 2025 from 17.6 million during the previous quarter, although the 90-day activity rate for mobile money subscribers declined by 52.14 percent from 56.32 percent in March 2025.
