Macra for data monetisation

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) says it is discussing with big online platforms such as Google and Meta, owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to facilitate data monetisation in the country.

Macra director general Daud Suleman said this in Blantyre during the handover of content production equipment worth K400 million to Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas).

He said producers of content in Malawi are not economically benefitting from content is shared online due to the gap that has been there in terms of monetisation of the digital content between the consumers and the producers.

Said Suleman: “Producers need to earn something out of the content they produce. There are a number of models that exist. The gap can be filled by Macra, Reserve Bank of Malawi and the big online platforms such as Google and Meta.”

He said Macra is working with institutions such as Mubas to ensure they become centres where digital content can be produced across Malawi for consumption thereby uplifting the national economy.

During the ceremony, Macra donated sound proofing (acoustic) material, cameras, multimedia editing suites, media storage servers, lighting, workstations, and fibre optic gigabit ethernet network switches.

In his speech, the Macra director general expressed reservations over the quantity of the equipment in line with the price. He said had everything gone according to the arrangement, they could have donated more.

Receiving the equipment, Mubas Vice-Chancellor Nancy Chitera thanked Macra for the top-range equipment, saying it will help the university achieve its goal of widening access and producing students that are able to create jobs after graduation.

Besides the equipment, Macra is also constructing a state-of-the-art studio at Mubas Campus to ensure that the media and journalism students come out fully baked with top notch skills in content production.

Macra board member Alekeni Menyani said the authority is striving to support broadcasters so that they meet its licensing condition of providing a minimum of 60 percent local content..