Minister of Information and Communications Technology Shadric Namalomba has dared Malawian innovators to develop and scale up local digital solutions to make the country a producer of digital systems and boost economic growth.
The minister, speaking during the launch of the inaugural National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Innovation Awards organised by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe yesterday, said time has come for Malawi to position itself as a producer and not a consumer of digital systems.
“When we develop our own solutions, we are creating jobs as well as saving on forex. Most importantly, we should be able to take the innovations onto the world stage,” said Namalomba.
The minister hailed innovations displayed at the launch, including digital tools for crop selection, livestock and plant disease detection as well as platforms enabling farmers to access markets more efficiently.
Particularly, Namalomba highlighted education-focused technologies, noting that some exhibitors developed e-learning platforms capable of delivering lessons from nursery to university level, both online and offline, in response to infrastructure constraints in the education sector.
the innovators. | Courtesy of Macra
He said his ministry is pushing for digital transformation across all sectors, including agriculture, health, education, security, revenue collection and public finance systems.
Said Namalomba: “We called on investors to go beyond corporate social responsibility and actively fund and incubate innovators. Many start-ups lack capital and business development support to scale their ideas into sustainable businesses that could employ people.”
Macra director general Mayamiko Nkoloma said the awards are designed to strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem by providing a platform for visibility, collaboration and growth.
He said: “We are looking at exporting talent and reducing reliance on imported systems that drain foreign exchange.
“As a nation, we have a lot of smart young people who know how to use technology to come up with solutions that can move the country forward.”
Japanese Ambassador Naito Yasushi said the innovation drive has the potential to transform social and economic development if properly supported and linked to global partnerships.
The innovators included Sygen start-up founder McDonald Tony Chimzere who showcased Sygenius, a mobile learning application that provides students with past papers, notes, quizzes and an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered study assistant.
The platform currently has about 6 000 users across Malawi and other countries including South Africa, Kenya and Ghana.
Chimzere said participation in the awards has provided valuable mentorship and exposure, adding that Malawi has the potential to export technology just as it does with traditional commodities.
The 20 top innovations at the event were selected from 226 submissions across the country based on innovation, impact, scalability and technical excellence.
Two best innovators will be announced today and will represent Malawi at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland in July 2026.
