Ministry of Trade and Industry says government has intensified efforts to support digital entrepreneurship through a series of policies, programmes and infrastructure improvements.
The ministry’s spokesperson Patrick Botha said in an interview on Tuesday that in view of that, government has key instruments including the National ICT Policy and the Digital Economy Strategy, to create an enabling environment for digital businesses to enhance trade.
He said: “The digital economy is the future and we are ensuring that entrepreneurs have the necessary policies in place to thrive and these policies will boost investment and secure online business transactions.”
Botha said in a bid to equip start-ups with relevant digital skills, ministry has partnered the private sector and development agencies to facilitate training programs.
“Despite progress, challenges such as limited access to high-speed Internet, gaps in digital literacy and cyber security threats still persist,” he said.
But Botha said to tackle the challenges, the government is expanding ICT infrastructure through capacity-building programmes and fostering public-private partnerships.
ICT Association of Malawi president Clarence Gama, in an interview on Wednesday highlighted digital transformation as the key for most start-ups heavily rely on social media e- commerce.
“The advancement of communication technology has made it easier for start-ups to connect with their audience,” he said.
Digital marketing expert at TD Web Solution Tendai Mituka said that businesses are increasingly leveraging platforms such as Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and WhatsApp to boost visibility and engage customers.
He said: “E-commerce is also on the rise, with more companies realising the potential of selling products and services online.
“Digital marketing has opened up new opportunities and there is also a surge in content creation and social media management jobs, creating new income streams for young entrepreneurs, thereby enhancing e-commerce.”
Mituka said digital payment solutions have made transactions seamless.
In a separate interview, Mzuzu-based entrepreneur Joel Nkhata, who owns Double Discount Electronics, said that digital technology has helped his business grow.
“I do not have a physical store, but I use social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and X to sell my products and this helps me to save money.
