Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (Mitc) has taken a bold step towards reshaping the country’s economic landscape via a digital platform designed to modernise and streamline investment and trade processes.
Speaking at the launch of the Smart Connect Portal in Lilongwe on Thursday evening, Mitc director general Kruger Phiri said the development responds to the growing demand for speed, efficiency and transparency in doing business.
He stressed that Malawi must digitise investment and trade systems to remain competitive in the region.
Said Phiri: “The investors we’re targeting are not physically here. They’re in Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania or beyond. We must reach them before they decide.
“With Smart Connect, we’ve put everything online—applications, documents, feedback, thus cutting turnaround time to just five days.”
He said the platform is also about expanding Malawi’s export footprint in high-demand markets such as China, where Malawi has been challenged to supply up to $2 billion worth of soya beans and groundnuts annually.
Ministry of Trade and Industry Principal Secretary Christina Zakeyu said the platform represents a strategic shift in how Malawi engages with business, describing it as a frictionless gateway to opportunity.
She said for the first time, investors can apply for and track investment or export certificates entirely online, without the need to visit any office.
“This is not just digital convenience, it is economic empowerment. Whether you are in Mzimba or Mumbai, Malawi is now within reach,” said Zakeyu.
In an interview, Portland Cement Malawi chief executive officer Jianguo Liu, whose company is investing $100 million in Balaka, said the portal would have made his company’s registration process much smoother.
“This is more than a tool. It’s a bridge between Malawi and global investors,” he said.
Smart Connect is now live and accessible through the Mitc website.
