National Youth Council of Malawi (Nycom) and the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) have started assessing youth-led businesses under a joint initiative to support them towards product certification.
The exercise follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two institutions and a subsequent call for applications for youth-led businesses interested in the certification process.
In an interview yesterday, Nycom communications and advocacy officer Joseph Njoka said Nycom and MBS are visiting participating businesses to assess their operations and identify areas that need improvement.
He said: “MBS experts are providing technical guidance on packaging and labelling, food and hygiene practices as well as product-specific processing standards.
“So far, the exercise has covered businesses in Thyolo and Mulanje districts, including enterprises producing honey, crisps and peanut butter.”
Yesterday, the assessment team was in Blantyre and Zomba, continuing the exercise with more participating businesses.
In Blantyre, the team visited Jane Zekeya, a nurse and an entrepreneur who founded VertexClean Chemicals, a small business that produces dishwashing liquid soap.
“I started VertexClean Chemicals in October 2025 to produce quality and affordable dishwashing liquid soap.
“The business is still growing, and I am working towards expanding production and making the product available to more people across the country.”
She said she was looking forward for support and guidance from Nycom and MBS to help her complete the certification process and develop VertexClean Chemicals into a recognised business in Malawi.
The initiative seeks to help youth-led businesses improve product quality, meet national standards and prepare for wider market opportunities.
