The ICT sec\u00adtor is expec\u00adted to shift from pilot projects to policy enforce\u00adment in 2026, with a focus on clear\u00ading the 100,000plus pass\u00adport back\u00adlog and ensur\u00ading full oper\u00ada\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adisa\u00adtion of gov\u00adern\u00adment digital sys\u00adtems.<\/p>\n
In an inter\u00adview, ICT expert and former pres\u00adid\u00adent of the ICT Asso\u00adci\u00adation of Malawi (ICTAM) Bram Fudzu\u00adlani said the Depart\u00adment of e-Gov\u00adern\u00adment would be under immense pres\u00adsure to onboard all major min\u00adis\u00adtries, depart\u00adments and agen\u00adcies onto the Enter\u00adprise Ser\u00advice Bus for the inter\u00adop\u00ader\u00adab\u00adil\u00adity of gov\u00adern\u00adment sys\u00adtems.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy mid-2026, the Digit\u00adal\u00adisa\u00adtion Policy must move from a doc\u00adu\u00adment on a shelf to a lived real\u00adity where driver\u2019s licence renew\u00adals and national ID applic\u00ada\u00adtions and pay\u00adments are fully online,\u201d Fudzu\u00adlani said.<\/p>\n
He said the oper\u00ada\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adisa\u00adtion of the smart\u00adphone local assembly plant would help shift from con\u00adnectiv\u00adity to con\u00adtent, cre\u00adat\u00ading more apps for gov\u00adern\u00adment pay\u00adments and digital agri\u00adcul\u00adture. To enhance ICT uptake in 2026, experts are call\u00ading for apprais\u00adals of prin\u00adcipal sec\u00adret\u00adar\u00adies to be strictly tied to the Malawi Digit\u00adal\u00adisa\u00adtion Policy, meas\u00adur\u00ading suc\u00adcess by how many depart\u00admental ser\u00advices are avail\u00adable online.<\/p>\n
Fudzu\u00adlani sug\u00adges\u00adted that the gov\u00adern\u00adment should part\u00adner with tele\u00adcom\u00admu\u00adnic\u00ada\u00adtions com\u00adpan\u00adies to zero-rate all traffic to offi\u00adcial gov\u00adern\u00adment portals to encour\u00adage cit\u00adizens to use digital tools. \u201cIf it costs zero data to apply for a national ID online, the uptake will hap\u00adpen nat\u00adur\u00adally,\u201d he said. Cur\u00adrent Ictam Pres\u00adid\u00adent Clar\u00adence Gama said the out\u00adlook for 2026 is cau\u00adtiously optim\u00adistic, but suc\u00adcess will depend heav\u00adily on improve\u00adments in net\u00adwork sta\u00adbil\u00adity and qual\u00adity of ser\u00advice.<\/p>\n
He said it was cru\u00adcial that the two main mobile net\u00adwork oper\u00adat\u00adors, TNM and Air\u00adtel, pri\u00ador\u00adit\u00adise improve\u00adments in qual\u00adity of ser\u00advice to ensure reli\u00adable ser\u00advices for both con\u00adsumers and crit\u00adical pub\u00adlic plat\u00adforms.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Malawi con\u00adtin\u00adues to digit\u00adise pub\u00adlic and private ser\u00advices, ICT infra\u00adstruc\u00adture is no longer optional\u2014it is found\u00ada\u00adtional,\u201d Gama said. Other sug\u00adges\u00adtions include remov\u00ading VAT and import duties on entry-level smart\u00adphones, final\u00adising incent\u00adives for local assembly plants and estab\u00adlish\u00ading AI innov\u00ada\u00adtion hubs to develop voice-based inter\u00adfaces in local lan\u00adguages.<\/p>\n
Gama emphas\u00adised the need for mobile net\u00adwork oper\u00adat\u00adors to invest in resi\u00adli\u00adent and high-capa\u00adcity infra\u00adstruc\u00adture, strengthen reg\u00adu\u00adlat\u00adory enforce\u00adment of QoS stand\u00adards and expand digital skills and cyber\u00adse\u00adcur\u00adity aware\u00adness. In 2025, the sec\u00adtor recor\u00added mod\u00ader\u00adate growth, driven mainly by mobile con\u00adnectiv\u00adity and digital fin\u00adan\u00adcial ser\u00advices.<\/p>\n
Malawi had over 13 mil\u00adlion mobile con\u00adnec\u00adtions, rep\u00adres\u00adent\u00ading more than 60 per\u00adcent of the pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion while inter\u00adnet usage remained below 20 per\u00adcent. Major chal\u00adlenges included the pass\u00adport sys\u00adtem trans\u00adition, poor qual\u00adity of ser\u00advice from mobile net\u00adwork oper\u00adat\u00adors, for\u00adeign exchange con\u00adstraints and high costs of data and devices.<\/p>\n
The year also saw sig\u00adni\u00adfic\u00adant oppor\u00adtun\u00adit\u00adies, includ\u00ading the launch of the Pub\u00adlic Sec\u00adtor Reforms Inform\u00ada\u00adtion Man\u00adage\u00adment Sys\u00adtem in Decem\u00adber and the Malawi National Single Win\u00addow in May, which began integ\u00adrat\u00ading trade-related agen\u00adcies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The ICT sec\u00adtor is expec\u00adted to shift from pilot projects to policy enforce\u00adment in 2026, with a focus on clear\u00ading the 100,000plus pass\u00adport back\u00adlog and ensur\u00ading full oper\u00ada\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adisa\u00adtion of gov\u00adern\u00adment digital sys\u00adtems. In an inter\u00adview, ICT expert and former pres\u00adid\u00adent of the ICT Asso\u00adci\u00adation of Malawi (ICTAM) Bram Fudzu\u00adlani said the Depart\u00adment of e-Gov\u00adern\u00adment would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":76097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-photo"],"yoast_head":"\n