Malawi

Caption: Interactive map presenting country specific data, including universities and incubators contacted for the study and the digital innovations identified at the time of the study

Full Country Profile (PDF)

Malawi Ranked 11 out of 16 Countries in the Benchmark

The benchmark assessment reflects the extent to which Malawi is unlocking positive pathways towards a digital economy and supporting a vibrant ecosystem of different actors.  

Caption: Results from Benchmark Assessment for Malawi

Malawi ranked 11 out of 16 in the benchmark assessment which suggests that Malawi is in transition and has some key pillars for a digital economy. 

Malawi ranked highest (4) in the G5 digital economy benchmark, which identifies the presence of policies and regulations that are dynamic and flexible and promote the digital economy. 

Malawi ranked lowest and behind the African median, in ICT infrastructure (which identifies the availability of affordable, accessible, resilient, and reliable infrastructure) and digital skills (which identifies the development of a digitally skilled workforce that is grounded on sound ethical practices and socio-cultural values).

Caption: Overall Benchmark Assessment Results and Rank for all SADC member states

For further information on the benchmark results and regional trends please read the Situational Analysis Report.

Malawi is One of a Few SADC Member States That Has a Digital Economy Strategy

The baseline of national policies, strategies and legislation identified that digitalization is being prioritized.  No specific sectoral strategy or policy on digitalization within agriculture was identified. 

Malawi was one of only a few SADC member states that had a Digital Economy Strategy in place. The national Digital Economy Strategy embodies the whole-of-government approach. The Strategy also takes a forward-thinking approach in addressing challenges to enable a digital economy.  

The strategy also addresses some key challenges for agriculture specifically, such as attempting to reduce post-harvest losses, improving access to agriculture extension services, and increasing access to export markets locally and internationally.

However, greater emphasis is required to ensure buy-in from smallholder farmers, increase digital literacy skills for agriculture stakeholders, and risk mitigation for digital transformation. 

25 Innovations were Identified in Malawi but there was a clear gap around Agri-Digital Financial Services and Smart Farming

All use cases were present in Malawi with the most common providing digital advisory services. Agri-digital financial services and smart farming were also present in Malawi but less common. 

Caption: Diagram illustrating number of identified innovations and their sub use case solutions.

Innovations in Malawi are more present throughout the value chain but are most present in the earlier stages: planning, inputs, access, and on-farm production. 

Caption: Diagram illustrating number of innovations identified in each phase of the value chain.

The top three challenges faced by innovators when applying their solutions are digital literacy, access to devices, and farmer uptake and behavior change. 

Most of the technology and channels required for the innovations in Malawi rely on more modern technology (smartphones) rather than advanced emerging technology (drones etc.).

The results from Malawi suggest there is a clear challenge for innovations to reach financial sustainability. Many innovators noted that they would require subsidies or donor grants to continue. 

Digital Agricultural Courses Are Not Well Integrated into the Curriculum of Higher Education in Malawi 

Low digital literacy is the biggest challenge cited by innovators when implementing their solutions with just under half of innovations struggling with this issue. 

Digital skills education is included as a key priority in the Digital Economy Strategy, and an area that Malawi was significantly lagging in the benchmark. 

Currently, digital agricultural courses do not seem to be well integrated into the curriculum of agricultural higher education in Malawi. 

The entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem are primarily driven by the private sector which is dependent on donor funding to operate. However, they are well prepared to provide the technical and digital trainings required in the Agri-related sector to the youth. 

Digitalization within agricultural policies and plans may not be fully integrated yet and Universities may not be providing adequate training for the agriculture entrepreneurs, but it has not inhibited agricultural innovations operating and establishing in Malawi as evidenced by the findings of this study. 

Icons - credit to NounProject https://thenounproject.com/