By Khumbo Msambala Salanje
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has intensified efforts to position Malawi among Africas emerging digital innovation hubs by calling on young women across the country to submit technology-driven solutions for the Ms. Geek Africa 2026 competition, a continental initiative aimed at empowering girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The annual competition, organised under the Smart Africa alliance, targets girls and young women aged between 13 and 21 from member states, and it seeks innovations capable of addressing some of Africas pressing socio-economic challenges through technology and artificial intelligence.
MACRA Head of International Relations and Corporate Communication, Limbani Nsapato, said in an interview that Malawis participation reflects the regulators broader commitment to promoting innovation, digital inclusion and womens participation in the countrys growing digital economy.Nsapato said the initiative is aligned with the African Unions Agenda 2063, which places young people at the centre of Africas digital transformation agenda, while encouraging member states to invest in youth-led technological solutions.
“Participation in Ms. Geek Africa is also a strong statement about girl child inclusion in the digital space because it ensures that young women are not left behind in STEM and ICT but they are, instead, given a platform to innovate, compete and lead,” said Nsapato.
He added that the platform gives Malawi an opportunity to showcase homegrown innovations, build strategic partnerships and strengthen the countrys ICT sector through exposure to regional and international innovation ecosystems.
Nsapato further said MACRA will provide technical and financial support to the eventual national winner, while also offering mentorship, visibility and possible connections to investors to help scale up innovative projects beyond the competition stage.
Commenting on the significance of the initiative, multi award winning innovator and clean energy advocate, Innocent Mandili, said platforms like Ms. Geek Africa are critical in helping young innovators gain confidence, exposure and access to opportunities capable of transforming their futures.
Mandili said many young people in Malawi possess innovative ideas but often lack mentorship, support systems and international exposure needed to compete effectively on the global stage.
“MACRA is playing an important role in promoting innovation and digital transformation in Malawi through such initiatives because by investing in young innovators, and creating platforms for them to compete and share ideas, it is helping build a generation capable of solving local challenges through technology,” he said.
Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) scholar Mayeso Kachingwe also described Ms. Geek Africa as a transformative platform capable of advancing innovation, digital inclusion and youth empowerment, while helping address the long-standing underrepresentation of women and girls in STEM fields.Malawi has already registered success in previous editions of the competition through innovators such as Shyreen Kalulu, a fourth-year Information Systems student at the University of Malawi (UNIMA).
Kalulu won the national title in 2025 before representing the country at the continental finals in Kigali, Rwanda, where her AI-powered maternal health innovation, AMINA, earned recognition for addressing maternal health challenges in rural communities with limited internet access.
