Country Profile on AI Governance: Malawi

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. Southern Africa mean 2.04 · all 54 states mean 1.76.

1. S1.1

   National AI strategy existence

   Score 2 / 4

   The National AI Strategy outlines a five-year plan for 2026-2031, establishing a national policy position and governance framework. However, the document is currently labeled as draft v0, and formal adoption has not been confirmed.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

2. S1.2

   Strategy adoption date

   Score 0 / 4

   The draft strategy outlines the period from 2026 to 2031; however, a formal adoption date is neither specified nor independently verified.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: none (adoption date). No formally adopted national AI strategy.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

3. S1.3

   Political commitment signals

   Score 2 / 4

   Draft states AI is aligned to economic stabilisation and broader reform proposals, including a High-Level Digital and AI Council under the Office of the President and Cabinet.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

4. S1.4

   Dedicated AI budget allocation

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly available, dedicated budget line for AI governance or AI development was identified.

5. S1.5

   AU Continental AI Strategy alignment

   Score 2 / 4

   The Draft Strategy states that it aligns with the digital cooperation frameworks of AU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and adopts the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI as the basis for responsible AI governance.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

6. S1.6

   Multi-stakeholder consultation

   Score 2 / 4

   The validation workshop and reported stakeholder consultations indicate that formal consultation will occur before finalisation.

   Sources techhiveadvisory.africa (opens in a new tab)

7. S1.7

   Sector prioritisation

   Score 3 / 4

   Draft identifies priority programmes in public financial management/economic stabilisation, agriculture and food security, health system strengthening, and education/human capital, with scope and safeguards for each.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

8. S1.8

   Implementation roadmap

   Score 3 / 4

   The draft outlines a phased roadmap comprising Phase 1: governance and foundational activities (2026-2027), Phase 2: flagship pilots and controlled scaling (2027-2029), and Phase 3: institutionalisation and reuse (2029-2031).

   Note: A phased plan exists in the draft; implementation has not yet been evidenced.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

9. S1.9

   Monitoring and evaluation framework

   Score 2 / 4

   The draft encompasses monitoring, evaluation, and risk management, addressing development impact indicators, responsible AI compliance monitoring, readiness reassessment, and public transparency reporting.

   Note: Framework proposed in draft; no active reporting yet.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

10. S1.10

    Strategy review mechanism

    Score 2 / 4

    The draft provides for monitoring, periodic readiness reassessment, public transparency reporting, and a mid-term review.

    Note: Scheduled/adaptive review is proposed, not yet implemented.

    Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. Southern Africa mean 1.43 · all 54 states mean 1.32.

1. G2.1

   AI-specific legislation

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-specific law has been identified. AI governance is presently addressed through policy development in draft strategy processes rather than through enacted legislation.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

2. G2.2

   Data protection law status

   Score 4 / 4

   The Data Protection Act, 2024, is currently in force and establishes the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) as the official Data Protection Authority. Under this legislation, MACRA is responsible for overseeing the collection and processing of personal data by organisations, which has direct implications for AI tools that use personal information.

   Sources dpa.mw (opens in a new tab)

3. G2.3

   DPA AI mandate

   Score 2 / 4

   There is no explicit regulatory mandate for artificial intelligence; however, data protection rules address automated processing and decision-making, and the DPA regulates personal data processing relevant to AI.

   Note: AI-relevant mandate through data protection, not a dedicated AI mandate.

   Sources dpa.mw (opens in a new tab)

4. G2.4

   DPA staffing and budget

   Score 0 / 4

   There is no reliable public data regarding the number of full-time staff or the annual budget of the DPA.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

5. G2.5

   AI regulatory body existence

   Score 1 / 4

   The draft proposes creating a Digital Transformation and AI Council for policy oversight and an AI Delivery Unit for standards enforcement, registry management, and technical review. However, operational establishment has not been confirmed.

   Note: The score refers to the proposed body or council as outlined in the draft, not to any operational institution.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

6. G2.6

   Institutional design model

   Score 2 / 4

   The draft institutional model consists of several layers, including the Digital Transformation and AI Council, AI Delivery Unit, Data Protection Commissioner, sector regulators, audit institutions, and ministries, each retaining specific implementation responsibilities.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

7. G2.7

   Malabo Convention ratification

   Score 0 / 4

   Malawi has not ratified the AU Malabo Convention.

   Sources datalaw.africa (opens in a new tab)

8. G2.8

   Enforcement actions taken

   Score 0 / 4

   There is no evidence of publicly documented enforcement actions, investigations, fines, or remedial orders specific to artificial intelligence.

   Sources techandjustice.bsg.ox.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)

9. G2.9

   Extraterritorial provisions

   Score 3 / 4

   The Data Protection Act governs data processing activities within Malawi and may also extend to entities located outside Malawi that provide goods or services to, or monitor, individuals in Malawi.

   Sources dpa.mw (opens in a new tab)

10. G2.10

    IP framework for AI

    Score 0 / 4

    There is no public evidence that Malawi has reviewed or amended its IP law to address AI-generated content.

Mean of the 8 scored indicators; 2 carry no score. Southern Africa mean 1.77 · all 54 states mean 1.51.

No score: 1 not applicable, 1 context only.

1. I3.1

   Data center count

   Score 2 / 4

   Malawi currently has 2 primary state-operated National Data Centres: one in Lilongwe and one in Blantyre.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value read from the evidence: "Malawi currently has 2 primary state-operated National Data Centres" [state-operated, not stated to be commercial]. Listed for second-edition review: The count of 2 is of state-operated national data centres. The rule counts commercial facilities.

   Sources undp.org (opens in a new tab)

2. I3.2

   Data center capacity (MW)

   Score 0 / 4

   No reliable public data was found regarding the total power capacity of commercial or national data centres.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

3. I3.3

   Submarine cable landing points

   ○N/A: Does not apply to this country

   Malawi is landlocked and has no physical submarine cable landing point; connectivity depends on terrestrial/cross-border links and virtual landing arrangements.

   Scoring basis Not applicable; excluded from the pillar mean. Landlocked: excluded from P3 (geography is not governance).

4. I3.4

   International bandwidth (Gbps)

   Score 1 / 4

   Official account of the Malawi Government

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. 12.5 Gbps ÷ 21.66m = 0.58 Gbps per million.

   Sources facebook.com (opens in a new tab)

5. I3.5

   Hyperscaler presence

   Score 0 / 4

   No global hyperscale cloud providers (like AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure) have local physical infrastructure or direct public cloud on-ramps in Malawi. Malawi relies entirely on terrestrial fibre backhaul through neighbouring countries.

6. I3.6

   GPU/HPC access

   Score 1 / 4

   Malawi has emerging local compute initiatives and its first AI/STEAM centre, but no national GPU or HPC facility has been identified.

   Sources voanews.com (opens in a new tab)

7. I3.7

   Data localisation provisions

   Score 1 / 4

   No broad data localisation law found; however government data-centre initiatives and public-sector hosting create domestic data-hosting capacity.

   Note: DPA is primarily data protection/cross-border transfer regulation, not strict localisation.

   Sources documents1.worldbank.org (opens in a new tab)

8. I3.8

   Cross-border data flow framework

   Score 3 / 4

   DPA establishes a legal framework for data transfers and processing, including protections relevant to cross-border personal data processing.

   Sources dpa.mw (opens in a new tab)

9. I3.9

   Foreign AI surveillance spending

   ○Context only: Context flag outside the score

   No evidence of public spending on foreign AI surveillance systems has been found.

   Scoring basis Context flag; outside the score. Raw value read from the evidence: "No evidence of public spending on foreign AI surveillance systems has been found." [fellow entered "Unknown"].

10. I3.10

    Sovereign cloud initiatives

    Score 2 / 4

    Government National Data Centre in Lilongwe is documented as hosting critical government systems; expansion/secure hosting is part of Digital Malawi acceleration.

    Sources pppc.mw (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. Southern Africa mean 1.40 · all 54 states mean 1.20.

1. H4.1

   AI researchers per million

   Score 0 / 4

   No reliable country-level estimate of AI researchers per million population was identified.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

2. H4.2

   DPA staff with AI competency

   Score 0 / 4

   No public data on DPA staff with AI technical competency was identified.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

3. H4.3

   University AI programs

   Score 4 / 4

   Multiple higher-education signals exist: MUST launched an AI/STEAM centre; MUBAS teaches/researches AI, ML, cybersecurity and data science; UNIMA offers Applied AI certificate.

   Note: Score reflects AI-related programmes/centres, not a verified count of full AI degree programmes.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

   Sources voanews.com (opens in a new tab)

4. H4.4

   African-authored AI publications

   Score 2 / 4

   Research on AI and ML at domestic institutions in Malawi, primarily the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) and Nkhoma University, covers healthcare, education, and legal technology.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. 26.3 papers/yr ÷ 21.66m people = 1.22 per million (floors applied).

   Sources researchgate.net (opens in a new tab)

5. H4.5

   AI patents filed

   Score 0 / 4

   No verified annual count of AI-related patents filed domestically was found.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

6. H4.6

   K-12 CS education

   Score 2 / 4

   K-12 computer science education in Malawi is in an evolving, transitional phase. While recognised as crucial for national development under the Malawi 2063 vision, implementation remains highly limited. Computer Studies is an optional subject at the senior secondary level, but systemic challenges heavily restrict widespread access.

   Sources inria.hal.science (opens in a new tab)

7. H4.7

   AI workforce training programs

   Score 3 / 4

   The government is driving AI reskilling and upskilling primarily through the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT), as part of the country's Malawi Vision 2063 and the National Digitization Policy.

   Sources digmap.pppc.mw (opens in a new tab)

8. H4.8

   Labour transition policy

   Score 2 / 4

   The framework guiding Malawi’s transition in artificial intelligence and the labour market is primarily informed by the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) Vision and the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. These initiatives operate in coordination with the Ministry of Labour, Skills and Innovation as well as the Ministry of Information and Digitalisation.

   Sources npc.mw (opens in a new tab)

9. H4.9

   Informal economy AI assessment

   Score 0 / 4

   There is no published government assessment of AI impacts on Malawi’s informal economy.

10. H4.10

    African language NLP coverage

    Score 4 / 4

    Chichewa has active NLP/ASR research and dataset efforts, but remains low-resource; meaningful LLM/NLP support is limited.

    Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 1 of 1 (languages supported / major languages), normalised 100. 100% of major domestic languages. Raw value read from the evidence: "Chichewa has active NLP/ASR research and dataset efforts, but remains low-resource" [denominator (set by the editors, not taken from the profile text): Chichewa. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

    Sources openreview.net (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. Southern Africa mean 1.16 · all 54 states mean 1.05.

1. N5.1

   AI companies count

   Score 1 / 4

   Although no official registry provides an exact number, some digital and AI development firms operate mainly in Lilongwe and Blantyre. The ecosystem consists primarily of ICT agencies, university research hubs, and international tech providers. However, the count is unknown.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

   Sources medium.com (opens in a new tab)

2. N5.2

   Private AI investment (USD)

   Score 0 / 4

   There is no exact figure or official annual tracking for total private AI investment.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

3. N5.3

   AI incubators/accelerators

   Score 0 / 4

   Currently, there are no AI-focused incubators or accelerators.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (incubators/accelerators).

4. N5.4

   Regulatory sandbox (AI)

   Score 1 / 4

   The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is preparing to launch a regulatory sandbox specifically designed to help innovators safely test emerging technologies, including AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Over-the-Top (OTT) services.

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

5. N5.5

   Government AI procurement

   Score 0 / 4

   No public evidence of a formal government AI procurement framework or preference for domestic AI developers was identified. The draft policy stipulates the necessity for AI procurement and lifecycle governance, encompassing aspects such as portability, security, audit access, incident reporting, knowledge transfer, and oversight by the AI Delivery Unit.

   Note: Ad hoc digital procurement may exist but is not AI-specific. Formal procurement governance proposed in draft; not yet implemented.

   Sources hdr.undp.org (opens in a new tab)

6. N5.6

   AI safety evaluation capacity

   Score 1 / 4

   AI/STEAM center and academic AI research have limited evaluation and research capacity; no government or accredited AI safety testing facilities have been found.

   Note: Academic research capacity only.

   Sources voanews.com (opens in a new tab)

7. N5.7

   ISO/IEC 42001 adoption

   Score 0 / 4

   No public evidence of ISO/IEC 42001 adoption.

8. N5.8

   Standards body AI competency

   Score 1 / 4

   Malawi Bureau of Standards exists, but no AI-specific technical committee was identified in public sources.

9. N5.9

   AI risk assessment frameworks

   Score 0 / 4

   No sector-specific or cross-sector AI risk assessment frameworks were identified.

   Sources cajnewsafrica.com (opens in a new tab)

10. N5.10

    University-industry AI partnerships

    Score 1 / 4

    Formal AI research partnerships in Malawi are primarily driven by academic institutions collaborating with local industries, international NGOs, and technology firms to tackle socioeconomic challenges in agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing.

    Sources iafrica.com (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. Southern Africa mean 1.48 · all 54 states mean 1.26.

1. E6.1

   Algorithmic impact assessment

   Score 0 / 4

   No legal requirement for algorithmic impact assessments was identified.

2. E6.2

   Bias audit requirements

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI bias-audit requirement was identified.

3. E6.3

   Transparency obligations

   Score 1 / 4

   General data protection transparency rights exist; however, no specific transparency obligations for high-risk AI systems were identified.

   Note: Privacy transparency only; not AI-specific.

   Sources dpa.mw (opens in a new tab)

4. E6.4

   Citizen redress mechanism

   Score 2 / 4

   Citizens can use pathways for complaints and redress regarding personal data harms; however, no specific complaint channel for AI was identified.

   Note: DPA complaint route is relevant if AI involves personal data.

   Sources dpa.mw (opens in a new tab)

5. E6.5

   Judicial AI remedy

   Score 1 / 4

   Courts can hear disputes under general law/data protection, but no AI-specific judicial precedent or specialist tribunal was identified.

   Note: Emerging/general jurisdiction only.

   Sources dpa.mw (opens in a new tab)

6. E6.6

   AI advisory body diversity

   Score 0 / 4

   No national AI advisory body was identified; therefore no evidence on its diversity.

   Note: Could change when strategy is finalised.

   Sources cajnewsafrica.com (opens in a new tab)

7. E6.7

   Global AI governance participation

   Score 2 / 4

   Malawi participated in UNESCO Global Forum on Ethics of AI through the Minister of Higher Education, signalling active global engagement.

   Sources mbc.mw (opens in a new tab)

8. E6.8

   Civil society AI engagement

   Score 2 / 4

   Strategy validation and stakeholder consultations show civil-society/multi-stakeholder engagement; no permanent co-governance mechanism identified.

   Sources techhiveadvisory.africa (opens in a new tab)

9. E6.9

   African ethical framework reference

   Score 0 / 4

   No public Malawi AI governance document was found that substantively references African ethical principles such as Ubuntu.

   Note: Continental documents do reference African ethical framing, but not verified in Malawi draft.

   Sources cajnewsafrica.com (opens in a new tab)

10. E6.10

    Youth participation

    Score 1 / 4

    Youth inclusion is mentioned in broader digital/inclusive-development discourse, but no formal youth decision-making mechanism for AI governance was identified.

    Sources undp.org (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. Southern Africa mean 1.62 · all 54 states mean 1.55.

1. R7.1

   AU AI Strategy alignment

   Score 1 / 4

   Draft AI Strategy is aligned with Malawi 2063 and national digitalisation policy; no formal AU Continental AI Strategy alignment process was identified.

   Sources cajnewsafrica.com (opens in a new tab)

2. R7.2

   Kigali Declaration endorsement

   Score 3 / 4

   Public reporting indicates over 40 African nations, including Malawi, adopted/endorsed the Africa Declaration on AI at Kigali.

   Scoring basis Official signatory list applied. Signatory of the Africa Declaration on AI (Kigali, 4 April 2025), C4IR list: "Endorsed" = 3.

   Sources c4ir.rw (opens in a new tab)

3. R7.3

   REC AI governance coordination

   Score 0 / 4

   Malawi participates in SADC/AU digital policy spaces, but no specific REC-level AI governance coordination mechanism was identified.

   Sources mbc.mw (opens in a new tab)

4. R7.4

   Cross-border AI agreements

   Score 0 / 4

   No bilateral or multilateral AI governance cooperation agreement specific to Malawi was identified.

5. R7.5

   Election integrity AI provisions

   Score 0 / 4

   No Malawi legal or institutional provisions specifically addressing AI in elections were identified.

6. R7.6

   Disinformation response framework

   Score 1 / 4

   No AI-generated disinformation framework was identified, but civil society/media discussions about deepfakes and misinformation are emerging.

   Sources africabrief.substack.com (opens in a new tab)

7. R7.7

   AI election incidents documented

   Score 0 / 4

   No documented AI-related election interference incidents in Malawi were found in major public AI incident trackers.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Scored on documented institutional response, not incident count. Raw value read from the evidence: "No Malawi legal or institutional provisions specifically addressing AI in elections were identified." [incidents: 0; R7.6 no framework identified]. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

   Sources oecd.ai (opens in a new tab)

8. R7.8

   Platform content moderation

   Score 0 / 4

   No formal platform content-moderation requirements or AI content-moderation engagement for Malawi were identified.

   Sources oecd.ai (opens in a new tab)

9. R7.9

   Geneva Dialogue participation

   Score 0 / 4

   No public evidence was found of Malawi’s planned participation in the July 2026 UN Global Dialogue/Geneva AI governance launch.

   Note: Update if official delegation list becomes available.

10. R7.10

    G20/multilateral AI engagement

    Score 1 / 4

    Malawi engages in global AI ethics forums through UNESCO participation, but no active G20/BRICS-level AI governance role was identified.

    Note: Multilateral engagement exists but not through G20/BRICS.

    Sources mbc.mw (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. Southern Africa mean 0.70 · all 54 states mean 0.78.

1. M8.1

   AI governance budget disbursed

   Score 0 / 4

   No actual budget disbursement figure for AI governance was identified.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

2. M8.2

   Health AI regulation

   Score 1 / 4

   AI is being deployed in healthcare (AI-enabled fetal monitoring at Area 25 Health Centre), but no AI-specific health regulation/guidelines were identified.

   Note: Use under discussion/early deployment; regulation absent.

   Sources theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)

3. M8.3

   Health AI devices approved

   Score 0 / 4

   No formal approval count for AI health devices/tools by a Malawian regulator was identified.

   Note: Clinical deployment reported; regulatory approval record not found.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

   Sources theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)

4. M8.4

   Government AI system registry

   Score 0 / 4

   No government registry of AI systems in use was identified.

5. M8.5

   AI governance M&E reports

   Score 0 / 4

   No published M&E reports on AI governance implementation were identified.

   Note: Strategy not yet final/implemented.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (reports). Raw value read from the evidence: "No published M&E reports on AI governance implementation were identified." Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

6. M8.6

   Agriculture AI governance

   Score 1 / 4

   Agriculture is identified as a priority sector in draft strategy discussions, but no agriculture-specific AI governance provisions were found.

   Note: Under discussion only.

   Sources digital-ai.idt4m.org (opens in a new tab)

7. M8.7

   Financial services AI governance

   Score 0 / 4

   No financial-services-specific AI governance provisions were identified.

   Note: General data protection/cyber rules may apply.

   Sources undp.org (opens in a new tab)

8. M8.8

   Education AI governance

   Score 1 / 4

   Education is identified as a priority sector and AI training programmes exist, but no education AI governance policy/guidelines were found.

   Note: Under discussion/early capacity building only.

   Sources techhiveadvisory.africa (opens in a new tab)

9. M8.9

   Measurable governance outcomes

   Score 1 / 4

   A reported health AI deployment showed an 82% reduction in stillbirths/neonatal deaths at Area 25, but this is an implementation outcome rather than an AI governance outcome.

   Sources theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)

10. M8.10

    WHO AI health guidance adoption

    Score 1 / 4

    Malawi engages with UNESCO ethical AI and health-AI topics are in policy discourse, but no formal adoption of WHO AI health guidance was found.

    Sources mbc.mw (opens in a new tab)