Malawians stand to benefit from a new wave of homegrown digital solutions, as six outstanding innovators whose work is already making services more inclusive, efficient, and tech-driven across the country have been recognised and encouraged with awards.
The National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc presented the awards during the 2025 ICT Association of Malawi (ICTAM) Innovation Jam held in Mangochi over the weekend.
Staff Nyoni emerged as the overall winner under the Imagine Tech category with his assistive learning platform, “The Blind Classroom,” a tool designed to improve learning for visually impaired learners.
Nyoni said the solution was born from witnessing the daily academic struggles of visually impaired students, adding that the project is already transforming learning outcomes.
He thanked NBM plc for believing in the idea after receiving K2.5 million and a fully funded incubation programme.
“Sometimes an idea alone is not enough, you need people who believe in it. NBM plc has shown that they believe in the work we are doing, and we are truly grateful. We also encourage other organisations to support innovations, as this will help drive national development,” he said.
In the FinTech and Digital Economy category, Earn Mwachangu walked away with K2 million and an all-expenses-paid incubation programme scheduled for Zambia in 2026 under NBM plc sponsorship.
Other innovators recognised during the ceremony included Zaulimi App under Agritech, National Digital Health Systems under eHealth, Chipatala App under She-code spotlight, and E-Flood under Open-Source category, each receiving K1.5 million. Speaking at the awards dinner, NBM plc Mobile and e-Money Services Manager Enala Chirwa said the Bank has supported ICTAM’s Innovation Jam since 2019, but this year marks the highest commitment yet.
“The 2025 edition marks our highest commitment yet, with K75.5 million invested.
The Bank’s motivation is anchored on two major pillars, identifying and supporting the brightest innovative minds, and providing platforms for visibility and growth for innovators,” she said.
Chirwa added that the Bank’s broader mission aligns with the country’s digital transformation.
“Our strategic objective is to become the most digitalised bank in Malawi by 2027, but we cannot be the most digitalised bank if the nation itself is not digitalised.
And the nation can only be digitalised if we have innovation in this space. That is why NBM plc remains committed to supporting the Innovation Jam,” she said.
She further noted that NBM plc’s support extends beyond cash prizes as in the next few months, the winning innovators are expected to undergo grooming, mentorship and technical support to help them scale and strengthen their innovations.
ICTAM President Clarence Gama applauded the Bank for the partnership and the innovators for contributing to Malawi’s digital progress.
“Innovators are thinkers and this country needs thinkers if we are to move forward. Our role as ICTAM is to identify these thinkers, nurture them, and through partnerships with institutions like NBM plc and UNDP, help them turn their ideas into impactful national solutions,” he said.
This year, NBM plc also sponsored the 2024 overall winner, Goodall Salima, to travel to Ghana for the Third Annual TICON Africa Conference.
