The President of Malawi H.E. Dr Lazarus Chakwera has called on the business community and investors from the COMESA region and beyond to take advantage of the current conducive government policies that have paved the way for industrialization as outlined in the Malawi 2063 Vision, together with its 10-year implementation plan (MIP-1).
Dr Chakwera stated that the government alone cannot and should not do lead in industrialisation but their role is to create a fertile environment, as an enabler, partner and catalyst.
“We invite you to invest not just in assets, but in aspirations. Bring your expertise, your technology, your capital, and your commitment to shared success. In return, you will find a government that is reform-minded, a workforce that is eager, and a business climate that is improving with every passing day,” HE Chakwera said.
He was speaking in Blantyre, Malawi during the 35th Malawi International Trade Fair held from 22 – 29 May 2025. COMESA Secretariat is participating at the Fair.
The President outlined some of his government’s focus areas which include positioning Malawi as a regional trade hub for industrialized goods, removing investment bottlenecks and modernizing infrastructure to attract sustainable growth, strengthening Public-Private Partnerships to drive the development of Special Economic Zones, Industrial Parks, and Innovation Hubs. Other areas are promoting skills development to align the workforce with the demands of modern industry, accelerating technology adoption and fostering innovation across all value chains and investing in youth—creating jobs and supporting youth-led enterprises to build the Malawi of tomorrow.
On the power of regional integration, President Chakwera mentioned the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to which COMESA is an implementing partner, as a game-changer adding that it will only benefit those who are bold enough to innovate, competitive enough to scale, and prepared enough to seize new market opportunities. “Malawi must be among the leaders, not the laggards,’’ he added.
“We are determined to make Malawi a regional hub for value-added products, a country known not just for what we grow, but for what we make and export. With strengthened production and trade capacity, Malawi can and will become a vital player in regional and global value chains.
The theme of this year’s trade fair is “Promoting Economic Transformation through Private Sector-led Industrialization,”.
COMESA Secretariat participates in trade fairs as part of its direct stakeholders engagement, information dissemination, knowledge sharing and outreach programme with Member Sstates.