Malawi is rolling out a plan to connect 2,000 secondary schools to the internet.
December 7th 2025
Faced with difficulties in accessing digital technology in rural areas, Malawi is focusing on digital education to strengthen young people’s skills, broaden their horizons and promote their professional integration while reducing the educational divide.
The Malawian government is rolling out a plan to connect 2,000 rural secondary schools to the internet as part of the “Connect A School” project, led by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA). The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Shadric Namalomba, announced the initiative on Wednesday, December 3, during a visit to the ICT lab at the Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Phalula, Balaka.
On this occasion, he emphasized the government’s commitment to integrating the project into the Malawi 2063 national strategy, which makes information technology proficiency a cornerstone of development. The participating institutions will be equipped with computer labs and will have internet access, a key element of the initiative.
According to Mphatso Phiri, acting director general of MACRA, “the “Connect A School” program is not limited to providing digital infrastructure, it also aims to offer young people digital skills, essential for accessing employment in an increasingly connected world.”
The first results are already noticeable. Francis Chimwaza, director of the CDSS in Phalula, points out that the success rate of his institution has increased since the installation of the laboratory in 2023, with results ranging from 17 to 19 points in the national examinations (Malawi School Certificate of Education – MSCE), according to government data.
This initiative comes at a time when digital access remains limited. A study by MACRA, reported by the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, indicates that nearly 6 million students in rural areas lack access to computers. A 2024 report by Paradigm Initiative reveals that 46% of Malawians say they do not use the internet because they don’t know what it is, despite the political and structural reforms implemented in recent years. In 2021, the government launched a five-year digital economy strategy (2021–2026), aiming to expand internet access from 14.6% to 80% of the population and broadband coverage to 95% by 2026.
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