This week, the ESAMI-trapca team concluded a one-week validation workshop in Malawi on the country’s Draft National Digital Trade and E-Commerce Policy, Draft Digital Trade and E-Commerce Strategy, and Draft Digital Trade Bill, 2026.
The three instruments are being developed as a complementary framework to strengthen Malawi’s digital trade ecosystem and support implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade. The Policy provides the overall national direction, the Strategy translates this into an implementation pathway, while the Bill provides the proposed legal and regulatory framework for digital trade transactions, businesses, platforms and consumers.
The framework addresses key areas required for effective digital trade, including digital infrastructure and public digital foundations, digital identity and trusted services, digital payments, taxation, trade facilitation and logistics, consumer protection, cybersecurity, data governance, MSME participation, skills, inclusion and institutional coordination.
A central focus is ensuring that Malawi’s laws, institutions and digital systems are progressively aligned with the AfCFTA digital trade framework, enabling greater interoperability, cross-border e-commerce, digitally enabled services trade and participation in regional and continental markets.
The validation workshop provided stakeholders with an opportunity to review the proposed policy, strategic and legislative measures and strengthen their coherence, practicality and responsiveness to Malawi’s digital trade priorities.
The completion of the validation process marks an important step towards moving from policy formulation to coordinated implementation, with the ultimate objective of creating a secure, inclusive, competitive and trusted digital trade environment that enables Malawian businesses, MSMEs, women, youth and consumers to participate more effectively in domestic, regional and continental digital markets.
