The Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Shadric Namalomba, on Thursday, paid a surprise visit to Airtel Malawi’s Head Office in Lilongwe, where he called on the telecommunications company to strengthen customer experience by providing reliable and efficient network services.
During the visit, Namalomba emphasized Airtel Malawi’s critical role in the country’s digital ecosystem and stressed the need for consistent service quality to support economic activity, communication, and digital inclusion.
Responding to the Minister’s concerns, Airtel Malawi’s Acting Managing Director and Director of Finance, Abdul Shaik, assured the Minister of the company’s continued commitment to investing in network infrastructure to improve service delivery.
Shaik said Airtel Malawi is currently actively addressing network challenges through site rollouts and capacity upgrades, particularly in high-traffic areas.
“We can assure you that over the past few months, we have been rolling out new sites and increasing capacity in high traffic areas to continue providing superior service that meets growing customer needs. While we are addressing the network challenges, delayed equipment imports due to forex constraints have impacted the pace of full improvement. We need support from the government in terms of forex allocation and in combating fibre cable vandalism,” said Shaik.
Shaik further revealed that Airtel Malawi is awaiting feedback from the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) regarding the planned rollout of Starlink Satellite Direct-to-Cell (DTC) services on the Airtel network.
The innovative service is expected to help close coverage gaps in rural and underserved areas, while also ensuring service continuity during network outages.
In response, Namalomba pledged government support to facilitate access to foreign exchange, enabling Airtel Malawi to enhance its service delivery. He also committed to engaging MACRA to expedite consideration of the Starlink Satellite DTC services.
The Minister further appealed to the public to desist from vandalizing telecommunications infrastructure, noting that such acts significantly undermine service quality and disrupt communication services nationwide.
The visit underscores the government’s growing engagement with service providers as Malawi pushes towards improved connectivity and digital transformation.
