About the Anzisha Prize
The Anzisha Prize is delivered by African Leadership Academy in partnership with The MasterCard
Foundation. Through the Anzisha Prize, the organisers seek to catalyse innovation and entrepreneurship
among youth across the continent. The Youth Entrepreneur Support Unit (YES-U) is the youth business
consulting and acceleration arm of Anzisha Prize. It works directly with youth to enable their businesses
to scale and thrive.
About African Leadership Academy
African Leadership Academy (ALA) seeks to transform Africa by developing a powerful network of
entrepreneurial leaders who will work together to achieve extraordinary social impact. Each year, ALA
brings together the most promising young leaders from all 54 African nations for a pre-university
program in South Africa with a focus on leadership, entrepreneurship and African studies. ALA continues
to cultivate these leaders throughout their lives, in university and beyond, by providing on-going
leadership and entrepreneurial training and connecting them to high-impact networks of people and
capital that can catalyse large-scale change.
For more information, visit:
http://africanleadershipacademy.org.
About The MasterCard Foundation
The MasterCard Foundation works with visionary organizations to provide greater access to education,
skills training and financial services for people living in poverty, primarily in Africa. As one of the largest,
independent foundations, its work is guided by its mission to advance learning and promote financial
inclusion to alleviate poverty. Based in Toronto, Canada, its independence was established by MasterCard
when the Foundation was created in 2006.
For more information and to sign up for the Foundation’s newsletter please visit
www.mastercardfdn.org.
Follow the Foundation on Twitter:
@MCFoundation
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Country Overview
- Geographic location
- Political History in Brief
- Social Context
- Economic Overview
- Population Statistics
- Government and Political System
- Capital Cities
2. Macro-Economic Analysis
- The Cameroonian Economy
- Sectors in the Cameroonian Economy
3. Entrepreneurship in the country
- Importance of Entrepreneurship in the Country
- Initiatives to promote Entrepreneurship
- Institutions tasked with promoting Entrepreneurship
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Country Overview
Republic of Malawi
National Flag of Malawi
Source: www.wikipedia.org
Geographic Location
Social Context
Malawi is a landlocked country located in the
southern-eastern part of the African continent, it
is bordered by Tanzania in the north and east,
Mozambique in the east and south and Zambia
in the West.
Malawi’s social context is made up of different
ethnic groups ranging from the core Bantu
groups to a small number of European and
Asian groups.
The country also has a multi-lingual society with
the Chichewa language being the most widely
spoken.
Economic Overview
Geographical location of Malawi
Source: www.britannica.com
Political History in Brief
Malawi is a former colony of the British Empire,
which gained independence on the 6th of July
1964.
After gaining independence the country became
a one party state under the Malawi Congress
Party (MCP), led by Hastings Banda, from 1966
to 1994.
The economy of the country is largely anchored
on the agricultural sector, agricultural products
account for about 90% of the county’s total
export revenue.
The recent global droughts have had a serve
impact on the agricultural based economy, this
has led to the country seeking financial relief
from international bodies such as the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
World Bank.
The majority of the population still resides in
the rural areas, making the country one of the
least developed nations in the world.
Page references:
In 1994 the MCP lost the democratic elections
and ushered in a new era of multiparty-politics
which led to an adoption of a new constitution
which is still in place today.
Source: encyclopedia.com
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Malawi.aspx
Malawi Government
https://www.malawi.gov.mw/
World Bank Malawi Overview
http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/overview
CIA World Fact BooK – Malawi
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/mi.html
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Population Statistics
The total population in Malawi is estimated at
16.3 million people.
Source:
Malawi Government
www.malawi.gov.m
Key Ethnic Groups
Chewa
Nyanja
Lomwe (Alomwe)
Tumbuko
Ngonde
Tonga
Europeans (British
Asians/Indians
and Portuguese)
Malawi Parliament building, Lilongwe
Source: www.wikipedia.org
Languages
Chilomwe
Chiyao
Chitumbuka
English (Official)
Chichewa (Official)
Source: encyclopedia.com/Malawi
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Malawi.aspx
Government and Political System
Chewa Traditional Dancers at a traditional festival
Source: www.thinklink.com
Since 1995 the Republic of Malawi has been as
Constitutional democracy.
Executive power lies in the hands of the
president and legislative power in the hands of
Parliament.
The recent 2014 elections saw Peter Mutharika
being elected as president of the republic.
Capital City
The capital city of Malawi is Lilongwe which has
an estimated population of over 700 000 people.
Lake Malawi
Source: www.wikipedia.org
Other key cities include:
1. Mzuzu
2. Blantyre
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MACRO ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
The Economy of Malawi
The economy of Malawi is agricultural based,
with the main agricultural exports being
tobacco, cotton, tea and sugar.
The country is in the process of introducing a
market based economic system by privatizing
some the state owned entities.
Malawi, like its other African counterparts, has a
high income inequality. Many of its people still
live in the rural areas and depend on sustenance
farming to survive.
Tobacco Plant
Source: www.livebinders.com
Tobacco is one of Malawi’s biggest exports
Key Economic Indicators
Gross Domestics Product
USD 4.2 Billion
GDP Growth Rate
5.7 %
Inflation Rate
21.2 %
Unemployment Rate
6.6 %
Currency
Malawian
Kwacha (MKW)
Source: World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi
Rural farmers working the land
Source: www.livebinders.com
Sectors in the Economy
Malawi is largely underdeveloped and as such it
does not have a diversified economy, the sectors
in the economy are agriculture, industry (which
is largely composed agro-processing) and
services (which include government services).
The main industry in the economy are the
1. Tobacco industry
2. Sugar industry
3. Saw mill products
4. Cement
5. Consumer goods
Key Sectors
Agriculture
Industry
(Manufacturing)
Services
Farmers market in Malawi
Source: www.chikondimalawi.org
GDP Contribution
32.9 %
17.1 %
50.1 %
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN
MALAWI
Malawi is ranked 130th in the world and 27th in
its region in terms of entrepreneurial activity by
The Global Entrepreneurship Development
Institution.
See:
https://thegedi.org/countries/Malawi
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor estimates
that 28% the total adult population (18–64 yrs.)
is engaged in entrepreneurial activity.
Institutions Tasked with the Development
of Entrepreneurship
1. Small and Medium Enterprise
Development Institute (SMEDI)
The institution was created through the BEEP
policy to promote the development of Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the
country
See: http://smedimw.blogspot.co.za/
See:
http://www.gemconsortium.org/country-profile/85
2. Enterprise Development Centre (EDC)
Importance of Entrepreneurship in Malawi
Malawi being one of the least developed nations
in the world desperately needs entrepreneurs as
they are the drivers of economic development.
The centre is the training division of the
SMEDI, its aim is to provide entrepreneurship
and business training, coaching and mentoring.
Malawi needs to develop entrepreneurs to push
it out of the agricultural based economy into a
more diversified economy that will provide
more skilled jobs that pay better than those in
the agricultural sector.
Initiatives to Promote Entrepreneurship
The government of Malawi, through its broad
Business Enabling Environment Programme
(BEEP) aims to create an environment in the
where businesses, big and small, can flourish.
Stall at the Malawi International Trades Fair
Source: www.inclusivebusinesshub.org
http://www.moit.gov.mw/
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