High-level Malawi-UK Virtual Agro-Business Forum - 23/07/2021

On the 23rd July 2021 the Malawi-UK Business Group hosted a major Agro-Business Digital Conference, with two Ministers, both High Commissioners, all the major banks and investors, and over 200 business leaders from both nations. The half-day event explored increased collaborations and new partnerships in this area. High-Level Speakers included:

Hon. Sosten Gwengwe MP, Malawi’s Minister of Trade
Hon. Agnes Nkusa Nkhoma MP, Malawi’s Deputy Minister for Agriculture
H.E David Beer, British High Commissioner to Malawi
Amon Mluwira, Greenbelt Authority CEO
Boniface Kadzamira, Cannabis Regulatory Chair
Hope Chavula, National Planning Commission (Vision 2063)
Karl Chokotho, MITC Chair
Chandi Mwenebungu, African Export-Imports Bank Director
Roman Frenkel, CDC Director of Investments in Agriculture
Edgar Chibaka, Malawi-UK Business Group Chair

This was an engaging, interactive and useful event, with 11 different break-out groups in which business leaders could meet directly with the above senior decision-makers or network with other business leaders. The full video from the event will be posted on this web-page shortly. Media coverage: There was strong media coverage from the event, including in the Nyasa Times.

Please find the event programme here.

Event Context:

The focus of this event was the AGRO-BUSINESS sector in Malawi. Malawi has for long relied on tobacco as the main cash crop but with the changing winds blowing across the globe, there is an urgency in the need to diversify and build up the agro-business sector at a faster pace.

The event aimed to bring together Malawian agro-business sector stakeholders with their UK counterparts to help stimulate trade and investments between the respective countries.

Public and Private entities in Malawi had a platform to share ideas and information, make new contacts and have direct discussions with key decision-makers. We worked to promote and facilitate the rapid growth in the Agro-Processing sub-sector in Malawi by driving investors and ease of access to funding for such ventures, thus increasing amount of Value Added Malawian products and produces onto the international markets. The event was especially interested in crop production mapping, creation of value chains, production industry, market chains and growth, agro-investors, funders and prospective partners.

Malawi has a number of crops that can be elevated to cash earners, from coffee, cotton, medicinal and industrial cannabis, macadamia, beans, rice, soya, maize, groundnuts and many others.

Next Steps:

1. Networking: Please do invest the time to really go through the delegate list I emailed you on 23rd July, this has full details of all who attended the conference. For most delegates, it includes details of their business, how they wish to grow, what opportunities they see, and their contact details. We’re keen to encourage networking and new connections between attendees even after the event, so have a good dig through.

2. Malawi-UK Business Group communications: As agreed at the event, we will automatically assume that everyone that booked a place for this 23rd July event would like to receive future communications relating to the Malawi-UK Business Group, including invitations to key upcoming events. If you would NOT like to receive such communications, please can you email Alex Sukali (alex.sukali@mwukbusinessgroup.co.uk) the Group’s Executive Secretary, to opt out. We hope the Malawi-UK Business Group will evolve into a formal Malawi-UK Chamber of Commerce in the next 12 months and we welcome you to join us as we embark on this exciting journey.

3. 5th August, Virtual Domestic Investment Forum: MITC extend a cordial invitation to all who attended our 23 July event, to sign up for the Virtual Domestic Investment Forum on the 5th August, with H.E. the President of Malawi. I have pasted the digital flyer at the base of this email. For full details and booking, please visit www.dif.mitc.mw

4. UK Government’s ‘Developing Countries Trading Scheme’ consultation: At our event the British High Commissioner announced the UK Government’s ‘Developing Countries Trading Scheme’ consultation, seeking views on how best to grow UK trade with lower income nations. All those involved in Malawi-UK trade are invited to feed into the consultation.

Learn more here and here, and submit to the consultation here.

5. Dubai Expo: The global Dubai Expo (October ‘21 – March ‘22) will a key moment to advance Malawi trade, as flagged by MITC in their presentation. Plans are still evolving but if you would like to be involved or learn more, please contact Mrs. Cindy Kibombwe, the Director of Trade Promotion and facilitation, who is the lead for this at MITC (ckibombwe@mitc.mw).