Day 40 | #40Days40FinTechs Zambia and Malawi Edition
In Malawi, informal cross-border trade is a vital economic activity, especially for women. Yet, a lack of access to trade information and financial literacy continues to hold many back. More than half of the country’s cross-border traders remain underserved, and new regulations such as the requirement for digital sales receipt submissions pose additional challenges for small traders unprepared for digital compliance.
In response, a team of innovators has launched Empower Tech, a digital solution designed to bridge the information gap, improve financial resilience, and empower women traders in Malawi and Zambia. The platform offers users vital insights into market opportunities, trade agreements, export requirements, business registration, and COMESA’s simplified trade regime.
“We developed Empower Tech to help traders navigate cross-border trade more effectively,” said Mary Malunga, a co-founder of the platform. “Our goal is to improve access to relevant trade data and promote inclusive participation.”
Beyond financial literacy and market data, Empower Tech also addresses a critical but often overlooked challenge, gender-based violence. With over 80% of informal traders in Malawi being women, many of whom report harassment or abuse, the platform includes a dedicated GBV reporting tool. This feature is accessible through a mobile app and WhatsApp bot, ensuring anonymity and ease of use.
“We wanted to provide a tool that doesn’t just support business but also protects the dignity of women traders,” added Khumbo Zimba, also from Empower Tech. “The USSD functionality ensures that even those without smartphones can access the support they need.”
Born from the Women in FinTech Hackathon
Empower Tech emerged from the inaugural COMESA Women in FinTech Hackathon, organized by HiPipo and the COMESA Business Council (CBC). The hackathon brought together 16 promising FinTech teams from Malawi and Zambia to ideate and build solutions that prioritize women’s inclusion.
For the Empower Tech team, the hackathon was more than a competition it was a launchpad.
“This experience gave us clarity on product branding, strategy, and scaling,” Malunga shared. “We also got introduced to Mojaloop, which we hadn’t heard of before. Now, we see how it can help us seamlessly integrate payments across the COMESA region.”
Empower Tech was proudly featured on Day 40 of the #40Days40FinTechs Zambia and Malawi edition, an initiative that continues to spotlight FinTech innovation across Africa. Originally launched in East Africa, the campaign has now featured over 200 FinTechs from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda. It aims to promote financial inclusion and drive economic transformation through access to powerful tools like Mojaloop open source software, Level One Project principles, and other inclusive finance systems.
As Empower Tech demonstrates, innovation tailored to the real needs of communities especially women can be a powerful force for economic empowerment and social change.
