According to the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), the government plans to establish a space agency to explore the country's potential in using space resources for scientific and technological advancement.
Once the agency is established, it will provide Malawi with space programs to send satellites into space. These satellites will be used, among other things, to provide satellite broadcasting services and fixed satellite telecom services in accordance with the slots allocated to the country by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
Daud Suleman, director general of MACRA, revealed that Malawi will also be able to use space-based data to manage existing activities such as agriculture, mapping, and climate science. "Malawi envisions a dynamic digital environment, and space exploration is a key driver for the future we envision," he said.
According to the 2022 edition of Space in Africa's annual African Space Industry Report, the value of Africa's space industry is expected to reach US$22.64 billion in 2026, up from an estimated US$19.49 billion in 2021. The same report indicates that African nations allocated a total of US$534.9 million to space programs in 2022, compared to US$523.2 million in 2021.
