LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Shadreck Namalomba on Thursday, January 22, 2026, paid a surprise visit to Airtel Malawi’s head office in Lilongwe.
During the visit, the Minister emphasized the need for Airtel to enhance customer experience by ensuring reliable and efficient network services.
In response, Airtel Malawi’s Acting Managing Director and Director of Finance, Abdul Shaik, assured the Minister that the company is continuously investing in its network infrastructure to provide the better quality of service to its customers and actively addressing network challenges.
He, however, acknowledged that progress has been slowed by persistent forex shortages, which continue to hamper the importation of critical network equipment needed for network expansion and upgrades.
Shaik also highlighted the negative impact of fiber cuts resulting from ongoing vandalism and road construction works.
“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 to meet growing customer needs.
“Rest assured, we are addressing the network challenges, however, delayed network equipment imports due to forex constraints means the journey to full improvement is being impacted. We need support from the government for forex allocation and combating fiber cable vandalism,” he said.
Additionally, Abdul Shaik revealed that the company is awaiting feedback from MACRA on the planned rollout of the groundbreaking Starlink Satellite DirecttoCell (DTC) services on Airtel network.
DTC services are expected to help close coverage gaps in rural and underserved areas and provide service continuity during network outages.
In response, the Minister pledged the government’s support in facilitating forex access to enable Airtel Malawi to enhance its service delivery.
He further committed to engaging MACRA on the authorization of the Starlink Satellite DirecttoCell services on Airtel network.
The Minister also appealed to the public to refrain from vandalizing communications infrastructure, noting that such acts significantly compromise service quality.