Youth Urged to Embrace Entrepreneurial Culture

The National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM) has called on the country’s youth to adopt a strong culture of entrepreneurship, saying doing so is key to improving their livelihoods and transforming the national economy amid rising unemployment.

NYCOM Executive Director Rex Chapota made the remarks on Monday in Blantyre, during the official opening of a pre-award training session for recipients of the National Youth Innovations Fund from the Southern Region.

Chapota said Malawi’s current job market challenges require innovative approaches, and long-term entrepreneurship programs like the National Youth Innovations Fund offer a dependable path for economic empowerment.

“We believe that through this fund, at least 150 young innovators across the country will benefit by establishing transformative, long-term business ventures that contribute not only to their personal development but to national growth,” said Chapota.

He lamented the low level of interest among young people to take advantage of the many entrepreneurship initiatives available, saying it is a missed opportunity to build a youth-led economy.

“Youth from neighboring countries are seizing such opportunities and driving economic transformation. Malawian youth must take this seriously,” he urged.

The K2 billion fund will disburse amounts ranging from K10 million to K30 million per grantee, depending on the strength and scalability of their business proposals.

“We are training these 85 youth innovators from the southern region—part of the first cohort—to ensure they use the funds prudently. The goal is not just self-employment, but wealth creation and job opportunities for others,” added Chapota.

In a separate interview, Frankson Wiskes, a grantee from Zomba-based Madyo Food Processors and Suppliers, expressed concern about forex shortages, saying the challenge is affecting production and hindering growth.

“Some of our products rely on imported raw materials, and forex scarcity is seriously disrupting our operations. As a result, the market is being flooded with foreign finished goods, outcompeting local products due to our limited capacity,” he said.

The National Youth Innovations Fund is part of Malawi’s broader push to promote youth-led entrepreneurship as a tool for sustainable development and job creation.

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