In late September 2026, MISA Malawi, the Malawi chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, released a statement calling on the government to address barriers that citizens face in accessing relevant, accurate public information.
Amongst other concerns, the statement reported that only 11 out of 58 government ministries, departments and agencies had websites meeting the minimum requirements of the country’s 2017 Access to Information Act. MISA Malawi emphasised the importance of easy and reliable access to public information in facilitating public participation and combating online disinformation.
Malawi National Youth in Politics (MNYP), a non-partisan, non-governmental organisation, is working to address information gaps like this, and to prepare young Malawians to step into political roles in the future.
“We believe that if we want a better Malawi, a better country, then we need to aspire for better leaders,” says Raymundo Chifundo Magangani, Executive Director of the organisation. “Ours is a platform whereby we nurture young people to take front positions when it comes to political leadership.”
The organisation applied for the Digital Democracy Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa (DDISA) Fund under their Council Yanga Hub project. Council Yanga, which means “the council belongs to you”, is a dashboard that is currently under development with support from the DDISA team.
Starting with the Likoma constituency, the dashboard will allow users to track local development projects, including information around planned development, stalled projects and funding allocation.
“Most district councils in Malawi do not have a website whereby a young person can go on the website and share the information,” says Magangani. “To us, [Council Yanga] will be successful if all the constituencies are put into place and young people are able to follow what is happening in their community, to give feedback and participate in developmental initiatives.”
Some of MNYP’s other projects include a variety of digital tools, campaigns and online learning modules aimed at furthering the political education of young Malawians and equipping them with the skills to pursue fruitful careers in politics. Their Ndale M’manja WhatsApp chatbot supplies users with insights on how to successfully run campaigns, mobilise resources and engage in democratic leadership in a responsible and informed manner.
“An informed leader can lead in a manner that the community deserves,” says Magangani. “That’s why we want young people to be informed before they become leaders.”
An informed leader can lead in a manner that the community deserves.
In the 2019 Malawian general election, 54% of registered voters were between the ages of 18 and 35, which reflects the country’s demographic distribution with more than half of the population being under 35. However, Magangani says that only 2.8% of political candidates in that election were youth candidates, presenting a clear lack of representation of youth voices in government.
“There are a number of barriers that do not allow young people, especially women, to venture into political arenas,” he says. “That’s why we [have implemented] trainings and capacity buildings so that young people can understand that even though there are these barriers, there are also opportunities.”
By addressing information gaps, barriers to entry and by emphasising the importance of informed, responsible leadership, MNYP is preparing young people for future political success by starting today.