Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has announced that it will begin a nationwide SIM card registration exercise in November 2025, as part of a national campaign to strengthen digital security and curb mobile-related fraud. Ahead of the rollout, MACRA has embarked on an extensive awareness campaign across the southern region of the country.
The outreach team has already conducted community roadshows in several districts, including Neno, Mwanza, Blantyre, Nsanje, Chikwawa, Balaka, Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe, Chiradzulu, Zomba, and Machinga, to educate the public about the upcoming registration process and its importance. According to the regulator, the new registration initiative seeks to sanitize mobile operators’ databases by ensuring that every SIM card in Malawi is properly verified and linked to a legitimate national identity.
The exercise will use national identification cards, facial recognition, and fingerprint verification to confirm user identities. Each individual will be permitted to register up to five SIM cards, a measure aimed at enhancing accountability and preventing the misuse of multiple phone numbers. MACRA explained that the move forms part of its broader digital governance and consumer protection strategy, which is designed to combat mobile money scams, identity theft, and other forms of cybercrime that have increasingly targeted users across Malawi’s telecommunications sector.
The Authority has urged all mobile subscribers to prepare for the registration period by ensuring they have valid national IDs and to take part in the process once it begins in November. After the registration deadline, all unregistered SIM cards will be deactivated, effectively cutting off unverified users from network access. By enforcing this exercise, MACRA aims to promote trust, transparency, and security within Malawi’s mobile communication ecosystem, ensuring that the digital economy continues to grow in a safe and regulated environment.
