17 June 2025

Malawian telecom operators are set to launch a campaign to verify their subscriber base. The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) announced that the regulations governing this process are nearing finalization.

Under the new rules, the national identity card will be the sole document accepted for SIM card registration. Each individual will be limited to a maximum of ten SIM cards per mobile operator, while businesses may register up to 30 SIM cards per network — though these limits may be revised as needed. The regulations also include provisions for special cases, such as minors, whose SIM cards can be registered by their parents or guardians.

MACRA explained that the campaign aims to clean and update the existing database as part of Malawi’s broader digital transformation efforts. The country has seen a rapid increase in electronic communication adoption: according to DataReportal, mobile subscriptions rose from approximately 8.6 million in early 2020 to 13.2 million by early 2025. Similarly, internet users grew from 2.8 million to nearly 4 million over the same period.

However, this growth has been accompanied by a rise in fraud related to communication channels. A 2023 survey by MACRA revealed that 85.5% of Malawians received fraudulent calls requesting money or banking details. About 33.4% had been victims of identity theft, and 18.2% received phishing emails. Additionally, 12% experienced ‘SIM swapping,’ where fraudsters transfer a victim’s phone number to another SIM to intercept calls, messages, and security codes.

Ahead of the registration exercise, MACRA is engaging with stakeholders — including community and religious leaders — to raise awareness about the new regulations. The regulator has not yet specified how long the SIM card verification campaign will last. Similar initiatives in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Benin have seen non-compliant SIM cards blocked by authorities.