Malawi Moves to Tap Social Media Revenue as MACRA Engages Meta, TikTok

Weeks after Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamvekha outlined plans to unlock revenue from global digital platforms in the 2026–2027 National Budget, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has moved to operationalise the strategy.

The regulator has announced the rollout of a monetisation-focused engagement with global tech giants Meta and TikTok, marking a key step in government’s push to benefit from the digital economy.

In his budget statement, Mwanamvekha said government would initiate structured negotiations with international digital platforms to establish regulatory and fiscal frameworks that allow Malawi to derive value through taxation, innovation support, and increased participation of local enterprises.

MACRA, in a public statement, says it has scheduled a high-level engagement meeting for April 16 at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe.

The meeting is expected to serve as a strategic platform to align Malawi’s creative industry with global monetisation standards and platform governance systems.

The initiative is projected to open up new revenue streams for local content creators through monetisation opportunities.

It is also expected to enable government to benefit from value-added tax, expanded youth employment, growth in digital entrepreneurship, and increased participation in the global digital value chain.