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.
