When Malawian entrepreneur Taonga Nyirenda founded Afro Ubuntu TradeNet in the United Kingdom, she was driven by a conviction that Africa’s small businesses deserve better digital tools to compete in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
What started as an AI-powered trade technology company is now preparing to bring its innovation home, with Malawi expected to become a flagship market for a platform designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) digitise their daily operations and unlock new opportunities for growth.
Afro Ubuntu TradeNet has developed a platform that enables businesses to manage inventory, record transactions, receive AI-powered business insights and build trusted digital trading records.
Nyirenda says the initiative seeks to solve one of the biggest challenges facing SMEs across Malawi and the continent: operating without reliable business data.
“Many businesses still rely on manual record-keeping and informal systems. That makes it difficult to manage stock, understand business performance, access finance and demonstrate creditworthiness,” she says.
The platform uses artificial intelligence to transform everyday business activity into practical insights that help entrepreneurs make informed decisions.
“It helps businesses monitor inventory, identify trends, improve purchasing decisions and reduce stock shortages. Better information l
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Beyond improving day-to-day operations, the platform is designed to create trusted digital trading records that could strengthen businesses’ commercial profiles when engaging financial institutions, development programmes and potential trading partners.
Nyirenda believes digital records will become increasingly important as African economies accelerate their transition towards digital commerce.
“We want SMEs to have access to the same quality of business intelligence and digital tools as businesses anywhere else in the world,” she says.
The company is already engaging stakeholders across Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya, but Malawi remains central to its long-term vision.
To support the rollout, Afro Ubuntu TradeNet has begun building partnerships with organisations that share its vision of strengthening the country’s SME ecosystem.
The Malawi High Commission in UK has supported efforts to introduce the initiative to local stakeholders, while discussions are underway with the Cross Border Traders Association Malawi on piloting the platform among its members.
Nyirenda says these engagements are helping the company better understand the needs of local traders before expanding the platform nationally.
Subject to successful discussions with partners, pilot activities are expected to begin during 2026 with between 25 and 50 SMEs, including informal and cross-border traders.
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