Five undergraduate students from various universities in Malawi will face against stand out teams from different sub-Saharan African countries for the Huawei Leap Digital Talent Study Camp competition in China next year.
The skilful students under the banner of Malawi Rising Flames, include Grace Gausi, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), Nyasha Chinthu, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Steve Tsekani, University of Malawi (UNIMA), Tayamika Kaponda, National College of Information Technology (NACIT), and Victoria Kankhokwe, Mzuzu University.
From 16-24 November, this year the group represented Malawi in the Tech4Good competition held in Shenzhen, China and developed Innovative agriculture solution called’’ SMART SOIL, that proposes an Eco-friendly soil nutrient detection system which leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IOT), to recommend fertilizer insights and finally, won the top 2 projects award alongside South Africa to qualify for the 2025 showdown.
Speaking to ProjectM, Public Relations Manager for the team Yalenga Chirambo said the Huawei LEAP Programme is a significant development for Malawi because it aligns with the country’s broader digital transformation and educational goals.
Chirambo further said that the initiative is not just about training a few students but creating a ripple effect where these trained individuals can contribute to various sectors in Malawi, from telecommunications to healthcare, education, and beyond.
“By offering local training and international exposure in cutting-edge fields such as 5G, AI, Cloud Computing and Digital power, the programme empowers Malawian youth with critical digital skills. This is quite important for boosting the country’s technological capacity, which is a key enabler for future economic development,” said Chirambo.
In addition, he has said that the Huawei LEAP programme is extremely significant for Malawi particularly in the wake of with the country’s recent success in the Regional Tech4Good Challenge held in Shenzhen, China; hence, team Malawi’s triumph for competitors from 20 other countries not only brings pride to Malawi but also positions the country as a rising player in digital innovation on the global stage.
“The team is preparing well for the global competition and meets weekly. This is the first time Malawi has won the Sub-Saharan regional competition and progressed to the global finals; hence, we expect them to come out triumphant in the next leg of the competition,” stated Chirambo.
Yalenga Chirambo, can be contacted on: +265 889 36 09 18
