During a public lecture at Catholic University, the TNM Chief Executive Officer Michiel Buitelaar said that Malawi has potential to grow her digital economy.

Buitelaar’s input arrives after it was revealed that technology use by businesses has dropped by 58.62%, according to a study by the Malawi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI). While in other nations, businesses are adopting the latest of technologies, Malawian businesses have lowered or stopped the use of technologies. However the TNM CEO has said that  advocating and engaging with people on advantages of the internet, would boost internet usage in Malawi.

“The real practical issue is when people can afford a decent device like a 4G smartphone, those gadgets tend to be expensive but the good news is they are becoming less expensive. Another thing is digital literacy, there is a viral effect to it in a sense that once there are a couple of people who are enthusiastic about digital lifestyle, they can influence others,” he said.

Michiel Buitelaar was announced as the new Chief Executive Officer in April this year. Having experience in high positions in telecom companies such as T-Mobile, Orange, Smile and AT&T, the new CEO has left his mark in various countries including Belgium, The Czech Republic, Spain, France, Indonesia and Nigeria.

The public lecture was organized for TNM Plc to harness relations with the University and showcase leadership as an integrated mobile telco and ICT firm.